
I knew I wanted to be in aerospace when I was seven years old and watched Toy Story with my dad - I fell in love with the character Buzz Lightyear. My dad, an electrical engineer, further instilled a passion for aerospace and STEM by taking me to science and space museums, showing me how to work on cars and letting me visit his work at an electrical powerplant. I decided to follow in his footsteps and pursue a bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering from Penn State University, his alma mater. However, my dream to become an engineer in the aerospace industry nearly came to a halt early on.
During my first semester in college, I felt out of place - I was one of only four females in my engineering program. I also observed that none of my professors or teaching assistants were women, making me feel like I did not belong in the field. Engineering classes were challenging from a technical perspective and feeling like I did not fit in made it even more difficult to be successful. The December of my first semester, I received my final grades: a 1.5 GPA and academic probation. I was so embarrassed to tell my family I had failed that I hid my grades for over a week. Facing failure and risk of being the first in three generations of Frohnerts to fail electrical engineering, I was on the verge of becoming a statistic that many women studying engineering face: over 32% of women switch out of STEM programs in college.
Despite my initial struggle in college, I was determined to pursue an aerospace career and started setting small goals for myself the following semester. In addition, I joined the Penn State Society of Women Engineers (SWE) chapter to meet other women like me that were pursuing the same career path or who were in other engineering majors - this helped build my confidence as a woman in STEM and made it easier for me to focus on my class goals. I dramatically improved my grades through the help of SWE and changed my study habits, yet still faced challenges during my early-career journey as a woman in STEM. I was the only woman on my engineering teams during each of my three internships.
Seeing so few women working in engineering and in leadership positions,
I became discouraged and worried that I would become another statistic: only 30% of women who earn bachelors degrees in engineering work in the field 20 years later. Nearly one third of those women who leave the engineering field cite corporate climate as the reason for leaving.
The odds may have been against me, but I graduated Penn State Electrical Engineering with honors. Shortly after graduation I joined the aerospace industry as an electrical engineer, proud to have made it into the aerospace field - my long-awaited dream! I pursued a masters degree in Systems Engineering at Cornell University while working as an engineer in industry and continued developing my engineering career. Now that I have built a successful career, thanks to phenomenal mentors and champions along the way, I have started giving back to those who may be facing similar challenges.
Since joining the industry, I have started a personal Instagram page with 15k+ followers (@ReneeFrohnert) and use additional media platforms to support women and other underrepresented groups in STEM. The focus is to connect people to mentors and opportunities and help eliminate barriers when individuals may be facing imposter syndrome. I have been so fortunate to touch the lives of many students and professionals looking for additional guidance in navigating their own careers.
Seeing such a surge of interest in the topic from the STEM community led me to speak out publicly about diversity and inclusion in engineering. I believe I can help raise awareness of the challenges women face and create action plans to overcome these obstacles so everyone can feel comfortable bringing their full selves into the field. My speaking engagements have included NASA Kennedy Robotics Cup, Cornell Commencement, Purdue Society of Women Engineers Industry Day, Space Tech Expo, Boys and Girls Club STEM Day, and Stanford University Society of Women Engineers. I hope to expand and continue to inspire underrepresented communities to pursue STEM and aerospace.
I am fortunate to have recently been featured on Netflixs new engineering competition show Baking Impossible, being selected as a Project PoSSUM Scientist-Astronaut Candidate and Cornell University College of Engineering Visiting Lecturer. While these are great achievements, I have more work ahead to further promote women in STEM and progress toward real change.
From the seven-year-old girl whose passion for aerospace began with a Disney movie, to a professional working in the field, Ive been on an incredible journey full of failures and successes. My failures in engineering do not define me - I believe failure is sometimes necessary for success because it helps us grow. I now feel empowered and driven to make positive movements within STEM and aerospace to help increase representation within the field.
Most recent headlines
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
04/07/2025
By Lucy Spicer
Editor's note: We are deeply saddened by the passing of Robe...
04/07/2025
The Summer Reading Challenge has inspired children across the U.K. to embrace a ...
04/07/2025
Introducing CVP Auctions: Trusted Tech, At Auction-Only Prices
Brie Clayton July 4, 2025
0 Comments
A New Destination for Film and Broadcast Gear at U...
04/07/2025
Unveiling China's Ecological Wonders with URSA Mini Pro 12K
Brie Clayton July 4, 2025
0 Comments
Nature Documentaries Freeze Epic Momentsin Extrem...
04/07/2025
Create Any Planet in After Effects
Graham Quince July 4, 2025
0 Comments
The Advanced 3D renderer in After Effects makes it really easy to import 3D o...
04/07/2025
Custom Gradient Colorize for Resolve Fusion
Simon Ubsdell July 4, 2025
0 Comments
Digging into the theory of the gradient colorize process to build ou...
04/07/2025
Watching live sports on TV these days is a delicate balance for broadcasters how much information is too much?...
04/07/2025
WASHINGTON As Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr works to achieve his goal of a very busy, productive summer at the FCC, the agency has rele...
04/07/2025
Other World Computing Launches OWC Guardian USB-C Hardware-Encrypted Portable SS...
04/07/2025
CANAL Brings MotoGP to Vision Pro with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive
Brie Clayton July 3, 2025
0 Comments
Experience MotoGP like never before as CA...
