Think you have to wait until you’re grown up to follow your dreams? This week’s Wednesday’s Women in STEM Series features Emily Bayuk who proves you can chase your dreams at any age. Emily is an undergraduate student in electrical engineering, author of a book about circuits for kids, and passionate about exposing young girls to circuits and STEM.
When/how did you first become interested in STEM?
I first became interested in STEM while I was in elementary school. My favorite subjects were science and math. It wasn’t until I took physics during my junior year in high school, however, that I was first introduced to circuits. I found them so fascinating that I attended my physics teacher’s extra help hours to learn more about circuits. I loved how each one was like a mini-puzzle that I had to solve. One day, my physics teacher suggested that I look into electrical engineering, an area that analyzes circuits, as he was an electrical engineer in college. I took his advice, and now I am an electrical engineering student at Bucknell University.
Where did you go to school and what did you study?
I am a junior electrical engineer at Bucknell University with a minor in Russian language. I spent last summer at Bucknell because I received a research grant to help one of my professors investigate and determine the causes of GPS anomalies (incorrect data points from GPSs) by using machine learning. While I was on campus, I caught up with another professor and mentioned I hand-wrote and illustrated a book (for children ages 8+) about circuits during my senior year of high school. It was designed to inspire future STEM students (especially girls) and introduce them to circuits at an earlier age. The professor looked over my work and showed it to Bucknell’s electrical engineering department. They thought I should publish it! Later that summer, I did just that. I published my book The Fundamentals of Circuits Made Easy, and now it is now available to purchase on Amazon.
What is your current career/profession and how do you use your interests in STEM on a day-to-day basis?
Although I am a student, I am writing and illustrating more books to create my series Inside Electronics. Each book will be similar to the first book: not formula filled, but rather a non-intimidating conceptual introduction to circuits. Each page explains a topic related to circuits in simple terms and analogies with fun illustrations. In addition to writing, I have spoken at Girls in STEM events and hosted my own circuit workshop at the local children’s museum near Bucknell. When I graduate from Bucknell, I want to pursue a career in cyber consulting, which deals with helping businesses come up with solutions to protect their information from hackers.
What do you like most about your current job? What do you find most challenging?
I love that electrical engineering is problem solving that applies math and science to real-world situations. The most challenging part of studying electrical engineering is time management. Engineers typically have more class hours because of lab periods, which means less time to complete homework. With good time management, however, the work is not as overwhelming as it could be.
What advice would you give to young girls who are interested in pursuing STEM activities or careers?
Some advice I have is to…
- Never feel like your gender makes you less qualified than men.
- Stay organized and manage your time well. These are skills that will help you succeed both in school and in life.
- If you don’t understand something that you are learning, ask! What you are learning builds on itself, so it’s good to clarify things early.
Anything else our girls or their parents would be interested in knowing about you?
I’m an active member of the Bucknell community. On campus, I am the manager for the varsity men’s soccer team, a member of the Bucknell University Alumni Association (I help bridge the gap between current students and those who graduated), the Vice-President of the Russian club, and I love to attend fitness classes, like spin and H.I.I.T.