University of Washington alumna and beloved Fluke engineer, Stephanie Subak, inspires the next generation of women in STEM

The University of Washington (UW) is one of the top-ranked universities for electrical engineering nationwide. The University of Washington’s Electrical & Computer Engineering department (ECE) values innovation and high-impact research. They’re also committed to broadening the STEM population to include more women, underrepresented minorities, and foreign nationals. The UW ECE exceeded the national average of women in the field for undergraduate and graduate degrees in recent years.
 

From the cultivation of talented women in the UW ECE rose Stephanie Subak. Stephanie was not only an alumna of UW but also a beloved Fluke employee for more than 34 years. She had been a great inspiration at both Fluke Corporation and UW ECE and only the second female engineer to be hired at Fluke. While working at Fluke, Stephanie continuously remained involved at UW where she became a speaker for notable conferences and a key supporter of the Society of Women Engineers.

After her passing in 2014, Fluke Corporation memorialized her by funding the Stephanie Subak Memorial Scholarship at the University of Washington’s ECE department to continue her legacy of advocating for women in engineering.

Nhu Trong was one of the Stephanie Subak Memorial Scholarship recipients at UW ECE. Like Stephanie, she had good intentions and big ambitions for the future as a woman in STEM.

Nhu grew up in Vietnam where she was first exposed to basic coding and simple circuits. Contrary to a stereotype, Nhu made the conscious choice to take on the path of engineering over the usual cooking class that her school offered. Although she might not have had a person who inspired her to go into STEM, nor did she have enough resources at the time, she was dedicated to pursuing her dream of becoming an engineer.

The University of Washington’s ECE became an obvious choice for Nhu. For both UW ECE and Fluke, Nhu was an embodiment of Stephanie’s legacy for women in STEM. Receiving the scholarship meant that Nhu was able to fully focus on school and give back to her community through joining different organizations, including the Society of Women Engineers.

In June 2022, Nhu graduated with a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering and is currently working at Boeing as a design and analysis engineer. After graduating, Nhu reflects that for more girls to flourish in STEM, they need help finding their own capabilities and interests, and by guiding them toward the right direction.

Her message to young women aspiring to go into STEM is “step out of your comfort zone. Go out there. You know what you’re good at, there are other opportunities out there and there’s always good in people. People are always there to help you and there’s always people on the same boat as you. Keep trying, keep doing, and the good things will come.”