International Women in Engineering Day is an annual celebration of the outstanding contributions of women engineers. The theme of this year’s Women in Engineering Day is “Engineering Heroes,” so we reached out to hear the stories of just a few of our Cyclone Engineering heroes, who are innovating in their research and inspiring and educating the next generation of women engineers.
Today (and every day) we celebrate women Cyclone Engineers, like Alice Alipour, an associate professor for civil, construction, and environmental engineering. Alipour has been at Iowa State for six years.
Her engineering hero: Elmina Wilson, the first female engineering graduate of Iowa State. Wilson was the first female in the United States to receive a master’s degree in civil engineering and the first full-time female professor of civil engineering. “She broke many glass ceilings at her time.”
Her engineering superpower: Alipour’s motto is “every woman who chooses to pursue an advanced engineering/science degree to impact the community positively is a hero and an inspiration to the next generation.” In the theme of this year’s International Women in Engineering day, Alipour’s engineering hero’s superpower “comes from her knowledge and skill” to “further the network of support.”
How she inspires future women engineers: As a woman in engineering, Alipour has found that “offering close mentorship and support to a diverse group of students” is how she inspires the next generation of engineers. She has been involved in various research and professional development activities to positively impact their careers.
Her innovative research: Alipour’s research focus is built environment’s resilience to extreme weather and events like hurricanes, earthquakes and tornadoes. “My ultimate goal is to ensure that civil infrastructure can continue serving our communities even in the aftermath of a natural hazard.”