After more than a half-century of male domination in the field, female engineering students at the University of Maine founded the Society of Women Engineers in 1950. A non-profit group, the society empowers women and acts as a networking and funding resource.

SWE members at UMaine are taking full advantage of the national group. The only chapter in Maine, the women work to empower themselves and others in their field.

"We are here to develop leadership skills," President Amber Simmons said.

Twenty percent of the College of Engineering students are women, 15 percent identifying themselves as civil engineers. Although the numbers are low, the members are not fazed.

"I feel like I have an advantage," SWE Secretary Sarah Hunnewell said. Simmons said she is used to being the minority, taking engineering classes in high school. She doesn't let it dissuade her.

"I don't feel like the minority. We all know each other," she said.

The group has 20 members with a majority of underclassmen. The group said these numbers stem from recruitment at welcome weekends and engineering workshops in Somerset Hall.

The group has many activities planned within its expertise for the community. The women often hold meetings at Margaritas on Wednesday nights and meet more frequently when an event is being planned.

The group's October event is "Science in Action." The event works with local Girl Scout troops and teaches them about engineering. Throughout the day, they learn about each field and do a project pertaining to each. At the end of the event, Girl Scouts earn science merit badges.

"Our mission is to promote women in engineering," Simmons said. SWE's motto is "advance, aspire, achieve."

The group attends the SWE regional conference, helps with the engineering formal in the spring and has judged a local middle school science fair in past years.

SWE will support representatives from Proctor & Gamble for a job fair. The meeting will be a session on how to prepare for an interview. It is open to everyone for a small charge and free to SWE members.

In its half-century run, SWE has acted as an educational and service organization that recognizes women in the field. The group describes itself as a "driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career for women," according to its Web site.

The UMaine chapter of SWE is open to all fields of engineering at the school. The chapter's Web site invites men to join. For more information, contact Amber Simmons on FirstClass.

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