The increasing presence of women within engineering programs is one of today's most dramatic developments in higher education. Long before, however, a group of talented and determined women carved out new paths in the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois. Laura D. Hahn and Angela S. Wolters bring to light the compelling hidden stories of these pioneering figures. When Mary Louisa Page became the College's first female graduate in 1879, she also was the first American woman ever awarded a degree in architecture. Bobbie Johnson's insistence on "a real engineering job" put her on a path to the Apollo and Skylab programs. Grace Wilson, one of the College's first female faculty members, taught and mentored a generation of women. Their stories and many others illuminate the forgotten history of women in engineering. At the same time, the authors offer insights into the experiences of today's women from the College — a glimpse of a brighter future, one where more women in STEM fields apply their tireless dedication to the innovations that shape a better tomorrow.| Cover Title Copyright Contents Foreword Preface Acknowledgments 1. Engineers Who Happen to Be Women: The First 150 Years Mary Louisa Page and the First Fifty Years: 1867 to 1917 The Next Fifty Years: 1918 to 1967 The Following Fifty Years: 1968 to 2017 2. Early Inspiration: Faculty Pioneers Louise Woodroofe Lorella Jones Judith Liebman Nancy Sottos Naira Hovakimyan Clair Sullivan Reflections by Jennifer T. Bernhard 4. Relentless Innovators Joan Mitchell Jennifer Lewis Amy Doroff Rosalyn Yalow Princess Imoukhuede 6. Touching the Sky Barbara Crawford Johnson Victoria Coverstone Reflections by Hui Lin Yang 7. Women's Work: Computing Nancy Brazell Brooks Hillery Hunter Parisa Tabriz Reflections by Cinda Heeren Tami Bond Women in Engineers without Borders 9. Do Engineers Have to Engineer? Kathryn "Kit" Gordon Laurie Morvan Reflections by Linda Reinhard 10. Mentors and Mentoring Grace Wilson Geneva Belford Reflections by Susan M. Larson 11. Inspiring the Next Generation Betty Lou Bailey Reflections by Sakshi Srivastava 12. Foundations for the Future Alison Dunn Yuhang Hu Shelby Hutchens Mariana Kersh Kelly Stephani Closing Appendix A. Women Graduates of the College of Engineering, 1867–1917 Appendix B. Women Graduates of the College of Engineering, 1917–1967 Notes Index | "A significant contribution to the field. While this book includes some well-known women, many of those described are not widely recognized and the book does a good job of demonstrating the variety of roles that women engineers at Illinois have played."—Margaret E. Layne, editor of Women in Engineering: Pioneers and Trailblazers

"Mixes stories by/about women in STEM that go beyond the 'great names' whose biographies have multiplied. It is also good to have accounts of women from different decades, from different fields. The first chapter, detailing the history of women in engineering at Illinois, is particularly significant [and] adds to our knowledge about the early entry of women into these fields."—Amy Sue Bix, author of Girls Coming to Tech! A History of American Engineering Education for Women
"Women and Ideas in Engineering is a signpost pointing us in the direction of a more enlightened and informed future, one where equal representation in STEM fields is more than just a given, it is a boon to all." —BTN LiveBIG Book Club
|Laura D. Hahn is the director of the Academy for Excellence in Engineering Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Angela S. Wolters is the director of Women in Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.