Women in Mechanical Engineering: Representation Trends in Education and the Workforce
- Conference
- Location
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Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Publication Date
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June 22, 2025
- Start Date
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June 22, 2025
- End Date
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August 15, 2025
- Conference Session
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ME Division 4: Broadening Participation and Building Resilience
- Tagged Division
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Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)
- Tagged Topic
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Diversity
- Page Count
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19
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/57470
Paper Authors
Sarah Barbrow
University of Michigan
orcid.org/0000-0001-8033-3945
Sarah Barbrow is a librarian and the Assistant Director of the Engineering Library at the University of Michigan. She is a liaison to three departments: Computer Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.
Sarah graduated with an MSI in Library and Information Services from the University of Michigan School of Information. She also has an MSc in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology also from the University of Michigan.
Leena N Lalwani
University of Michigan
orcid.org/0000-0003-1881-2181
Leena Lalwani is an Associate Director, HS-STEM/Engineering Librarian and Coordinator for Collections for Science and Engineering at the Art, Architecture and Engineering Library (AAEL) at the University of Michigan. She is also the liaison Librarian for Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, and Macromolecular Science and Engineering. Leena has been a librarian at University of Michigan since 1995 in various ranks. Leena has a M.L.S. degree from Catholic University of America and M.S. in Chemistry from the University of Mumbai.
Angela Violi
University of Michigan
orcid.org/0000-0001-9517-668X
Abstract
While percentages of women employed in STEM fields in the United States have generally risen, albeit slowly, over the past several decades, the percentages of women employed in engineering fields specifically has increased at a glacial and stagnating pace. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 3% of practicing engineers were women in the 1970s compared to about 16% in 2023. There is slightly more growth in the percentages of women graduating with engineering degrees, with current numbers hovering around 24% for undergraduate and 26% for graduate students across all areas of engineering; however, this growth has plateaued in the past decade. Women make up fewer than 20% of graduates in Mechanical Engineering in both undergraduate and graduate degrees, a field historically associated with heavy industry, which may contribute to this disparity.
This paper aims to surface and explore aspects of these trends, laying the groundwork for a larger book project that will share the stories of women in the Mechanical Engineering department at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. We will summarize the trends of women in both the engineering workforce and in engineering academia. We will delve into the data for Mechanical Engineering relative to other fields and summarize reasons the percentages of women in Mechanical Engineering programs and occupations have stalled.
Barbrow, S., & Lalwani, L. N., & Violi, A. (2025, June), Women in Mechanical Engineering: Representation Trends in Education and the Workforce Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/57470
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