>> >>PEGGY: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS OR STEM INDUSTRIES ARE CRUCIAL
TO SAN DIEGO'S ECONOMY.
STILL, WOMEN ARE SIGNIFICANTLY UNDER REPRESENTED IN STEM CAREERS BUT THAT'S BEGINNING TO CHANGE.
>> >>: I LOVE SCIENCE AND THAT SOUNDS CLICHE, BUT I REALLY AM INTERESTED IN NEUROSCIENCE.
>> >>: SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING REALLY INTERESTING LIKE TO BE ABLE TO FIX ALL THE DIFFERENT DISEASES
THAT PEOPLE HAVE.
>> >>: I'M VERY MUCH INTO SCIENCE AND I DON'T REALLY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO DO WHEN
I GROW UP, BUT I THINK IT'S VERY INTERESTING TO AT LEAST GET AN IDEA OF EVERYTHING SO YOU
CAN AT LEAST HAVE CHOICES IT WHEN I GET BIGGER.
>> >>PEGGY: WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THE LOCAL SCIENCE PROGRAM THOSE THREE HIGH SCHOOL TEENS
ARE ENROLLED IN.
MY GUEST PEGGY JOHNSON EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL MARKETING AT QUALCOMM AND NANCY
TAYLOR DIRECTOR OF SCIENCE AT SAN DIEGO COUNTY EDUCATION OFFICE AND FOUNDER OF SAN DIEGO
SCIENCE ALLIANCE PROGRAM.
PEGGY, GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHERE WOMEN STAND IN THE FIELDS OF ENGINEERING, SCIENCE, RIGHT
NOW TODAY.
>> >>PEGGY JOHNSON: THE STEM FIELDS STILL ARE A BIT DISAPPOINTING IN THEIR NUMBERS FOR
WOMEN.
IT'S ABOUT 76% MEN, ABOUT 24% WOMEN.
THEY'VE GROWN A BIT, BUT STILL NOT WHERE WE'D LIKE TO SEE THEM.
THERE'S SUCH A GREAT OPPORTUNITY THERE FOR WOMEN.
>> >>PEGGY: YOU HAVE A PRETTY PRESTIGIOUS JOB IN ENGINEERING AND AT QUALCOMM.
WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AS FAR AS CLIMBING THE RANKS THROUGH SCIENCE?
>> >>PEGGY JOHNSON: YOU KNOW, MOSTLY IT WAS GOOD.
THERE WERE A FEW BUMPS ALONG THE WAY.
I REMEMBER GOING TO A CUSTOMER ONE DAY WITH A GROUP OF ENGINEERS, ALL MEN FROM QUALCOMM
AND THE CUSTOMER ASSUMED I WAS THE SECRETARY AND ASKED ME TO GET COFFEE BUT MOSTLY IT'S
BEEN GOOD.
IT'S A REWARDING CAREER.
>> >>PEGGY: AND YOU EXPLAINED THE WHOLE ENGINEERING CONCEPT BEHIND COFFEE AS YOU HANDED IT TO
HIM I BET.
NANCY HOW ABOUT YOU.
YOU FOUNDED THE SAN DIEGO ALLIANCE, TELL US WHAT THAT IS, SCIENCE ALLIANCE, AND FIRST
TELL US WHAT THAT IS AND WHAT IT'S DOING FOR STUDENTS HERE IN SAN DIEGO.
>> >>NANCY TAYLOR: THE SAN DIEGO SCIENCE ALLIANCE IS A NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION OF EDUCATORS
AND BUSINESS PARTNERS THAT HAVE FOUNDED AN ORGANIZATION THAT SUPPORTS TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
IN K12 TO OFFER OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THE BETTER EDUCATION FOR WOMEN AND SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
PROGRAM.
>> >>PEGGY: THOSE WERE THE GIRLS WE SAW.
THEY WERE ACTUALLY AT THE SCRIPPS TRANSLATIONAL INSTITUTE AS PART OF YOUR PROGRAM REALLY HANDS
ON.
