For years, women have been neglected when it comes to the sciences. They don’t receive the recognition they’ve earned, and many feel as if they shouldn’t (or can’t) dedicate their lives to the field based on their gender. This past week, that changed for women in engineering. On April 28th, the College of Engineering debuted a new life-size statue on Engineering quad. The statue, named “The Quintessential Engineer”, represents and celebrates all women who everyday better our world through engineereing.
Photo from Engineering at U of I.
The statue was originally proposed by alumni Sakshi Srivastava, who was a junior at the university studying electrical engineering at the time of the proposal. She was quoted through the College of Engineering saying, “I stumbled across an article about how public art conveys the sentiments of a community. I realized that having a statue erected can show our commitment to younger students that we endorse their dreams.”
The piece was designed by Chicago sculptor Julie Rotblatt-Amrany, who described her motivation for the design to the college saying, “The face, the expression is one of wonder, exploration, and knowledge, one of curiosity and perseverance. She represents a multi-racial female, a young professional woman at work… always thinking, on the move”.
On April 28th, the statue was revealed to the public and can be seen on the North Engineering Quad.
This statue marks a step in the right direction for women who love and wish to pursue the sciences. Never before has the university dedicated a statue to women committed to the sciences. Hopefully this inspires more women to pursue the field, and inspires the world to notice those who make a difference.
For more information on the statue, go here.