The Rise of Women in Engineering

We recently introduced Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering student Cassie Savukinas (’25), who won the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) award and a College of Arts & Sciences (COAS) $1,500 travel grant. She wants to make science more accessible because science is for everyone.

Cassie knew she wanted to study how gendered seating among engineering students affected classroom success, but she needed guidance. She reached out through the Office of Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentor portal to find her mentor, Dr. Ashley Lear — a Humanities and Communications professor at the College of Arts & Sciences on the Daytona Beach, Florida, campus.

Realizing the need for more help, Lear approached Electrical Engineering graduate student, Kayla Taylor (’21, ’23), to join the team for help with survey creation and statistical analysis. The trio made a formidable team.  

Mentorship Matters at Embry-Riddle

At Embry-Riddle, students like Cassie benefit greatly from faculty and peer mentors, but mentorship doesn’t stop at graduation. The Invest in Future Eagles program provides opportunities for alumni to mentor current Embry-Riddle students.

Lear’s and Taylor’s mentorship has proven invaluable to Cassie, both with her research and her future career. “Working with these two women has been truly inspiring,” Cassie shared. “They are each at the top of their respective fields and have so much knowledge and expertise that they are willing to share with me. They both bring so much energy to this project and ultimately always want me to not only succeed with my research but learn valuable skills I can bring into my career as well.”

Increasing Representation in STEM

According to the Society of Women Engineers, engineering and engineering technology degrees conferred to women have risen from 17% in 2011 to 23% in 2021. Cassie saw this for herself in her classes. According to her research, during the fall 2024 semester, females comprised 26% of the 3,385 College of Engineering students on Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach Campus.

Cassie, along with Lear and Taylor, investigated the seating choices of female and female-presenting engineering students, and they found that it is common for them to sit near each other in male-dominated classes. In the paper she co-authored with Lear and Taylor, Cassie wrote, “Understanding the factors that contribute to increased retention and success for female engineering students is crucial to help bridge this gap and improve representation for women in STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics].”

Increasing representation of women in STEM — and making science more accessible — is one of Cassie’s greatest motivations. After all, science is for everyone.

The Impact of Gendered Seating

When the research sample was asked about how sitting next to someone of the same gender affected their academic performance, comfort in the classroom and participation in class, the responses from female and male students differed. Cassie shared some of the research trio’s findings.

They asked students if sitting near someone of the same gender in class impacted their academic performance. “Nearly 30% of female students stated that it increased their academic performance, compared to just 9.9% of males,” Cassie shared. “This could be due to a ‘social vaccination,’ where female students are less impacted by negative stereotypes because they are surrounded by other women.”

When asked if sitting near someone of the same gender in class impacted their comfort level in that class, 50% of females felt more comfortable when seated next to another female.

“Students were asked if sitting near someone of the same gender in class impacted their participation in class; 25.9% of females said it increased their participation, compared to just 9.9% of males,” Cassie told us. “Being more comfortable in class has been shown to predict whether students will engage with the learning material on an emotional and values-based level.”

Making Science Accessible

The research was clear to the trio: creating supportive environments that strengthen student relationships can help female students in male-dominated engineering classes, potentially improving their enrollment and retention. Thanks to Cassie and her mentors, we know one more way to make science more accessible to all.