Widener engineering dean Pamela McCauley heads to Washington to push for more women in STEM

A Philadelphia-area education and engineering leader is taking her message to Capitol Hill.

Pamela McCauley, the dean of engineering at Widener University, will join a national panel focused on expanding opportunities for women in STEM. The panel is part of the Congressional Women in STEM Caucus, a bipartisan caucus that's co-chaired by Pennsylvania's Democratic Rep. Chrissy Houlahan.

McCauley brings more than three decades of engineering experience. Her background includes industrial engineering, with a focus on human factors, biomechanics, and ergonomics.

Now, she's using that experience to help shape policy conversations in Washington.

"Only 14% of engineers are women," McCauley said, emphasizing the need to encourage more women to pursue careers in engineering and other STEM fields.

She says the push is critical as industries face growing demand — from large-scale infrastructure projects to the expansion of data centers.

McCauley hopes her message to policymakers will lead to more investment in programs that help women enter — and remain — in the field.

She will join leaders from across the country on Capitol Hill to discuss solutions and advocate for change.

Her goal is to help create a future where conversations about gender gaps in engineering are no longer needed.