Alumna has blazed a trail for women
Michigan Technological University
(excerpt from The Circuit, 2007)
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Sarah Rajala ’74 has a resume embellished with a lot of firsts, but she doesn’t consider herself a pioneer—just
someone intent on helping others, especially women.
Rajala was the only woman in her electrical engineering classes while at Michigan Tech in the early 1970s. She
was the first female professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at North Carolina State
University. She was the first woman in NCSU’s College of Engineering to serve as the director of a research
center. And she was the first woman in NCSU’s College of Engineering to serve as associate dean.
Now, she’s head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Mississippi State University. She
leads a program where she raises awareness of the profession in general and the opportunities for women in
particular—all so that “people don’t have to face the same issues I had to deal with.”
“Was it hard?” she is asked of her years at Michigan Tech, where she stood out as one of a very few. “Yes, it was hard,” she says. “Not only
because electrical engineering was hard, but certainly being there by yourself. I was the only woman in my class, and there weren’t very many
before me. I often felt isolated. There were no other electrical engineering women to socialize with. There was one woman faculty member. There
were not many role models.” She says she succeeded with “perseverance, determination, and a good sense of humor.”
Now she herself is a role model, “encouraging, promoting, and supporting women in engineering.” As well, she supports all youth, especially
minorities, to earn engineering degrees to maintain America’s global edge in science and engineering. Her advice to young women: “Engineering
is a wonderful discipline. Technology is changing so rapidly, the opportunities out there are enormous. Prepare yourself to take advantage of
opportunity so you can help solve the world’s problems.”