Seattle U Panel Tackles Gender Bias in Fields

Women leaders across engineering, nursing and venture capital discussed bias, leadership and mentorship at a Seattle University event.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Women’s Issues

Photograph of an empty stage with wooden chairs and a round table in a bright campus hall, tall windows showing a misty evergreen hillside. — Seattle University hosted a panel on October 27 where women leaders in engineering, nursing, and venture capital discussed gender bias and mentorship in male-dominated fields. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Seattle University hosted the Women Trailblazers Across Disciplines panel on October 27 in Oberto Commons. Panelists discussed gender bias, leadership and mentorship for women in male-dominated fields.

Why it matters

The discussion highlights ongoing barriers for women in professional fields and the reported business and health benefits of greater female leadership. The panel offered Seattle-area students and professionals direct perspectives from practitioners working in those fields.

Panelists cited more than 137 studies over 20 years linking women in executive roles to better hospital outcomes and solvency, and a 2019 Harvard study found a 1.5% profit increase at gender diverse venture capital firms. The source material does not detail the study methodologies or comparison groups behind these figures.

The players

Seattle University

A private Jesuit university in Seattle that hosted the panel through its Women in Business club and economics department.

Agnieska Miguel

Professor and chair of Seattle University's electrical engineering department who spoke on the panel about gender bias.

Renee Rassilyer-Bombers

Chief nursing officer for Providence Swedish North Division who participated in the panel discussion.

Julie Sandler

Co-founder and venture partner at Pioneer Square Labs who participated in the panel discussion.

The details

Panelists including Agnieska Miguel, Renee Rassilyer-Bombers and Julie Sandler shared their professional journeys and discussed workplace gender bias. Miguel described using humor as a first response to misogyny and education on gender bias as a second tool.

October 27, 2026: Women Trailblazers Across Disciplines panel held at Seattle University.

Women in Leadership Research

Panelists pointed to the 2019 Harvard study finding a 1.5% profit increase at gender diverse venture capital firms as evidence that diversity drives returns. The discussion extends that research into academic and clinical settings, where the cited hospital studies connect female executive leadership to better outcomes.

Seattle students and professionals considering male-dominated fields can take the panel's points on mentorship and leadership as practical starting points. Seattle U's Women in Business club accepts new members without an application, requiring only attendance at a meeting.

The takeaway

Gender bias in professional fields remains a concrete obstacle, and the panel's emphasis on mentorship and direct engagement offers actionable approaches. Readers interested in these issues can seek out campus groups like Seattle U's Women in Business club to join the conversation.