Nikki Davis
A few years ago, Nikki Davis, Zeta Alpha - Texas Tech hesitated when revealing her college major to people, but the recipient of the McAuley Distinguished Engineering Student Award for 2009 now says it with a smile. "At parties, I would always introduce myself and say I was an education major," said the petroleum engineering senior, "because it was just more typical for a girl. People made assumptions when I would say engineering."
Davis' attitude has changed through her years pursuing an engineering degree, she said, and now she is proud to be a female entering an industry formerly dominated by men. "It's a very fun thing to take on," she said. "You come in with so many stereotypes, and that's when you can really show your abilities. It's rewarding to show what I can do."
At a time when college graduates no longer are guaranteed a job, Davis said she has found herself fortunate to find employment with ConocoPhillips, a company that values diversity and appreciates a female perspective. Davis, who has a 4.0 GPA, has been an intern with ConocoPhillips for two summers and plans to develop and advance her career with the company.
She said finding employment was easy compared to proving herself to her peers and her friends. Some male peers in her classes told her she didn't belong, she said, and other females questioned her reasons for going into a career typically crowded with men. Davis said she was forced to decide if engineering was the future she wanted for herself and accept the consequences.
After graduating at the top of her class at Midland Christian High School, Davis said she considered a medical or engineering degree because of her passion for math and science. The inspiration of her grandfather, who is an engineer, convinced Davis to pursue engineering. Pamela Eibeck, dean of the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering, said she is ready for more women like Davis to break into the engineering field. "We certainly have women engineers," she said. "We just don't have enough of them." Eibeck said women tend to gravitate to career fields benefitting people, and although engineering does benefit people, it usually is not apparent to students choosing a major to pursue after high school graduation. Although women have a high success rate once they are in the engineering college, Eibeck said it is difficult to get them to choose engineering for some of the same reasons Davis has found challenging. "Having people ask you, 'Why in the world would you want to do that?' is a huge factor," Eibeck said. "Peer pressure that comes from peer perception is a challenge."
To encourage a more diverse student body within the college of engineering, a diversity task force has been formed to find ways to integrate all students into the college, she said, and to help students stay in the college. "Nationally," Eibeck said, "only about four out of 10 students that declare engineering as freshmen get their degree in engineering." As one of the four out of 10 students to complete her engineering degree, Davis said she could not be happier with her decision to become an engineer, which has led to her receiving the McAuley Distinguished Engineering Student Award. The award is given annually to an engineering student with superior academic credentials and personal values.
Dean Fontenot, an engineering professor and senior director of the Tech T-STEM Center and the Center for Engineering Outreach, said she is pleased to see Davis get the award and knows she will be an excellent representative of Tech as she works in the engineering industry. Fontenot said she was excited to learn about Davis' interest in the petroleum engineering industry, because of the lack of women in the field. "There's such a high demand in the industry," she said, referring to the need for women, "but there aren't many young girls interested in breaking into the industry." Fontenot said Davis is an inspiration to girls who are unsure about choosing a major that could be viewed by society as one that does not "match their gender." "With women like Nikki," she said, "we will see girls make a difference and seek paths into engineering. We need more Nikkis out there being role models."
Davis said the thing she is most passionate about is not the accomplishments she has made as a student but as a philanthropist. She is involved in several campus organizations, including Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society, the Society of Women Engineers, Tech Alumni Association and the Women's Leadership Program. However, Davis said her involvement in Kappa Delta has meant the most to her. "My sorority is what I'm particularly passionate about," she said. "Personally and professionally, I've learned a lot." In addition to serving as an outlet for her leadership abilities and a way to help others, Davis said the sorority has given her a chance to build close friendships with other females, something she found difficult in her almost all-male engineering classes. While Davis said she realizes not everyone is cut out for a career in engineering, she hopes any girl who has a passion for math, science and problem-solving will give it a shot. "Opportunities are abounding for women in this industry," she said, "Don't let being a female hold you back. Our spirit and our heart give us some advantages."
by Hannah Boen/Staff Writer, www.dailytoreador.com