March 14, 1995
When people tell Catherine Shin she doesn't look like an engineer -- as people often do -- Shin just smiles and takes it as a compliment.
"I hope I show people that you can be a normal woman and be an engineer at the same time," she said.
Shin, a student in the Rehabilitation Engineering Technology training program at SF State, is not only an engineer, her professors call her an "extremely sharp," "committed," "show-case" engineer who recently won $1,000 for a device she designed for Pacific Bell.
"Most people (at Pacific Bell) were struck by how simple the design was, and yet they didn't think of it on their own," said Larry Wong, a seismic engineer at Pacific Bell and member of the panel that selected Shin's design. Wong said Pacific Bell was looking for a cheaper alternative to the time consuming, labor intensive process of hand stitching the cables which are located in the company's switching centers.
Shin's mechanism, a U-shaped clamp, took first prize in the contest organized by the Engineering Design Center at SF State. Shin was awarded the $1,000 check Feb. 3 at Pacific Bell headquarters in San Ramon.
Wong said Shin's clamp will now be tested at a Pacific Bell location yet to be selected, and if successful could be utilized in more than 1,000 offices throughout California.
Ron Trauner, director of the Engineering Design Center, said Shin is "extremely sharp and articulate," and that her presentation to Pacific Bell "made a really great impression for the whole department."
"She's a showcase student," Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering Dr. Zorica Pantic-Tanner said. According to Pantic-Tanner, there are approximately 600 engineering students at SF State; 15 percent are women.
Female high school students are normally scared off from science and math classes and this prevents them from pursuing engineering careers, according to Pantic-Tanner. She said once a woman does make it into the engineering program at SF State they tend to do well and complete the program.
Shin was vice president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers at Rice University in Texas and is currently active in the Mount Diablo chapter of the Society of Women Engineers. She said she enjoys the support and camaraderie she finds in SWE. "You get to meet women engineers in all fields, and it's encouraging to see their successes," she said.
Shin said she often finds that women with engineering degrees are working in the industry but they are stuck in clerical positions despite their qualifications.
"It's difficult for women in this field, if they're environmental, mechanical, civil or electrical engineers, you still can talk about the glass ceiling.
"I think there should be more women in engineering, but the gung-ho attitude of it is intimidating. Women are left out a lot because they don't have the self-confidence that's needed."
While Shin said she is very proud of her award, her goal in engineering is to work not with industry but with rehabilitative technology for people with disabilities.
Ray Grott, project coordinator for the RET program, said students are trained to assist people with disabilities and enable them to maintain their independence.
Shin, who grew up in Philadelphia and received her bachelor's in mechanical engineering from Rice University, said she chose SF State's RET program to pursue her master's because she was attracted by the diversity of the people in the program.
Of the 12 students enrolled in the program, eight are women. "With a wide range of people you get a wide range of outlooks," she said. Shin, who calls herself "kind of competitive," said she chose to pursue engineering over English, in which she holds a second bachelor's, because she asked herself, "What's the most hardcore thing I can do?" Engineering was the answer. Her competitive attitude is also what helped her win the award.
"At first I was like, 'Should I enter?' then I said 'Yeah, why not? I might actually win,' then I moved to, 'I have to win this contest no matter what.'"
Grott said Shin is a "very bright and committed student who typifies students in the program who are coming out of a working experience and are trying to deepen their commitment with work that is socially beneficial."
Shin currently works at Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford in Palo Alto and will be applying for admission to medical school after she completes the Medical College Admissions Test in April.
Ultimately, Shin said she would like to set up RET clinics in post-war, developing countries.
"In some countries one in 250 people have an amputated limb. It's different in the Bay area, all the resources are here. I'd like to bring the resources to the people that don't have them," Shin said.
"This may sound corny, but I'd really like to use my engineering background to help people."