May 2005 News Release

FOR RELEASE MAY 11, 2005

Contact: Carol Muller
Founder and CEO, MentorNet
408-924-4070
cbmuller@mentornet.net

THOUSANDS SIGN LETTER ASKING SENATORS TO INCREASE WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Organizations join together to ask Senators to encourage Congress to advance all women's full participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

(San José, CA) - In the United States, women account for barely 10 percent of all engineers and just 34% percent of all scientists. Greater awareness of the current under-representation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics is important to advance women's participation in these fields and examine the factors that play a role in the issue.

On May 11, at an 11:30 a.m. press conference on Capitol Hill, a coalition of organizations and individuals presented U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and George Allen (R-VA) a letter encouraging Congress to take action to advance women's full participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The letter outlines the issues and the efforts that must be taken to increase the numbers of all women entering these fields.

"Over 6,000 individuals have signed the letter," said Carol Muller, CEO of the non-profit MentorNet, one of the organizations involved in bringing together the signers on this issue. "We must continue to take action to reverse the under-representation of women in these fields and to increase their opportunities. We must act now because our nation runs the risk of losing leadership in these fields."

Joining the CEO of MentorNet in presenting the letter to Senators Wyden and Allen were representatives of the National Women's Law Center, the Association for Women in Science, the Society of Women Engineers, the Women in Engineering Programs & Advocates Network, the International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists, Engineers Week, the Center for Women in Information Technology, the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology, the National Center for Women & Information Technology, the Association for Women in Mathematics, the Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology, Girls Inc., the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and numerous others. To learn more about the presentation of the letter to the Senators, or to read the letter, go to www.MentorNet.net/wyden-allen/.

About MentorNet - www.MentorNet.net

MentorNet, currently headquartered in San José, Calif., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization working to further the progress of women and others underrepresented in scientific and technical fields through the use of a dynamic, technology-supported mentoring network. MentorNet aims to advance individuals and society, and enhance engineering and related sciences, by promoting a diversified, expanded, and talented workforce. In partnership with colleges and universities, corporations, government labs and agencies, and professional societies, MentorNet is international in scope, serving students and professionals from all over the world. Major funding is provided by the Alcoa Foundation, AT&T Foundation, IBM, Intel Foundation, Cisco Systems, and Symantec.

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See the text of the letter presented.