My 5F Leadership Formula: A Way of Growing Without Losing Yourself in STEM [Career Advisor]

June 8, 2026 by Meryem Benelajla

I spent years mastering photonics and R&D, believing that more discipline was the answer to every challenge. But at the edge of my capacity, I realized that growth isn’t about pushing harder; it’s about orientation. This article introduces the 5F Leadership Formula, a map for women in STEM to stop performing versions of themselves that no longer fit and start leading with alignment.

For more about this article see link below.

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11511886

For the open access PDF link of this article please click here.

https://wiemagazine.ieee.org/wp-admin/edit.php

IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine is the first magazine to focus on issues facing women who study or work in IEEE’s fields of interest.

IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine strives to recognize women’s outstanding achievements in electrical and electronics engineering as well as enhance networking and to promote membership in IEEE Women in Engineering.

The publication also advocates for women in leadership roles and career advancement for women in STEM professions, and it facilitates the development of programs and activities that promote the entry into and retention of women in engineering programs.

Ramya Thiagarajan: Helping Public Health Officials Track Mosquitoes

When the Zika virus reached Florida in 2015, public health teams faced a big challenge: more than fifty species of mosquitoes live in the state, but only a few, especially Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, spread Zika. Public health officials employed the traditional monitoring methods: placing traps at select locations overnight and catching hundreds of mosquitoes. The next day, teams picked up the traps and identified a small sample under a microscope, searching for the subtle and unique morphological markers that distinguished dangerous species.

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