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Analog Aficionados, Engineers Week, and Girl Day

Feb. 17, 2025
It’s Engineers Week—are you doing anything at local schools to raise awareness among students about engineering as a career choice?

What you’ll learn:

  • This past week saw a decent turnout at the Analog Aficionados dinner honoring some of the movers and shakers of the analog engineering world.
  • For Engineers Week, are you doing anything with a local teacher or school?
  • Girl Day is a day that’s set aside to create an awareness of engineering and technologies among young women.

 

Engineering’s cool

But first, kids need awareness

The week for it’s now.

 

Analog Aficionados 2025

Thanks to the event organizer, Tim McCune, for sharing the event’s placemats that show the cast of characters who were honored during this past weekend’s Analog Aficionados party:

Engineers Week 2025

“Founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers, Engineers Week is the culmination of a year-round portfolio of student programs and competitions. E-Week is celebrated the week of Washington's birthday in honor of the first president's background as an engineer and land surveyor. Through increased interest and competency among students in the pursuit of engineering and technology careers, a more empowered well-educated engineering workforce is sustained.

The National Engineers Week Foundation is dedicated to promoting pre-college literacy in math and science among parents, educators, and students. The goal of E-Week is to:

  • Celebrate how engineers make a difference in our world
  • Increase public dialogue about the need for engineers
  • Bring engineering to life for kids, educators, and parents

Participation has expanded over the years through a coalition of professional societies, corporations and government agencies.”—Western Society of Engineers

Girl Day—February 20, 2025

Girl Day is a day set aside to create awareness among school kids that there’s an engineering career path for girls to seriously consider in their studies.

“One of the really sad bits of girls-in-tech news from the past week was USACE backing out of their Engineering Day activities at an all-girls' private school in Charleston S.C., using a recent anti-DEI executive order as the reason to deprive awareness of engineering for an entire cohort of young students. This is especially strange, given the demonstrated career successes of USACE’s second in command, Maj. Gen. Kimberly Colloton—did anyone ask her?”—AndyT

“...all of us who are good at science and engineering should go out of our way to help any kids who are good at science and/or math—or, indeed, whatever they are good at. We really must encourage young people, and especially women and minorities, when they show a spark of brilliance and natural aptitude.”—Bob Pease

“When you go home tonight, tell your daughters all about your challenging engineering work and why you enjoy it. Tell them an engineering career is not just for boys but for girls, too. Girls can handle the math and science courses equally as well as boys if given the proper guidance and encouragement.”—Paul Milo

“Many types of engineering disciplines have women's participation at less than 20%, so young girls do not see many women engineer role models.”—Mary Ellen Randall

“Children are affected by the stereotypes in our society, which assume that boys are better suited to pursue technology and engineering. In response, girls often deselect themselves from educational paths that would prepare them for engineering. And girls tend to want to understand the social impact of their chosen field, and we haven't done the best job of educating the general public of the impact of engineering on the quality of our lives. Plus, during their higher education experience, female students often receive messages—some intentional, others not—that they do not belong.”—C. Diane Matt

“Many books and websites are available for girls interested in engineering careers or just interested in learning more about engineering. I would also encourage interested students to find a mentor, either a woman or a man, who knows about engineering, who can answer their questions, and who they can talk to about their interests and concerns.”—C. Diane Matt


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About the Author

Andy Turudic | Technology Editor, Electronic Design

Andy Turudic is a Technology Editor for Electronic Design Magazine, primarily covering Analog and Mixed-Signal circuits and devices. He holds a Bachelor's in EE from the University of Windsor (Ontario Canada) and has been involved in electronics, semiconductors, and gearhead stuff, for a bit over a half century.

"AndyT" brings his multidisciplinary engineering experience from companies that include National Semiconductor (now Texas Instruments), Altera (Intel), Agere, Zarlink, TriQuint,(now Qorvo), SW Bell (managing a research team at Bellcore, Bell Labs and Rockwell Science Center), Bell-Northern Research, and Northern Telecom and brings publisher employment experience as a paperboy for The Oshawa Times.

After hours, when he's not working on the latest invention to add to his portfolio of 16 issued US patents, he's lending advice and experience to the electric vehicle conversion community from his mountain lair in the Pacific Northwet[sic].

AndyT's engineering blog, "Nonlinearities," publishes the 1st and 3rd monday of each month. Andy's OpEd may appear at other times, with fair warning given by the Vu meter pic.

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