Challenging Gender Bias in Engineering
Liz Legge (MSSM ‘21) has had a long-time interest in technology and engineering. Now she is intersecting those skills with product management and gender equality advocacy.
By Kaitlyn Stossel
A feminist, gender equality advocate, software engineer, gamer, and dog lover. These are a few of many words used to describe alum Liz Legge, a 2021 graduate of the Master of Science in Software Management (MSSM) program at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU).
Growing up the daughter of two electrical engineers, Legge was encouraged to learn about computers and technology at a young age.
“My parents always bragged that by the time I was two, I could use the roller ball mouse on my computer. They were pretty proud of that,” Legge said.
Her interest was further sparked in high school when she learned about the range of disciplines in engineering ─ from electrical, of course, to mechanical to architectural and everything in between.
By the time she was starting her undergraduate degree, Legge was set on the computer science/engineering route. During this time, she personally saw the gender gap in her classes and was passionate about narrowing it.
Self-defining her major as Computer Science- Gender Equality in Computing, Legge was determined to push gender equality in STEM forward.
“With that degree, I learned the fundamentals of computer science and took sociology and psychology classes to dig into and ask deeper questions: Why is this gender inequality occurring? What can we realistically do to fix it?” Legge said.
While working through that degree, Legge scored an internship with Booz Allen Hamilton that eventually turned into her first job as a Staff Technologist.
“I love to be hands on, but I don’t want to be an individual contributor forever. I want to be actively involved in shaping the product and guiding its direction,” Legge said.
Legge took a short product management course from General Assembly, which was insightful but not tailored enough to her interests.
“There weren’t many master’s degree options to do product management that also focused on software technical fields, so the MSSM program just felt like fate.”
Advice for MSSM Students
"Your time in school will definitely fly by. Be fully present, and take advantage of all the information that is being shared with you and the opportunity to connect with classmates and instructors. It’s a really great resource to have at that point in your life, and it’s good to make connections to lean on later."
The remote option for the MSSM program worked in Legge’s favor as she was living in Miami due to a career opportunity for her husband, who was completing his MBA remotely at CMU’s Tepper School of Business.
“Moving to the West Coast wasn’t really an option for me, so I really appreciated the flexibility that I had to do remote work. My team was really flexible and nice about meeting remotely, and discussions were still really great despite the screens between us,” Legge recalled.
Legge now works as a Software Engineer at Level Access, a digital accessibility solution provider that helps organizations create accessible and legally compliant websites, mobile apps, software, and other technology.
“I work on the technology that our accessibility consultants and customers use. We help our customers by auditing their website or digital assets to identify any accessibility problems, making suggestions to address those problems and improve website accessibility , and providing additional education and training,” Legge said.
Legge has worked at Level Access for over two years and won “The Extra Mile Award” with the company earlier this year. This award is given to an employee who performs above and beyond their capabilities and goes the extra mile.
This award showcased all of the hard work and dedication that Legge has put into delivering accessible, user-friendly, and scalable solutions on the web. Legge was also nominated for the Women in Tech Rising Star of the Year Award in 2022.
“I really enjoy helping people navigate this world a little bit better. Designing for accessibility helps everyone, not just people with disabilities. It’s been rewarding to have an impact on such a large part of the world.”
Legge is also a member of the Society of Women Engineers and serves as a mentor to fellow members in her pursuit to narrow the gender gap and empower women in engineering.
“I don’t want to speak for all women, but it seems like from the subset that I’ve talked to, imposter syndrome is definitely very real, especially with new hires in the workforce. Thankfully, the companies I’ve worked for have worked really hard to eliminate biases and be more inclusive, but it’s a shame to hear some of the stories that my colleagues and friends have experienced. I’m glad that companies overall are working towards finding a solution.”
Liz's True Love
Meet Winston, Liz's goldador. "He is my absolute life. I love him like he is my actual child."
[He's such a good boy!]
#womeninstem #influencer @blondiexliz
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