Reflections on Ada Lovelace Day: The Importance of Women Role Models in STEMM

By Gilda Barabino, President of Olin College of Engineering 

Today we celebrate Ada Lovelace Day. Named in honor of the 19th century mathematic visionary, today is an international celebration of the achievements of women in STEMM. Ada Lovelace Day is about uplifting women who have broken barriers and succeeded in STEMM and, in doing so, creating role models for more girls to pursue careers in the field. 

Women make up only 34% of the STEMM workforce and when it comes to college students who major in STEMM fields, men still vastly outnumber their women peers. If we are to build a STEMM ecosystem rooted in equity, we must identify ways to support and cultivate the talents of women across the country and encourage them to break barriers in STEMM.  

The inspiration for Ada Lovelace Day came from psychologist Penelope Lockwood, who found that women need to have women role models more than men need to see male role models in order to overcome obstacles and succeed in their careers. I’ve seen this firsthand in my own experience as a woman in STEMM. I have been most inspired by Black women leaders who overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to achieve professional success and to open doors for others. Shirley Malcom is one such leader. I first learned of Shirley when I came across the 1976 report she co-authored, “The Double Bind: The Price of Being a Minority Woman in Science.” I have since been mentored by and worked closely with Shirley. Most recently, I had the honor of sharing the stage with Shirley when, as President of Olin College, I presented her an honorary degree following her commencement address. 

Research shows girls who have similarly strong women role models in STEMM are more likely to pursue STEM careers. In my role as President of Olin College, one of the top engineering schools in the country, I hope to be a model for other women – especially women of color in the STEMM fields. Representation is essential to equity in STEMM because girls need to see themselves in STEMM careers. It’s also important that boys and men see women in STEMM, especially in leadership positions. At Olin, I’m proud to say we have had an almost equal balance between women and men in our student body since our founding. Not only does this help produce more women engineers, but it also lays the foundation for male engineers to see women as their peers in the field.  

For centuries, women have been at the forefront of scientific innovation, despite facing outsized obstacles. While immense work has been done to remove these obstacles, systemic barriers still exist. The work of the STEMM Opportunity Alliance – to develop and launch a shared national strategy to achieve STEMM equity and excellence – is critical to ensuring more women can keep changing the world through STEMM discoveries.  

Gilda A. Barabino is the second president of Olin College of Engineering, which is dedicated to educating the next generation of engineering innovators who recognize needs, design solutions and engage in creative enterprises for the good of the world.  She is Chair of the AAAS Board of Directors and a member of the STEMM Opportunity Alliance Advisory Council. 

Dr. Barabino (right) with Dr. Malcom