RachelWell, hello! Thanks for reading, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Rachel, founder of ElectroOptic Dreams. I started ElectroOptic Dreams in mid-2020 because I dreamed something should exist that doesn’t. Almost everyone I know outside of academia and research is fascinated by lasers and optics, but also rather limited in their knowledge of how they can be used. I want to make lasers and optics accessible to everyone. And I want everyone to know just how cool this field is.
Everyone.
A little about me: I have a PhD in Electrical Engineering with a focus in photonics. I also have two very cute and brilliant young children (I acknowledge I might be biased). This means, I’ve been on school field trips, I’ve taken my kids to all the science museums, I buy them as many STEM books and activities as I can reasonably afford.
While I have noticed race play a strong role in STEM experience while people watching, I haven’t seen it so obviously with girls. But, I have been a woman in science for, erm, 20 years (I just time-stamped myself there, didn’t I?), so I know the problems there up close and personal.
So what can I do? This is an evolving question for me, but I want to help span this gap. I want to make things more equal and for all people interested in STEM to feel equally capable regardless of any socioeconomic factors. And I promise that I will leverage my company and all my resources to do this.
Stay bright,
Rachel