Envision Alumni Edition Fall 2018

Mel Butcher's Podcast Focuses on Women in STEM

By Brad Stager

When Mel "The Engineer" Butcher decided to study engineering, she was beginning a journey into a field she had little knowledge of or exposure to throughout her life and education (which included a BA in French from the University of Texas at Arlington) up to that point.

"I knew that I wanted to go back to school for something in science and math but I wasn't sure what," says Butcher, who researched professions related to her burgeoning interest. "At that time I didn't know anything about engineering, I didn't know any engineers who could tell me what it was like."

After discovering how engineering intersects with her affinity for environmental issues, Butcher enrolled in an accelerated program at the USF College of Engineering to earn her bachelor of science in civil engineering, as well as a master's in civil engineering, specializing in water resources.

Butcher is using her engineering knowledge as a manager and consultant for Arcadis U.S., Inc., an international design and consultancy company.  She has also undertaken a personal project to educate young people, especially girls, about the opportunities available to them in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields.

She cites her own experience of growing up unaware of the professional possibilities afforded by technology, as well as research showing that young girls receive societal and cultural messages that marginalize their participation in STEM occupations, as reasons why she hosts her podcast, "STEMxm," which highlights women working in STEM jobs.

"I grew up in a small town in Texas and simply was not exposed to those kind of job options out there," Butcher says. "I want young women or anybody looking for a career path to see there is a way to reach their highest goals."

The podcast episodes of "STEMxm" feature women distinguishing themselves in a variety of occupations, ranging from Kayla Carter, a biomedical engineer working as a healthcare technology consultant, to theoretical ecologist Emily Moberg, who studies relationships between humans and wildlife, especially in aquatic environments. There's even a popular culture connection, since one episode is an interview with Tracy Fanara, a manager and researcher at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in Sarasota, Florida, who appeared on the Science Channel's "Mythbusters: The Search."

In a way, the genesis of "STEMxm" began while Butcher was a student at USF and she realized the value of connecting with like-minded people and learning from their experience. She was active in organizations like the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), attending one of its Emerging Leaders Alliance annual conferences and participating in the ASCE mentoring program. She also was a member of the College's team of students who won a Water Environment Federation (WEF) facilitated wastewater design competition in 2013. Butcher is also the founding president of the Tampa Bay Association of Environmental Professionals (TBAEP) at USF.

Those opportunities to join student organizations and thus have chances to interact with technology professionals are a part of Butcher's USF experience that she says has served her well in attracting guests for her podcast.

"I thought I could use this really great network that I've built up and just talk to people who are in these fields and get them to tell the world how they picked that path and what it takes to go down that path, what their work is like, and why they're passionate about it."

While her podcast provides useful insight to its audience, it also provides a platform to highlight women who are working in STEM occupations.

"I decided to focus on women in these fields because there's just not as much visibility of the women who are doing these things, and they're doing fascinating work and they're really passionate about it."

The "STEMxm" podcast grew out of a blog Butcher was writing when she eventually decided an audio format is a way to develop her ideas and possibly reach more people.

"Reading an interview or something like that is only going to tell you so much," says Butcher. "I wanted to do something that would be more useful."

The professionals Butcher interviews work at jobs spanning across many disciplines. She says listeners, especially those who are young and trying to plan their futures, should realize from that varied lineup of guests that there's a place in the STEM world for anyone who wants to pursue it.

"There are options for every capability and how much education you can afford; there are different paths that you can go down. I especially want young women to see that there is a way for them to achieve even their highest goal that they make may think is out of reach."

The "STEMxm" podcast is available for listening and downloading through iTunes and GooglePlay. You can learn more about Mel "The Engineer," find links to the podcast episodes, show notes and social media links at her website.