Eleanor K. Baum
| Eleanor K. Baum | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1940 |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Polytechnic Institute of New York |
| Occupation | Electrical engineer |
| Spouse(s) | Paul Baum Ph.D. (physicist) |
Eleanor K. Baum (born 1940) is an American electrical engineer and educator. In 1984, she became the first female dean of an engineering school in the United States.[1][2]
Early life
Baum was born in 1940 and is an only child. Baum's parents left Europe during the Holocaust and moved to the United States where they urged her to become an elementary schoolteacher, or, as a secondary option, a high school math teacher. While Baum was growing up, her parents would hide articles with themes of "The Joys of Being a Schoolteacher" under her pillow. Baum considered herself "one of [the] really good kids", who did what they were told. She has stated that because she was an only child, all of her parents’ hopes and dreams were centered on her, so she felt obligated to behave. [3]
According to Baum, engineering was her "big rebellion". When she told her mother about her career choice, her mother gasped and immediately said, "You can’t do that. People will think you’re weird, and no one will marry you." [3]
Education
Baum attended Midtown High School in Brooklyn, New York where she excelled in advanced science and mathematics classes. Although there were a few other girls in her advanced chemistry classes, Baum was the only girl in her advanced physics and advanced mathematics classes. Engineering was dominated by men which, in addition to her adolescent rebellion, influenced her to choose engineering. [3]
Baum was met with resistance upon applying to engineering colleges. Her high school teachers were discouraging and balked in the same way that her mother did. One of the engineering schools she applied to would not admit her because it did not have a sufficient ladies' room. [3]
After the initial resistance, Baum was finally accepted to the City College of New York. She graduated in 1958 as the only woman in her engineering class. Baum commented: "Being the only girl in college classes was not wonderful... you become all women. If I don’t know something, then it’s 'all women can’t'..." Privacy was also an issue; fellow students were particularly interested in her grades. [3]
In 1964, she earned her Ph.D from the Polytechnic Institute of New York.[4]
Personal life
Baum is married to physicist, Paul Baum Ph.D. She hired a nanny to help her with her children for eighteen years, until they had grown up. After Baum became a successful engineer, her parents grew proud of her, but her in-laws remained mortified that a woman would work as an engineer. This embarrassment was a common sentiment in the United States prior to the women's movement.[3]
Career
Baum started her career in the aerospace industry. After graduating from the City College of New York, she worked at the Sperry Rand Corporation and General Instrument Corporation. Baum maintained ties to industry through consulting.[4]
In 1984, Baum was named Dean of Pratt Institute's School of Engineering, a distinctive role because it made her the "first woman dean" of an engineering school in the United States.
In 1987, she became dean of the Albert Nerken School of Engineering at Cooper Union, and is now Dean Emeritus.
Societies
Baum is a fellow of ABET, IEEE, SWE, and ASEE.[4]
Baum is the first woman president of the ASEE. She has served as president of ABET and sat on the National Science Foundation's Engineering Advisory Board. She was involved with the Engineering Manpower Commission. [4]
Awards
In 1988, the National Women's Hall of Fame presented Baum with the Emily Warren Roebling Award. In 1990, the Society of Women Engineers awarded her the SWE Upward Mobility Award. In 1996, Dr. Baum was inducted into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame.[4] In 2007, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.
References
- ↑ Hatch, Sybil E. (2006). Changing Our World: True Stories of Women Engineers. ASCE Publications, ISBN 9780784408353
- ↑ Proffitt, Pamela (1999). Notable Women Scientists. Gale Group, ISBN 9780787639006
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "INTERVIEW WITH ELEANOR BAUM, TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2003" (PDF). http://societyofwomenengineers.swe.org/. Society of Women Engineers. Retrieved 10 June 2014. External link in
|website=(help) - 1 2 3 4 5 "SWE Women - Baum". Society of Women Engineers. Retrieved 10 June 2014.