>> >>NANCY TAYLOR: THAT'S WHAT GETS THE GIRLS INSPIRED IS NOT READING ABOUT SCIENCE IN A
TEXT BOOK, BUT ACTUALLY BEING IN THE WORK PLACE, AND SEEING THE PRODUCTIVITY, SEEING
THE INNOVATION, AND SEEING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEMSELVES AS THEY THINK ABOUT A COLLEGE
CAREER IN FRONT OF THEM.
>> >>PEGGY: WHAT MOTIVATED YOU, OR WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE SCIENCE WORLD TO START
THIS FOUNDATION AND WITH YOUR ROLE AT THE COUNTY?
>> >>NANCY TAYLOR: AS A CAREER IN EDUCATION FOR ME, I GOT TO SEE THE SPARKLE IN MY STUDENT'S
EYES, IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS.
I HAD A FIELD EXPERIENCE, I WAS ONE OF THOSE LIFE SCIENCE WOMEN THAT DOMINATE THE SCIENCES
AND IT BECAME APPARENT TO ME THAT WE COULD DO A GREAT SERVICE TO K12 TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
IF WE REACHED OUT TO QUALCOMM, TO OTHER INSTITUTIONS INDUSTRIES IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY, TO CREATE
SOME PARTNERSHIPS AND BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH CHILDREN AND TEACHERS WHAT THE WORK FORCE
AND PREPARATION FOR THAT WORK FORCE LOOKS LIKE.
>> >>PEGGY: PEGGY, QUALCOMM TONIGHT IS CELEBRATING AN ANNUAL EVENT CELEBRATING WOMEN IN THE STEM
AREAS, SPECIFICALLY TECHNOLOGY TONIGHT.
TELL ME ABOUT THE EVENT.
WHAT SPECIFICALLY ARE YOU CELEBRATING?
>> >>PEGGY JOHNSON: WE'RE CELEBRATING SIX YEARS AND IN THAT TIME IT WAS JUST A HAND
FULL OF WOMEN WHO STARTED IT AND NOW WE'RE AT 650 WOMEN FROM OUR OFFICES ALL OVER THE
WORLD.
WE'LL HAVE SHERRY BLARE THERE TONIGHT, SPEAKING, AND IT'S JUST GOING TO BE A CELEBRATION OF
WOMEN, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION.
>> >>PEGGY: YOU DO SOMETHING THERE CALLED SEED MENTORING, QUALCOMM'S VERY MUCH INTO
THE MENTORING PROCESS.
WHAT IS THAT?
>> >>PEGGY JOHNSON: SPEED MENTORING, WE TAKE THREE OF OUR EXECUTIVES AND A SMALL GROUP
OF WOMEN, THEY GET TO ASK QUESTIONS, AND WE GIVE THEM ADVICE, AND IT TAKES ABOUT 15 MINUTES
IN THIS SMALL GROUP, A BELL RINGS AND THEY GO TO THE NEXT EXECUTIVE.
THEY'LL GET TO HEAR FROM THREE DIFFERENT EXECUTIVES AND GET THREE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.
>> >>PEGGY: BETWEEN BOTH OF YOUR GROUPS THERE'S A LOT OF MENTORING AND MENTOREE OPPORTUNITIES
HERE IN SAN DIEGO.
IT SHOULD BE, WE'RE VERY PROMINENT IN THE BIOTECH FIELD AND LIFE SCIENCE FIELD.
I'D LIKE TO ASK EACH OF YOU, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR BEST ADVICE TO LET'S SAY A HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENT OR YOUNGER WHO'S INTERESTED IN A SCIENCE CAREER?
>> >>PEGGY JOHNSON: I WOULD SAY BE YOURSELF AND JUST DO IT.
IT'S SUCH A REWARDING CAREER, AND IT IS A CAREER FOR WOMEN.
>> >>PEGGY: ABSOLUTELY.
AND HOW ABOUT YOU, NANCY?
>> >>NANCY TAYLOR: WHEN AN OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ITSELF TO GATHER WITH OTHER WOMEN AND YOUNG
WOMEN, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT OPPORTUNITY.
IT WILL BE A LOT OF FUN, AND IT JUST MIGHT SPARK AN INTEREST FOR A LIFETIME.
>> >>PEGGY: ALL RIGHT.
WE'RE OUT OF TIME, THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.
WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE.
THANKS SO MUCH.