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Baldwin
Wallace
University
continues
to
open
doors
for
college
women
seeking
to
break
into
STEM
fields.
Fueled by a Changemaker Grant from the Burton D. Morgan Foundation, BW's Center for Innovation & Growth, School of Business, and Engineering program teamed up with the Ohio Aerospace Institute to offer STEM Femme Startup Week.
The program looked to address the lack of pathways from college-to-career for female, undergraduate STEM students through an intensive workshop focused on the hard and soft professional skills needed for internships and careers at STEM startups.
Over
spring
break,
11
women
in
nine
different
STEM
disciplines
spent
four
days
working
on
a
challenge
to
brainstorm,
design
and
prototype
sustainable
food
packaging
for
a
pitch
competition.
Students also attended sessions on the engineering design process and business fundamentals led by experienced professionals, as well as coaching sessions to develop ideas and the entrepreneurial mindset.
Participants were also able to visit sites like NASA Glenn Research Center and Sears think[box] at Case Western Reserve University, where they used 3D printers to create prototype versions of their packaging designs.
The
experience
concluded
with
four
team
presentations
in
front
of
a
panel
of
judges
from
six
organizations
representing
the
food
industry,
STEM
firms
and
Cleveland's
entrepreneurial
ecosystem.
The judges named team "Biopod" as this year's winner for their biodegradable "K-cup" proposal.
The winning team was comprised of freshman engineering major Hannah Dill, sophomore chemistry major Aleyah Turner and senior biology major Givaughna Garrett. Turner and Garrett are also BW STEM Scholars.
BW hopes to identify more local startups and organizations interested in collaborating on the continued development of this program for the future with the goal of serving more students.
