International Day of Women and Girls in Science

Let's seize this occasion to take a look into practice. To do so, we spoke with Zoe Hinck, Supervisor Design Verification Engineering at KARL STORZ Imaging. 📣

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱?

"In my work in engineering at KARL STORZ and in leading Santa Barbara Women in STEM, I see first-hand how important it is that women contribute to science, tech, engineering, and math fields. While being part of the KARL STORZ family, I have felt supported in my career growth from intern to engineer to supervisor, and am grateful for the network that I’ve built globally through the years".

𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁?

"Although gender diversity is still low in engineering in general, we are seeing great improvements each year as the next generation of professionals come into the industry. We know that a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion can help make more people feel more welcome and appreciated in our workplaces. In addition, companies with more diverse employees make products that better serve their diverse customers".

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀?

"Being an engineer isn’t about being the best in math or science; it’s about problem solving and continuously learning. I was interested in science and math from a young age, but it wasn’t always easy! I was lucky that I had teachers growing up who encouraged me to continue working hard in math, even though at times I felt like I wasn’t good at it. They saw the small mistakes I was making and helped me learn to fill those holes, rather than give up altogether. As I headed into university, I found I had to push myself harder and continue to seek out support when I needed it from my professors (and my friends). Support yourself and your classmates as you try new things and encourage each other to keep learning and growing in your interests".

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴?

"You have so much to contribute, even if you don’t see yourself represented enough yet in the lab or the board room. Seek out supportive friends, colleagues, and mentors, and make the workplace better together. I also suggest joining an organization that helps connect you to others who may be going through similar experiences. If you’re interested in outreach work, find ways to meet with students to encourage their interests and help them learn about different career paths. This visibility into future opportunities can be enormously impactful".

Thanks a lot for these insights, Zoe, and keep on inspiring further female talents in science and engineering! 🚀

#GenderEquality #diversity #KARLSTORZ #WomenInScience