Industrial Engineer – Illinois
“A good leader knows when to lead and when to sit back and let others do their thing. Mediating can be just as important as leading.”
Melissa Pelz is a senior in Industrial Engineering at the University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign, and she will be graduating in December 2007. She has been actively involved in many organizations during her time at the University, including Service and Social Directors for the Engineering Council, Secretary for the Institute of Industrial Engineers, Panels Chair for the Student Introduction to Engineering Program, Internal Affairs Director for the EXPO (Career Fair) Committee, as well as being a member of the Student Homecoming Coordinating Committee. She has been an Engineering Learning Assistant for Engineering 100, a class for freshman, for the past two years and she is also currently a student worker for Women in Engineering program. Melissa also loves to travel, and she studied abroad in Italy the summer of 2003 and also in Madrid, Spain during the spring of 2007.
How did you become interested and involved in engineering?
Growing up, I always liked math and working with people. My grandpa was an engineer and he suggested that I pursue it as my profession as well. I looked it up online, read about it, and later went to Purdue for a Career Day. All of these women were talking about what they had done in their fields, and it all sounded fascinating to me.
Originally, I wanted to be an architect. Once I began my studies, though, it turned out that I didn’t like certain aspects of the job and didn’t feel I could do it for the rest of my life. Industrial engineering is more business-related, since it requires working with people. Engineers make things, but industrial engineers make things better; we optimize everything for efficiency, whether with processes or human factors (working to make products more intuitive).
What prompted you to become a leader?
I decided to try engineering, even though it is only fifteen or twenty percent female. I wanted to prove that this is no reason to shy away from the field. Now, I teach a class to freshmen engineering students within my major. The content is really nothing technical; we just make ourselves available to students who are struggling in an effort to lower the dropout rate.
What obstacles did you face in achieving your goals? How have you confronted them?
Most men think that engineering should be male dominated, so you occasionally confront people who are prejudiced or who make jokes and stuff. I even know of someone who quit because she was taunted so regularly. You kind of have to prove yourself more as a woman; you have to show that you are just as smart, just as deserving. I don’t want to make it sound like this is true for everyone, because a lot of people are really great and sincerely supportive, too.
I think that diversity is generally an obstacle, because it is difficult to get things accomplished when people all think and act differently. As a leader, it is important to put everyone’s ideas together and reach one solution. A good leader knows when to lead and when to sit back and let others do their thing. Mediating can be just as important as leading. I’m very in touch with the people on my committee, very hands-on, but I don’t want to dictate to them.
Have you consciously placed emphasis on remaining well-rounded?
I like hanging out with different types of people, so I wanted to branch out and do other, non-engineering activities. I know that it’s very important to be well-rounded when you enter the work force. They want your GPA to be above a certain level, but they also want to see that you have been actively involved in organizations.
What lessons have you learned from your experiences?
Patience, I’d say, and I learned how to collaborate with different people from working on committees. I have also realized that not everything will come easily. In the School of Engineering at the University of Illinois, everyone was their high school valedictorian; we all had perfect GPAs. The program is very competitive. In my small town, I never really had to work that much to get straight A’s. Once I got to college, I had to put in a lot of effort to get those same grades. This taught me about work ethic and how to balance classes with my leadership positions.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
I hope to be working for a large company where I can move around and lend my expertise to different areas. I don’t want to do the same job for the rest of my life. I have experience as a health care intern at GE, so maybe there or at another company. I’d like to be in some sort of management position, whether on the business or technical side.
What advice do you have for girls who are interested in pursuing a career in engineering or who have leadership aspirations?
Go for it, if it interests you. I recently worked as a camp counselor for Women in Engineering, a program for sixth through ninth-graders. It was my responsibility to type the surveys we administered into the computer system, and the comments we received were quite telling. All of these girls loved math and science before, but they were afraid to be smart. Once they saw these counselors—successful, well-adjusted women—they weren’t afraid anymore.
No matter what people think, just do what you love. It won’t necessarily be easy, but it will certainly be worth it in the end.