March 27, 2023
By Chloe Arrington

The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering continues the celebration of Women’s History Month by shining a light on more women in our community. We asked faculty member Shaheen Dewji and staff member Ranjini Unnikrishnan to talk about their professional journeys and the women who have inspired them along the way.
 

Introduce yourself! Where are you from and what is your role at the Woodruff School? 

Dewji 
My name is Shaheen Azim Dewji, and I am an assistant professor in the nuclear and radiological engineering and medical physics programs in the Woodruff School, where I lead the Radiological Engineering, Detection, and Dosimetry (RED²) Laboratory. I am originally from Vancouver, BC, Canada, but relocated to Atlanta to complete my Ph.D. in the Woodruff School at Georgia Tech, which was an incredible experience. Thereafter, I was an R&D Staff Scientist in the Safeguards and Security Technology Group and the Center for Radiation Protection Knowledge at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, TN, where I spent a total of nine years. I transitioned to an academic career where I was an assistant professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. I have made my way around the South and am happy to have come full circle back to Tech with this incredibly diverse experience base to share. 

Unnikrishnan
My name is Ranjini Unnikrishnan, and I come from the beautiful coastal state of Kerala, located in India. I am working as an Applications Developer in the Woodruff School. In my current role, I manage the internal websites, applications, and data at ME. 

What drew you to a career in higher education/ STEM? 

Dewji 
Having grown up as a fourth-generation farmer, I was always spending time helping repair equipment, investigating how machines worked, and how I could improve performance and efficiency. In reality, I had intended to pursue a more traditional career in medicine, where studying physics and nuclear engineering was somewhat serendipitous – especially as a first-generation college graduate, woman, and minority from an immigrant family. Pursuing an engineering degree was a non-traditional career path in my upbringing. I have fond memories of watching Star Trek with my father and dreaming of what “could be.” I always had an incredible aptitude and passion for mathematics and sciences and enjoyed the challenge of seeking new knowledge and asking questions. It was not until an internship in my junior year of undergraduate studies with Defense R&D Canada – Suffield that I realized I could make a career out of my physics background by pursuing advanced studies in applied nuclear sciences. During this life-changing internship, I had the opportunity to learn about the beneficial uses of nuclear technologies using an experimental technique called neutron activation analysis to induce radiation signatures for landmine identification.  

Unnikrishnan 
My parents played a part in my becoming interested in STEM. My dad used to talk about his day at work, as a chemical engineer. He has always been a science enthusiast. He took time to explain concepts and amazing facts to me, during my childhood. My mom still sends over news snippets or articles about new technology that she finds amusing. 

Who are some women of history, and present day, that are inspirations to you? 

Dewji 
My most incredible inspiration has always been my mother. It was through her that I developed a love for reading and developing my imagination, and it was through her example that I learned about the highest calling of service to society. Growing up, my mother had always wanted to pursue a Ph.D. and used to write to colleges for brochures, but ultimately never had the opportunity to pursue this dream. While my path to a Ph.D. was serendipitous, I always carry her love for learning. 

Unnikrishnan 
There are too many women of history that I admire! We are standing on their shoulders. In modern times, I am inspired by the story of Michelle Obama and her persistent efforts to highlight the importance of education for girls. I am thankful for Joy Buolamwini, founder of Algorithmic Justice League, which works to address bias in software and Artificial Intelligence. I also draw inspiration from the women in my life- my sister, friends, and colleagues. 

Is there a woman that history forgot (perhaps someone in STEM but not necessarily) who you would encourage people to learn about? 

Dewji 
There are so many incredible pioneers in nuclear science and engineering who have made marked contributions, such as Marie Curie, who was the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize and the only woman to receive two Nobel prizes. However, there have been those who have been overlooked, such as Lise Meitner, who helped discover nuclear fission in 1938 but was never credited with the discovery as her male colleagues (Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann) were with the 1944 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. I would also strongly recommend the book, “The Girls of the Atomic City,” by Denise Kiernan, which is a fantastic account of the contributions of women to the Manhattan Project effort in Oak Ridge, TN.  

Unnikrishnan 
Grace Hopper – computer scientist and mathematician. Most of the programming languages that we use today stemmed from her theory of machine-independent programming languages. 

What would you tell young women who want a career in STEM, and is it the same thing you wish someone had told you? 

Dewji 
Reflecting on my path, I realize that I did not even know what opportunities existed and where they could lead. I would give the advice to not be afraid to be your own pioneer and carve your own path. 

Unnikrishnan 
To be confident of your abilities. You belong here just like everyone else. It can be intimidating sometimes, to be the only woman in tech meetings, but don’t let that ever create any self-doubt. I do wish someone had told me this when I started my career in STEM. 

How would you encourage men to advocate for and amplify the voice of women in higher education/STEM? 

Dewji 
I have been fortunate to have an incredible group of mentors, most of whom are indeed men given the demographic of the field, including my former Ph.D. advisor here at Tech, Professor Nolan Hertel. Perhaps what was most beneficial to me was that they gave me space to explore, fail, and learn, while remaining steadfast in their support. Professor Hertel was especially humble and someone who led by example. I recall many of my peers in my research group while a student at Tech were incredible, ambitious women. If I were to recommend anyone to seek advice on how to amplify the voice of women in higher education and STEM, I recommend you ask him – he did it right. 

Unnikrishnan 
I would say the first step for men is to acknowledge the bias and the many obstacles that women have faced and are still facing, in STEM. I encourage them to talk to women, listen and read up on the history of bias. This knowledge will help them to be strong allies and fight for equity.  

Learn more about: 

• Joy Buolamwini 
• Grace Hopper 
• Lisa Meitner 

The Woodruff School released part I of our Women's History Month Spotlight earlier this month, featuring mechanical engineering undergraduate student Ana Pizarro and alumna Shweta (Shay) Natarajan.