YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- The Women in Science and Engineering Career Day at Youngstown State University today received an endowment of $100,000 and a new name because of the generosity of the Edward W. Powers Charitable Fund.
Started in 1997, the career day is held annually to make girls in middle school and high school aware of the careers they can pursue in science and engineering by introducing them to women who have achieved success in these fields. Because of the gift, the day will known as the Edward W. Powers Women in Science and Engineering Career Day and the 15th annual event will be held March 3.
In presenting the check, Catherine Powers, great-niece of Edward W. Powers, said the career day is a “perfect fit” for her uncle’s name and money because he enjoyed so much success by investing in IBM stock while a stockbroker at the former Butler Wick & Co.
“It just seemed so appropriate and women deserve this opportunity,” she said.
Powers sits on the distribution committee of the charitable fund.
The donation comes at a time when the career day program was stretched financially because of reduced state support to Ohio’s public universities, including YSU. The interest the $100,000 earns is projected to underwrite the expenses of the annual career days.
The biggest difference career day visitors should notice is a wider array of speakers, said Diana Fagan a professor of biology and career day director. “We’ll be able to bring in national speakers as we’re doing this year,” she said.
Pamela Gay, an astronomer and assistant research professor at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, will be the keynote speaker at this March 3.
“In addition to people coming in to talk for the career day, we’ll also be giving a community lecture,” Fagan said.
Women scientists speak at the career day every year in an effort to provide role models to girls interested in science.
“Most of the girls don’t have examples of women in the various careers that we represent at the career day,” Fagan explained.
More than 1,500 girls from northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania have participated in career day since 1997 and the number of females enrolled in YSU’s College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, 117, has increased 19% over the past five years, the university says.
Copyright 2012 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.