Beatrice Hicks: Founder of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE)

Beatrice Hicks was born on July 20, 1919, in New York City.She attended Rensselar Polytechnic Institue (RPI) to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.

Evidently, it was hard to be a women in engineering during this time. If you've taken a look at my career survey results, you'll have read the experiences of women in engineering right now. It has its challenges. Compare these to what it was like some 70 years ago, and you'll have entered a new planet.

Regardless of these exacerbated challenges, Hicks persevered. After graduation, she worked as an inventive engineer at Western Electric. In the 1940s, she joined the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), where she specialized in pressure measurement and control systems.

Hicks is on the right-center. She's standing on stage during right after receiving her doctorate in engineering at RPI

Outside of her technical innovations, Hicks was an advocate for women in engineering and STEM.

In 1954, she founded the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). The organization still operates to this day and is a popular networking resource for many women.

As a member of SWENext (The Society of NEXT Women Engineers), Hicks truly inspires me. In a world where men dominated engineering, Hicks helped create a space for women engineers to grow and thrive in. She paved a path and inspired countless women to stay in the field and defy traditional expectations.

Go Hicks!!!!