Interview with Elizabeth Orwin

This 2020 interview with Elizabeth Orwin, the Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at University of the Pacific, was done by Katie Chen.

Elizabeth Orwin, PhD, James Howard Kindelberger Professor of Engineering and department chair, specializes in biomedical engineering. She also directs the Engman Fellowship Program in Bioengineering, which trains students in Biomedical Engineering research and device design. Her primary area or research is tissue engineering and is currently focusing on the study and development of an artificial corneal construct.

What led you to specialize in biomedical engineering over other engineering fields?

I knew that I was interested in science and math, but despite my love for math, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to major in when I went to college. I did not know that I wanted to become an engineer.
Harvey Mudd has a general engineering program and when I came here as an undergraduate student, I liked a lot of different aspects of the school and I realized that engineering helped solve practical problems in many ways. As a result, I was extremely excited about the engineering field and completed a general engineering degree.

Another field I was really fascinated with was biology so when I went to graduate school at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, I decided to focus on biomedical engineering, which applies engineering to medicine and healthcare. I felt like this was where I could make a difference in the world and help the most people possible.

What is tissue engineering?  

Tissue engineering uses engineering principles to design and develop healthy new tissues that can act as an alternative for organ transplantation, such as kidneys, or it can be used to test new drugs instead of using animal models. The artificial tissue can mimic how real tissue would respond and that is really important to me. Some tissues have been very successfully engineered: our skin is one example, and to some extent, cartilage is another. People have worked on kidneys and bladders, and I work on the cornea, which is the clear outer part of the eye. People are working on tissue engineering all over the world and everybody is in various stages along the way. Skin is one form that is commercially available. You can actually use it for burn patients, making tissue engineering extremely important.

Are there skills high school students should have if they aspire to become an engineer?

One thing that helps a lot is a love for math, a deep love and understanding of math. You do not have to be the best math student, but if you can understand and appreciate the math behind certain ideas and what it can do for you, that goes a long way. Students who like to work with other people and solve problems are the kinds of students who end up becoming engineers. People who want to make a difference, people who want to solve problems, and people who want to use their mathematics background to accomplish tasks result in amazing engineers.

Were there any role models in your life that you looked up to?

I’ve had lots of role models at different times in my life. My dad was an engineer, so as I was growing up, I had an amazing example to look up to. From my experience, when students, especially girls, do not know what engineering is, they shy away from it, but I was lucky that my dad was an engineer, so I was prepared for the obstacles and experiences that being an engineer entailed. Another significant role model in my life was my Ph.D. advisor in graduate school. She was such a fierce and amazing woman, so I gained a lot of knowledge from her about how to navigate this world. In addition, I’ve had many mentors and role models for women in leadership roles, and as a department chair now, I've met a lot of women who have similar experiences.  It’s really helpful to have people whom you can compare notes with and ask questions. For instance, I still talk to my Ph.D. advisor and ask her for advice because I think it’s extremely beneficial to have people who can help and support you. Having role models is extremely important.

What do you find rewarding about serving as the department chair of engineering in a small liberal arts college?

Harvey Mudd is really an amazing place. The College only has a total of around 800 students, but its educational impact is huge. As chair of engineering, the really amazing thing for me is that I get to influence students’ lives in meaningful ways. When I was a student here 25 years ago, there were only about 10% of women in engineering and 20% of women throughout the entire College. Now, there are about 45–55% women in the College in any given year, and the ratio of women in engineering is about the same. I feel really proud of that, but I want to spend my time as chair to ensure that all of our students feel welcome, that they are challenged by our program, that we are performing cutting-edge research, and that we are putting the most modern engineering practices in front of students so they can go out in the world and be successful. It’s my job to make sure that we are staying up on the latest classroom practices and kinds of technologies so our students are able to reach their full potential and be the best engineers they can be. For example, we are currently working on strengthening our leadership program to help our students become better team members and team leaders. We are fostering a prototyping mindset to help students build resilience when executing their engineering projects. When you prototype or build something, it often fails in various ways the first couple of times, but you learn from your mistakes and try it again. However, students are not good at applying that mindset to their own education. If they try something and if it does not work, they often beat themselves up over it instead of moving forward. We are trying to change that culture and mindset at Harvey Mudd. Overall, what really motivates me in my profession is that I have the opportunity to make a difference in my students’ lives.

What do you enjoy doing for fun in your free time?

I love to travel and explore new places with my family. We especially love to hike together. Recently, my family visited Scotland and Greece, and I felt extremely lucky that I had the opportunity to have that experience with my kids. My other passion is scrapbooking; it’s my creative outlet. I take all the photographs from our big trips and I piece them together into books. It takes time, but it’s a lot of fun.

What advice would you give to young women reading this interview who might go into the engineering field?

Have confidence in yourself and follow your heart throughout your career. Don’t let anybody tell you what you can or cannot be. For example, don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot be an engineer because you are a girl. If you have something that you are really passionate about, passion goes a long way on one’s journey to success. If you love something, you will put in the time and effort required and excel at it. Have confidence and follow your dreams!