Gaines speaks at engineering conference in Philadelphia

MADISON – Jessye Gaines, engineering teacher at Bob Jones High School, was selected as a featured speaker for the Society of Women Engineers National Conference in Philadelphia, Pa.

From a field of 850 applicants, Gaines was chosen to speak at the conference on Oct. 27. The applicants are accomplished professionals in the field of engineering.

At Bob Jones, Gaines is an instructor in the Engineering for Tomorrow (E4T) Academy and leads the GreenPowerUSA initiative featuring electric vehicles built, tested, modified and raced by teams in Madison secondary schools. GreenpowerUSA selected Gaines’ greenpower team to race at the Indy 500.

In Philadelphia, Gaines’ presentation, “What Does Generation Z Need From Me,” focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) recruitment. Gaines’ work was shared with more than 9,000 conference attendees.

In her remarks, Gaines emphasized the methods and practices that Madison City Schools applies to expand its STEM offerings with the help of partnerships. She has collaborated with local business leaders to accept Bob Jones engineering students as interns in their workplaces.

Gaines graduated from Bob Jones in 2006. She graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering in May 2010. In 2011, she started helping in the Bob Jones Mathematics Department.

In 2013, Gaines completed an alternative baccalaureate-level certificate (ABC) in mathematics, which allows qualified individuals to begin teaching while working towards a teaching certificate. This study led to her work in STEM education.

A not-for-profit educational and service organization, Society of Women Engineers stands as a driving force to establish engineering as a desirable career aspiration for women. (swe.org)

Jessye Gaines and husband Luke live in Madison with their daughters, Kay and Glenne.