Today we delve into engineering education with Jeremy Waisome, instructional assistant professor at the University of Florida. As well as being an engineer and researcher, Waisome is an eloquent science communicator. She’s dedicated to educating the next generation of engineers — and the public — about vital engineering concepts. Among her many roles, she leads education and outreach efforts at the NHERI University of Florida facility.
Waisome describes a variety of pathways to engineering and why having a diverse workforce is so important. “There’s so much that we underestimate what we do as engineers — and the impact it has on other people’s lives.” she says. At the University of Florida, Waisome trains high school teachers at Title 1 schools to incorporate engineering projects into their classrooms.
We learn the importance of exposing high school and college students to engineering education as a college major. Waisome explains enriching opportunities such as the NHERI Research Experiences for Undergraduates program and the importance of having role models and mentors who come from one’s own community. She also talks about her own podcast: Modern Figures, which features Black women in computing.
