[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 31 (Thursday, March 11, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




FIRST ALL-FEMALE GRADUATING CLASS OF PICKER ENGINEERING SCHOOL OF SMITH 
                                COLLEGE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. RICHARD E. NEAL

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 11, 2004

  Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor to 
congratulate the first all-female graduating class of the Picker 
Engineering School of Smith College. The Picker Program is committed to 
advancing opportunities for women in engineering. The engineering 
science program emphasizes an integrative teaching approach that will 
reinvent the standards of engineering and change the future.
  The Picker Engineering Program has reinvented the role of engineering 
and thus expanded the way in which engineering students view the world. 
The 20 young women in the graduating class of 2004 have been exposed to 
an interwoven study of humanities and engineering. The creators of the 
academic department have redefined the standard curricula of 
engineering by integrating liberal arts education with traditional 
scientific and mathematical principles. The Picker Engineering Program 
stresses the importance of serving humanity and the protection of 
natural resources. The importance placed on environmental 
sustainability and social responsibility has raised the standards 
needed for an engineering degree.
  The Picker Engineering School of Smith College will provide endless 
opportunities for students seeking an unparalleled education. It has 
already attracted a dedicated faculty and will continue to recruit 
superior staff and faculty. One of the highest percentages of women 
faculty, more than sixty percent, of any engineering programs in the 
country are employed by Smith College. The Picker program is a leading 
innovator in educating the next generation of engineers.
  While women account for 45 percent of the American workforce, merely 
9 percent of engineering careers are held by females. Smith College is 
dedicated to eliminating barriers to women in engineering while 
promoting interdisciplinary study. I speak on behalf of the second 
district of Massachusetts and the entire State in congratulating Smith 
College and welcoming the Picker Engineering School and its students to 
western Massachusetts.

                          ____________________