Kankakee Times

State Representative Jackie Haas celebrated International Women in Engineering Day, emphasizing the need for more women in the engineering field. "Only 13% of engineers in the United States are women," she stated in a June 23 Facebook post.

"International Women in Engineering Day is a day to promote women who work to change the world as engineers," said Haas, according to Facebook. "Only 13% of engineers in the United States are women, and this day shines a spotlight on the need for more women in this field."

International Women in Engineering Day occurred on June 23, 2024, aiming to raise awareness of women's contributions to engineering. The event originated in the United Kingdom as National Women in Engineering Day in 2014 and was adopted by UNESCO two years later. It became an international celebration in 2017, according to the International Women in Engineering Day website.

Screenshot of Rep. Jackie Haas' June 23 Facebook post | Rep. Jackie Haas' Facebook page

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is a global organization with nearly 50,000 members. The organization aims to raise awareness about women’s roles in science, technology, engineering, and manufacturing. SWE works to identify and dismantle barriers preventing women from entering these fields and highlights the achievements of female engineers.

In a June 23 blog post, the Illinois State Republican Caucus highlighted notable achievements by women from both the U.S. and Illinois in engineering. For instance, Mary Thelma Miller graduated from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana with a degree in civil engineering in 1933 as the only woman earning an engineering degree that year. Nancy Brazell Brooks received a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the same university in 1953 after obtaining her undergraduate degree from Alabama Polytechnic Institute. Brazell Brooks was honored with the Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association Distinguished Alumna Award during her career.

Rep. Jackie Haas was elected to represent Illinois’ 79th House District in December 2020. She serves as CEO of the Helen Wheeler Center for Community Health and has previously worked as a social worker at Riverside Medical Center. Haas holds a Bachelor of Social Work from Valparaiso University and a Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois-Chicago, according to her biography from the Illinois General Assembly.