Authored By Chloé Morrison

NASCAR process engineer Megan Horn grew up around the sport, mainly interested in the scorekeeping. "That helped develop my interest in math and science," she said. That curiosity continued to develop through middle and high school, and it wasn't until she went to college to pursue engineering that she noticed a gender gap, she said. "Engineering is certainly an area of study that's more male-dominated," she said. "That's shifted over time. And at no point did I feel like I didn't belong. I wanted to be there and I pursued it just on my own belief in myself." Horn, who also used to work as an engineer for Norfolk Southern Railway, spending time in Chattanooga, is participating in an upcoming Women in Workforce Symposium. At the Sept. 6 event, which is at the Volkswagen Conference Center, researcher and author William “Buddy” Scarborough of University of Illinois Chicago Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy will present labor force gender equality data related to the Chattanooga region. "My central argument, which is backed up by research, is that gender equality is not only a moral imperative but it essential for economic development," he said in a prepared statement. During his presentation, he will discuss the need for cities to promote gender equality if they want to be competitive. He will show how that plays out on a national stage and then focus on Chattanooga—tracking cultural and economic change from 1980 to 2010—to show where the city excels, how it can improve and what else is needed for ongoing improvement. Along with Scarborough's presentation, there will be a panel of experts, such as Horn. Each participant has transcended gender stereotypes or coaches leaders to be more inclusive and aware of the gender gap, according to a news release. Scarborough will moderate a series of questions to panelists, including trial attorney and Assistant Vice President and Senior Regulatory Counsel at Unum Chantelle Roberson and Mark Nation, a consultant and author with Nation Leadership. Senior Vice President of Volkswagen Human Resources Nicole Koesling will also share best practices that the Volkswagen Assembly Plant has put in place to help gain awareness about unconscious bias. Horn's work In her role with NASCAR, Horn essentially acts as a consultant on a range of projects and works to help improve processes. For example, she's currently working with crew members during pit stops. She helps identify areas of improvement and facilitate those changes. "You might know what you want to do better but knowing how to get there is a different animal," she said. She's working in a generally male-dominated industry and credited her company Hendrick Motorsports with working to close the gender gap by recruiting a diverse workforce. But you don't really learn in school how to navigate gender roles in business, she said. "What I've learned, mostly through trial and error, is how to come into a place where someone might not believe you belong or you don't look like you belong and [show] honest curiosity in the work and [earn] people's respect," she said. More event information The upcoming symposium will be at the Volkswagen Conference Center at 8001 Volkswagen Drive. Registration begins at 10 a.m. with welcome remarks at noon. General admission tickets are free with no lunch and $15 for a luncheon ticket. Free Volkswagen Academy tours will be available at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.. Breakout sessions from each panelist will be available after the keynote and panel session beginning at 2:30 p.m. Executive one-on-one sessions with Buddy after the Symposium are available for sponsors. Register online.