RS Inspires Future Engineers, Tackling the STEM Gender Gap

By Stephanie Lewis

FORT WORTH, TX – March 30, 2026 – The hum of automated guided vehicles and the blur of robotic arms provided the soundtrack for a potential career path for 11 eighth-grade girls last month. As part of Engineering Week 2026, global industrial solutions provider RS opened the doors of its massive Fort Worth headquarters to students from the local Young Women's Leadership Academy (YWLA), offering them a tangible look at a future they could one day command.

The event was more than a simple field trip; it was a strategic immersion into the world of high-tech industry and a direct effort to address one of the most persistent challenges in the technology sector: the gender gap.

A Glimpse Into the Automated Future

The day began with a tour of the company's 520,000-square-foot warehouse, a facility that looks less like a traditional storage space and more like a scene from a science fiction film. Billy Newby, the Director of Warehouse Operations, guided the members of YWLA's Girls Excelling in Math and Science (GEMS) teams through a maze of advanced automation.

Students witnessed technologies that are actively reshaping global supply chains. Automated guided vehicles (AGVs), including robotic forklifts, glided silently across the floor, transporting goods with precision. They saw the KNAPP OSR Shuttle Evo system in action—a sophisticated, high-speed automated storage and retrieval system that manages over 118,000 product locations, delivering items to one of 35 picking stations with flawless accuracy. These goods-to-person systems drastically reduce human error and accelerate order fulfillment, forming the backbone of modern logistics.

The tour also highlighted an overhead RFID pocket sortation system, which maximizes warehouse space and provides 100% tracking accuracy, and robotic packing stations that right-size packaging to reduce waste. For the students, this was a real-world demonstration of concepts they study in robotics and engineering, connecting classroom theory to industrial application.

Following the warehouse tour, the students visited the RS Technical Solutions Center (TSC). There, Technical Application Support Manager Mark Russell and Senior Application Engineer Samatha Massingill transitioned the focus from macro-automation to micro-engineering. Massingill, an electromechanical expert, led the girls through a hands-on activity with a breadboard—a fundamental tool for prototyping electronic circuits without soldering. This experience demystified circuit design, giving the students a chance to build, test, and innovate in real time.

Building a More Inclusive Blueprint

The initiative by RS comes at a critical time. Despite decades of progress, women remain significantly underrepresented in STEM fields. Globally, women comprise only about 28% of the STEM workforce, and the numbers are even more stark in the specific fields the students explored. According to recent data, women make up just 16.9% of the engineering and technology workforce, with progress moving at a glacial pace. Barriers such as gender stereotypes, a lack of visible role models, and non-inclusive workplace cultures continue to present significant hurdles.

Programs like the one at RS are designed to dismantle these barriers from the ground up. By providing early, positive exposure to STEM careers and creating opportunities for mentorship, companies can help young women envision themselves in these roles.

"RS champions education, innovation, and community and is committed to making amazing happen for a better world," said D'Mar Phillips, Vice President of People and Culture at RS Americas. "So, we're proud to welcome local youth to explore our business and discover the exciting STEM opportunities we offer."

The event culminated in a panel discussion featuring a diverse group of RS leaders from various departments, including product management, sales, and value-added solutions. The panel, which included members from the company's Bloomers and Elevate employee resource groups (ERGs) focused on career growth and gender equity, provided a platform for students to ask candid questions about career paths, challenges, and successes.

Marie Dawson, Senior Director of Product & Supplier Management and Executive Sponsor of the Elevate ERG, emphasized the importance of such events. "Inviting these young women to explore engineering, robotics, and technology with our various teams reflects our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging in action," she stated. "When we open our doors to the next generation, we're not just showcasing careers — we're helping them see themselves as future innovators."

A Corporate Commitment to Community

This event is not an isolated act of charity but a component of RS's broader corporate social responsibility strategy, encapsulated in its "For a Better World" ESG action plan. The company's commitment extends beyond a single day of engagement. RS is also a sponsor of the Foundation for the Young Women's Leadership Academy's Diamond Luncheon, an event that celebrates the school's college-bound seniors and helps fund resources for academic excellence.

The YWLA, Fort Worth ISD's first single-gender school, has a proven track record of success, boasting a 100% college acceptance rate for its graduating seniors—a powerful testament to its rigorous curriculum emphasizing math, science, and technology. By partnering with an institution that already excels at preparing young women for higher education, RS ensures its investment has a compounding impact.

This type of corporate-educational partnership is becoming an industry-wide trend as companies recognize the dual benefits of community engagement and talent pipeline development. By actively fostering the next generation of engineers and technicians, companies like RS not only fulfill a social responsibility but also make a strategic investment in their own future, ensuring a skilled and diverse workforce is ready to tackle the challenges of tomorrow. For the 11 young women who walked through its doors, the experience may have been the spark that ignites a lifelong passion for changing the world through technology.