Rose-Hulman professor becomes first black woman to earn tenure at the university

TERRE HAUTE — Walk into the Rose-Hulman Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) lab and you'll hear a lot of beeping.

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Tools, and laughter, while Dr. Carlotta Berry is hard at work.

A pioneer in the stem field, she's making waves for women and people of color, by simply showing it's possible.

"It looks like toys, but it's robotics education," Dr. Berry said. "A lot of what I do does look like toys. But it's a sneak attack to get people into stem."

Berry capitalizes on the fun to show the next generation the possibilities that exist in the STEM world.

"Robotics is not just a technical field it's also about social interaction," Berry said. "I think I am a cool professor, so by doing that. I make engineering more exciting to them."

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Berry is also making history. She has become the first black woman to earn tenure at Rose-Hulman.

Like many women, her career in STEM hasn't always been easy.

"I didn't have any role models that looked like me, I didn't know any engineers, I didn't know any scientists," Berry said.

Berry admits she barely had enough money to further her education, which is why it's become her mission to diversify the engineering profession.

"I can now be what I did not have and what I could not see as a student. We need diverse teams to address the needs of a global world," Berry said.

She's using technology to help build a brighter, more diverse future in STEM.

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Dr. Berry is also part of the Women and Hi-Tech non-profit that has helped increase diversity in the student body by providing scholarships for STEM.

The robots she uses are open source, meaning there is no patent which makes the educational tools more attainable for more people.