What follows is one of a series of letters to the NYT Editor pertaining to engineering careers for women. Read the other letters here.

"How to Attract Female Engineers,” by Lina Nilsson (Op-Ed, April 27), seems appealing at first glance. But by proposing that women focus on work that is "societally meaningful” and that supports "humanitarian” goals, Ms. Nilsson indulges in two fallacies.

One is the premise that women are attracted to work consistent with the cultural notion that these are appropriate roles for women (traditionally, nursing and teaching).

In some sense, she is advocating "pink science” while ignoring the large number of female mathematicians, physical scientists and engineers who find the subject matter itself attractive.

It is analogous to telling women in medical school that they should become pediatricians and ob-gyns rather than neurosurgeons.

The other fallacy is that women are so shortsighted as to see only projects directly aimed at improving "the lives of people living in poverty” as having a meaningful societal effect. Surely, we all have a vested interest in enterprises like designing bridges and airplanes that are structurally sound.

We need to move forward with more female scientists in all fields rather than relegate them to certain subspecialties and pretend that such work is more valuable to our society.

MARY BETH RUSKAI

Arlington, Mass.