The problem: when young women with outstanding math and science skills make career choices, they are interested in working with people, and with making contributions toward the world as a better place. They do not perceive advanced GNSS studies, research, and industry work as part of this picture.

Why is this a problem, beyond mere altruism? Because from a selfish point of view, this industry has a crying need for talented people, and there goes a vast pool diverting into other disciplines such as medicine, for example.

Amelioration could come in two parts: encouragement, and holding up more pictures of the goal.

The professor came to engineering through a child’s love of drawing, of depicting things accurately. Some around her remarked upon it, and gradually she learned that technical studies provided an outlet for this personal pleasure. It’s a small thing, perhaps, to notice a youthful aptitude and gently encourage it (not steer it, mind you) — but it almost never fails to yield great rewards.

The head of a vast cooperative agency of agencies reached her current pinnacle almost in spite of help from superiors of her gender. Although she encountered them in her professional development, she didn’t find them skilled in mentoring. She has tried to foster this in her own practice, but there aren’t many guides in modern science. Contrast this with the business world, where women mentoring women has gotten prolonged attention, and many resources exist in the form of workshops, books, networks, and even in-house training.

I turned to the labor organizer, who happens to be my sister, for help here. She suggested Catalyst, a nonprofit membership organization working globally with businesses and professions to build inclusive workplaces and expand opportunities for women and business. OK, let’s add “and science,” and we’ve made a start. Check out www.catalyst.org.

My sister and I then fell to talking, as we are sometimes wont to do, about our own children. Half of whom are female. Both daughters show promise in math and science. Both are now college juniors.

My niece pursues biology, math, and chemistry, with an eye towards becoming a physician’s assistant (less bureaucracy than an M.D., she’s been told) and traveling the world on the strength of it. My daughter, after acing every available AP course in calculus and physics in high school, has declared as an English major, minoring in French and history.

Guess the apple doesn’t fall from the tree. I bounded off to college a math major, only to come out the other end a psych and philosophy dweeb. A different fork taken, I might be sitting where you are now, instead of here. Happy just the same. And that prize thing, holding up the goal? Though not a scientist, I’ll try to do my part. See page 6, bottom right, this issue.

May all daughters thrive.