04/07/2025
Friday 4 July 2025
Watch the trailer here https://youtu.be/Od5WpvWmDr8
Further...
04/07/2025
The Pitch comes to RT Radio 1 airwaves this Sunday at 7pm. The Pitch is a brand...
03/07/2025
For our Vario-Jib, as well as for a repertoire of weights, we now have carts that make transport easier...
03/07/2025
One of our latest innovations: Slider Drive Unit!
Our Vario Slider not only comes with improvements and new features, but also with its own drive unit!
Our i...
03/07/2025
The 360 EVO lives up to its name: 360-degree rotation not only on the pan axis, but also on the roll axis, enables filmmakers to take their creative visions eve...
03/07/2025
What a buzzing few days at BSCExpo in London!
We were thrilled to connect with so many talented professionals from the world of cinematography.
A huge thank ...
03/07/2025
ADOLESCENCE - Shot with Panther Tower"The whole rig had to be detachable mid-episode
Netflix limited drama series Adolescence has been gaining attentio...
03/07/2025
To achieve a true level of decisive overmatch, communication systems must be as ...
03/07/2025
The Broadcasters Foundation of America has named Ray Hopkins, president of U.S. distribution at Paramount Global, to its board of directors....
03/07/2025
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. In his first major policy speech, Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr outlined his Build America Agenda for the agency'...
03/07/2025
As the industry is making a major push to transition to NextGen TV and develop new businesses that will fund the next generation of broadcasting, TV Tech's ...
03/07/2025
Despite enabling its subscribers to watch films and TV shows in the highest possible resolution, Netflix has revealed it is taking things old school with the in...
03/07/2025
WASHINGTON In response to news that Paramount Global has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit by President Donald Trump, Democrats and other administra...
03/07/2025
WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications today launched RefSuite for professional sports workflows....
03/07/2025
WEITERSTADT, Germany LYNX Technik, a provider of modular signal processing solutions, has announced that founder and longtime CEO Winfried Deckelmann is steppin...
03/07/2025
WASHINGTON Representatives from six trade groups representing tech, pay TV, broadband, LPTV and other sectors recently met with Federal Communications Commissio...
03/07/2025
PLYMOUTH, Wis. Dan Whealy has acquired Heartland Video Systems and will be its new owner and president, the systems integrator said....
03/07/2025
Acclaimed filmmaker, educator, and industry veteran Jay Holben has released his most ambitious work to date: The Director's Guide to Everything a sweeping...
03/07/2025
For Los Angeles-based photographer Scout Pruski, documenting the annual Dyke Day LA is a way to honor and give back to the city's legacy queer community and...
03/07/2025
Modular, Travel-Ready Solution Matthews Studio Equipment launches the new Chimera V-Flat Panel Frame Kit, the lightweight and modular, ultra-durable alternativ...
03/07/2025
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the release of Dalet Flex 2025.6 LTS (long-term support), introdu...
03/07/2025
Lightware's LARA Wizard makes it quicker and easier than ever to set up audio-visual (AV) room automation and control configurations, ensuring anyone, from ...
03/07/2025
Alfalite, the only European manufacturer of LED screens, has obtained both the NCAGE Code (NATO Commercial and Government Entity) and TAA (Trade Agreements Act)...
03/07/2025
nxtedition is implementing a new solution for WIN Network, based in its headquarters in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. The nxtedition integrated platfo...
03/07/2025
ORS Group and Insys Video Technologies today announce the launch of a new joint brand identity: Big Blue Marble. The move reflects the evolution of a long-stand...
03/07/2025
Evergent, a global leader in customer lifecycle management and monetization solutions for subscription-based businesses, today announced the successful results ...
03/07/2025
LYNX Technik, provider of modular signal processing solutions today announces an executive leadership transition, effective July 1, 2025. Markus Motzko has been...
03/07/2025
Chaos Releases V-Ray for Blender
Brie Clayton July 2, 2025
0 Comments
Production-Proven Renderer V-Ray Arrives Natively in Blender for the First Time;...
03/07/2025
Calvin University Adds Blackmagic Replay to Broadcasts and Streams
Brie Clayton July 2, 2025
0 Comments
Replay workflow joins 14 Blackmagic Design cam...
03/07/2025
Berklee's Gospel Performance Program Welcomes Jonathan Nelson as the Herb Al...
03/07/2025
Back to All News
Get ready for even more action! Netflix has confirmed the thir...
03/07/2025
In today's fragmented media landscape, advertisers expect more than just reach - they want seamless cross-platform campaigns that deliver measurable results...
03/07/2025
** MEDIA ALERT ** Shonen Jump Store Hosting Los Angeles Pop-up During Anime Exp...
03/07/2025
Thursday 3 July 2025
David Harewood and Matthew Broome in Mozart: Genius for Hi...
03/07/2025
The Sky WNT Fund supports Womens National Team players with a 30,000 bursaryThursday 3 July 2025
Sky Ireland has announced the four recipients of the 2025 Sky...
03/07/2025
The forecast this month is showing a 100% chance of epic gaming. Catch the scorching lineup of 20 titles coming to the cloud, which gamers can play whether indo...
02/07/2025
Hege Wik and Odin appear in FOLKTALES by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institut...
02/07/2025
(Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival)
By Patty Consolazio
This one's for any person who's ever felt put down, left out, marginaliz...