2021/06/23 | People | Biomechanics
Women in Engineering: BME alumna
On the occasion of Women in Engineering Day 2021 (23 June), the ARTORG Center has asked three alumna of the Bern Biomedical Engineering master’s program what advice they would give other females that embark on a career in engineering. Here is what they said.
Silje Ekroll Jahren has decided to stay in research after her MSc in Biomedical Engineering and is now a postdoc at the ARTORG Cardiovascular Engineering Lab.
Here is her advice to all girls who decide to become engineers:
“Believe in yourself and find research fellows, colleagues and supervisors who you enjoy working with and who support your research and career! By being an engineer, you can contribute to new knowledge and solutions ranging from climate to medicine. There is no reason why women cannot be excellent engineers. So, find something you are interested in and go for it!”
Alicia Feist is currently the master’s program in Biomedical Engineering. She has a background in industrial engineering and has worked in the automotive industry. Exoskeletons got her interested in MedTech:
“Biomedical engineering is a fascinating combination of medicine and technology. You learn about the physics behind natural phenomena and specifically the human body and how nature can be translated into technology. One of the reasons why I switched direction is that in MedTech you can create something that truly helps and supports people to enjoy life with a higher quality than before. I think people should study what they are passionate about – no matter if they are women or men. With dedication you can achieve anything you want!”
Rosablanca Paez Ramirez is alumna of the Bern Biomedical Engineering master’s. She is Staff Development Engineer at the Sustaining Engineering unit at DePuy Synthes with previous work experience as associate project engineer biomechanics at Stryker.
The mother of two does not buy the concept of role models, as it “sounds like a recipe that can be followed to get a specific result or output. But every person has their own set of skills and talents and is faced with different situations in life. We should encourage girls and women to make the most out of their talents and forge their unique path and not the path of others. I think women are sometimes too self-critical. We should speak up and get the acknowledgement we deserve."
