The Conversation

Tue Nov 5

Only 5.3% of welders in the US are women. After years as a writing professor, I became one − here’s what I learned

Written by Jo Mackiewicz, Professor of Rhetoric and Professional Communication, Iowa State University

The author welds a headboard.Jo Mackiewicz

Although I have a good gig as a full professor at Iowa State University, I’ve daydreamed about learning a trade – something that required both my mind and my hands.

So in 2018, I started night courses in welding at Des Moines Area Community College. For three years, I studied different types of...

Only 5.3% of welders in the US are women. After years as a writing professor, I became one − here’s what I learned

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