Solutions for practical problems

Wide range

To kick things off, Mark Tibbitt, Professor of Macromolecular Engineering at D-MAVT, and Gabriela Hug, Professor of Electrical Power Transmission at D-ITET, provided insights into the program as well as their careers and research. According to Tibbitt, the wide range of opportunities is what makes engineering so remarkable. For example, he said, research at D-MAVT ranges from robotics to medical technology, the focus of his research. "Our goal," Tibbitt said, "is to find materials that allow us to deliver drugs to the body more efficiently." Originally from the USA, Tibbitt has been teaching and conducting research at D-MAVT since 2017. In addition to the research opportunities, personal reasons also played a role in his decision to come to Switzerland. His wife is from France, Tibbitt told us. In Switzerland, she is not only closer to her family, but the engineer found a position in the local pharmaceutical industry.

Gabriela Hug also provided personal insights. For example, the Swiss engineer said that she combines her work as an ETH professor with her duties as a mother of three sons. In addition, she emphasized that she had successfully studied at ETH despite a language focus at high school. Now, after a few years in business, she has been back at ETH as a professor since 2015. "For me, the search for solutions to practical problems is at the heart of all engineering disciplines," Hug said.

Good opportunities for women

Damla Welti, D-ITET Master's student and president of LIMES, and Michèle Strzelecki, D-MAVT Bachelor's student and LIMES member, stated that the practical relevance is central to studying at D-MAVT and D-ITET. This, they said, distinguishes engineering from subjects like mathematics or physics, which are much more about theoretical issues. Both also emphasized that female engineers have many options when it comes to choosing a career later on.

Debora Speck and Annik Jeiziner reported on what this looks like in practice and what kinds of jobs are possible. D-MAVT alumna Speck now works as a software engineer in the field of e-mobility. Jeiziner joined SBB after earning her Master's degree at D-ITET. She works there as an electrical engineer in international freight transport.

In addition to the lectures, the participants of the ”Schülerinnentag” also paid a visit to laboratories of both departments. After lunch, the students visited a variety of labs at various institutes, including the Robotics Systems Lab (RSL), the Institute for Mechanical Systems (IMES), the Engineering Design and Computing Laboratory (EDAC), the Optical Materials Engineering Laboratory (OMEL), the Automatic Control Laboratory (IFA), the Laboratory of Biosensors and Bioelectronics (LBB), the Materials and Device Engineering Group (MaDe), the Advanced Power Semiconductor Laboratory (APS) and the Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control (IDSC). The RoboCup platform and the High-Voltage Laboratory were also part of the program.

Later in the afternoon, the students were able to discuss further questions in small groups before a cake buffet provided a tasty conclusion to the informative day.