Originally written by Sarah Tarney for The Hub in April 2021.
Exposure to science and engineering was part of the lives of both Kristin Gunnarsdottir and Golnoosh Kamali from childhood. A native of Iceland, Gunnarsdottir remembers lessons about things like avalanche defense mechanisms, geothermal power plants, and dams being part of family vacations. And Kamali, who grew up in Pennsylvania, often spent elementary school recess with her fifth grade teacher, getting extra lessons and learning concepts not covered in class.
Today, Gunnarsdottir is a doctoral student studying biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University and Kamali defended her dissertation in electrical engineering here last fall. The two also serve as co-presidents of Women of Whiting, a group that cultivates community among women in STEM fields at Johns Hopkins.
Will Kirk / Johns Hopkins University
“From the time we were kids, Golnoosh and I both had a community around us that was supportive of our interests in STEM, and we hope that Women of Whiting serves the same purpose: to encourage women to be successful engineers by providing not only community building, but also opportunities for networking, mentorship, and professional development opportunities,” said Gunnarsdottir.
Read more about the Women in STEM Symposium at The Hub.
