24
National Average of Women in Engineering
50
Women in the Incoming First-Year Viterbi Class
Your generation is going to even out the engineering experience, and we are leading the way. Our incoming class of first year women is consistently more than double the national average and has maintained gender parity in our incoming first year class since Fall 2019. Our women thrive in engineering here because we offer the right support. We have our own Women in Engineering program, as well as a very active chapters of female-focused student organizations such as the Society of Women Engineers, RoboGals, Girls in Tech, AthenaHacks, Women in Computing, and our engineering sorority Alpha Omega Epsilon.
Our faculty continue to increase the number of females almost year by year with one of the largest representations in engineering schools today. 50% of our Freshman Academy courses are typically taught by women. Female faculty not only teach your classes, but they also lead teams of researchers in making strides toward advancing solutions to the NAE Grand Challenges.
Student Stories
Hear from current USC Viterbi students
Supporting Our Women
The Viterbi School offers over 30 unique majors and areas of emphasis. Our women flourish in an environment focused on collaboration and teamwork. Group projects promote communication over competition and prepare our students for engineering in the real world.
Women are also very involved in their organizations on campus. Engineering student organization leadership finds the women leading the pack with many of the executive board positions being held by women.
Have a Complete Student Life
Female students in the Viterbi School participate in a number of activities across campus in addition to engineering related organizations. The student chapters of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Women in Computing, and the engineering sorority Alpha Omega Epsilon are integral parts of Women in Engineering in addition to numerous undergraduate research opportunities with specific funding available to women.
As a member of these organizations, you will find opportunities to expand your professional and social network, get involved in community outreach programs, gain access to continuing student scholarships, travel to conferences, and have opportunities to develop as a leader.
Connect with Corporate Partners
WIE aims to connect our female students with industry through a number of programs. targeted career panels expose our female students to the life of real engineers. Our students learn about the benefits of engineering and discover pathways to prepare them for some of the challenges they may face as female engineers.
Our women also benefit from the corporate involvement within Viterbi Career Connections and the Industry Advisory Board. These organizations help prepares students for the job recruitment process and introduce them to guest speakers and industry representatives.
Succeed at USC
Women in the Viterbi School are some of the most successful students, and they rise to leadership positions within the school and across the university. We are committed to supporting your success by developing programs based on your interests.
Mentoring is a priority and works to strengthen the community of our women. WIE, for example, aims to connect our female students with industry through a number of programs. Targeted career panels also expose our female students to the life of real engineers.
Our women also benefit from the corporate involvement within Viterbi Career Connections and the Industry Advisory Board. These organizations help prepares students for the job recruitment process and introduces them to guest speakers and industry representatives.
Stacey Finley
Gordon S. Marshall Early Career Chair and Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Dr. Finley is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and holds joint appointments in the Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and the Department of Biological Sciences. Dr. Finley's current research applies a systems biology approach to develop molecular-detailed computational models of biological processes related to human disease.
Andrea Armani
Ray Irani Chair in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Dr. Armani is a recipient of the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, as well as the recipient of MIT Technology Reviews top 35 innovators under 35. Dr. Armani conducts research with undergraduates involving nanosensors and also teaches an undergraduate course in nanomaterials and nanodevices.
Cristina Zavaleta
WiSE Gabilan Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Dr. Zavaleta is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and runs her own lab: the Zavaleta Lab. Her research focuses on the development, assessment and clinical translation of new diagnostic strategies that include functional imaging capabilities to help clinicians detect cancers with better sensitivity and specificity. These tools are directed at improving early cancer detection during routine screening techniques and helping surgeons identify and resect tumor margins with better sensitivity and specificity.
Burcin Becerik-Gerber
Chair and Dean's Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Dr. Becerik-Gerber currently serves as the Department Chair for the Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. She has also been named to TR's 35 innovators under 35. Dr. Becerik-Gerber's research focuses on the efficient construction of buildings, and understanding the habits of the buildings occupants to reduce energy consumption in buildings and increase comfort. Her collaborations include social psychology as well as computer science to better understand her users.
Bistra Dilkina
Associate Professor of Computer Science
Dr. Dilkina is an Associate Professor of Computer Science and is one of the junior faculty members in the young field of Computational Sustainability. She is the co-director of the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society (CAIS) and her research focuses on advancing the state of the art in combinatorial optimization techniques for solving real-world large-scale problems, particularly ones that arise in sustainability areas such as biodiversity conservation planning and urban planning.
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