IEEE VTS YP Seminar: What Men and Women Should Know about Women in Engineering

Title: What Men and Women Should Know about Women in Engineering: A Motivational Talk and a Reflection From my Own Journey

Abstract
Engineering can pose many challenges to female engineers or to women pursuing a career in this male-dominated field. These challenges could restrain women from achieving their fullest potentials. This originates from the fact that being in the minority could be intimidating and could lead to a lack of confidence, which is one of the reasons why women are often plagued by the ‘imposter syndrome'. Another factor that plays a crucial role in women experiencing social isolation in this field is the personal perception about their gender, especially when sitting in a room full of men, regardless of whether they are students, colleagues, researchers, audience in a conference, etc. In the face of structural bias and the social assumptions of women in engineering, it is vital to understand the role of personal and professional identity and to embrace the fact that men and women bring different but hugely complementary skills to the table. In this motivational talk, I will shed light on the challenges and opportunities I encountered during my own journey towards being an academic in electrical and electronic engineering at one of the top universities in the world and receiving an endorsement from the Royal Academy of Engineering, UK, as a UK Exceptional Talent. I will pinpoint key elements to success and how I took failure as a chance to build my confidence in this field while focusing on the significant role of engagement, exposure, and pro-activeness. The aim of this thought-provoking talk is to encourage both male and female audiences to understand each other in this domain and to contemplate the different traits possessed by each gender.

Presented by Dr. Lina Mohjazi
Assistant Professor (Lecturer)
School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, UK

Speaker Biography:
Dr. Lina Mohjazi was born in Latakia, Syria, in 1985. She received the B.Sc. (Honors) degree from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) University, Al-Ain, UAE, in 2008 (Full Scholarship), the M.Sc. degree from Khalifa University (KU), Abu Dhabi, UAE, in 2012 (Full Scholarship), and the Ph.D. degree from the University of Surrey, Guildford, U.K., in 2018, all in electrical and electronic engineering. She is currently an Assistant Professor (Lecturer) at the School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, UK. From 2015 to 2020 she was with Khalifa University (KU) as a Lecturer. From 2018 to 2020 she was a Research Associate at the KU Center for Cyber-Physical Systems (C2PS), KU, UAE. From 2019 to 2020 she was a Visiting Research Associate with the Communications, Sensing and Imaging (CSI) group at the School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, UK. She has authored and co-authored 18 research papers in international high-impact journals and highly-rated conferences. Dr. Mohjazi is a Senior Member of the IEEE and an active reviewer for more than 20 top-notch and multidisciplinary IEEE journals and conferences. She is currently an Associate Editor for the IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society, an Area Editor for Physical Communication (Elsevier) and a Review Editor for Frontiers in Communications and Networks. Dr. Mohjazi has served as a member of the Technical Program Committee and as a Session Chair for several IEEE flagship conferences. She actively participates in organizing IEEE conferences and workshops. Dr. Mohjazi is endorsed as a UK Exceptional Talent by the Royal Academy of Engineering, UK. She is also the recipient of multiple teaching awards.