Fall 2022 Newsletter Ft. WE22!

Mentorship and Social Events

By Gloria Givler

First-Year Welcome Event

At the end of August, with everyone coming back to campus for the start of a new school year, PittSWE hosted a First-Year Welcome Event for all incoming students potentially interested in joining SWE We were expecting around 40-50 students, and we were so excited when over 100 showed up! I started by telling them a little about SWE and gave them information on upcoming events we would be hosting/attending. After that, we played the 4 Corners game, but all the questions were about different aspects of being a first-year in the SSOE. The students had a blast meeting new people and getting to know their future classmates. Finally, we ended the event by sharing the Swanson Survival Guide–a document full of all the best tips and tricks to do your best and have fun as a first-year engineering student Overall, it was a success, and definitely got the word out about SWE to a new class of members!

Mentorship Breakfast

Once the fall semester was in full swing, we hosted our annual Mentorship Breakfast to kick off the program and give students a chance to meet their potential mentors and mentees. I gave a presentation all about the program and set expectations for how to get the most out of your mentor/mentee relationship This year, we decided to bring back the SWE Squads so that mentees had access to multiple mentors and could also get to know other first-year students in their squad. After everyone had a chance to enjoy coffee and bagels, we had 6 rounds of speed conversations where mentees and mentors could get to know each other a bit. Many students found someone they were interested in being paired with at the event, which was great! At the end of the breakfast, students were able to formally sign up for the program and fill out a form with their preferences so they could be matched with their mentor/mentee and SWE Squad.

SWE Scavenger Hunt

A time-honored PittSWE tradition is to host a scavenger hunt and make members frantically race across campus in the hopes of winning prizes! This year, we decided to run it as a collaboration between the Social pillar (chaired by Ekaterini Papazekos) and the Mentorship pillar (chaired by Gloria Givler), that way as many members as possible could join in the fun. The clues we chose took them all over lower campus, from the former site of Forbes Field, to outside Cathy, to Towers Patio. The final clue saw them returning to Benedum, our second home at Pitt. When one group came back fastest but with one clue wrong, and another group came back second but with everything correct, there was a debate over who the true winners ultimately were. Luckily, we had enough prizes that both teams were crowned winners! Everyone had a great time working together to complete the clues in a race against time.

Officer Retreat

PittSWE is a successful professional organization due to the efforts made by the many officers! This semester, PittSWE hosted an officer retreat after one of the meetings to appreciate the officer’s hard work, and celebrate their successful events. Officers got into the Halloween spirit with a spooky cookie decorating party. Cookie designs included spiders, pumpkins, candy graveyard, and monsters with sugar eyes. Thank you to the superstar PittSWE officers and E-board for their continued effort!

OUTREACH

High School Engineering Day

By Yugma Patel

This past fall, PittSWE hosted its second in-person high school outreach event post COVID-19. With less restrictions than our last HSED in spring, it was nice to finally get a taste of what our outreach events used to be like before the pandemic. High schoolers came in to Benedum and got an interactive look into what engineering at Pitt is like, and had the chance to explore engineering overall We started with a welcome presentation that ran through what SWE does and introduced the various types of engineering that are available. Then, the students took a tour of Benedum that was led by Swanson's very enthusiastic engineering ambassadors. We had the students participate in a jeopardy about engineering that allowed the students to get to know one another. Afterwards, they heard from our Robotics and Automation Society, SailBot Team, and SOAR as they showed off the cool projects they have been working on and allowed the students to interact with them as well. We ended our activities with an ideation workshop led by the wonderful TAs of Swanson's Art of Making class, which is a course revolving around the design process in engineering. Our final part of the day was a panel of students from Swanson that represented each major. They provided the high schoolers with some great insight into what studying engineering is like, as well as answered any questions the students had from the day.

I would like to thank Marissa, Elizabeth, and Jose for being great co-chairs, as well as Danielle, Sai, Merrin, and Olivia for being great support in helping make the Fall 2022 High School Engineering Day such a success!

Middle School Engineering Day

By Amy Zhang

This semester’s Middle School Engineering Day was finally an in-person event! Students from 6th to 8th grade from local Pittsburgh schools were welcomed to participate, and a parent program was also organized for parents/guardians to attend for the entire duration of the event.

The event began with a welcome presentation that included some short introductions of notable women engineers, historical and recent, and a game of jeopardy to expose the students to each branch of engineering. After that, they were sent to one of three rooms for the hands-on activities.

This year’s themes for the hands-on activities were indigenous engineering, genetics, and earthquakes. For indigenous engineering, the students learned about Incan grass bridges and were given shredded to replicate rope making. They also learned about examples of ancient Greek, Chinese, and Middle-Eastern engineering while making a buzzer toy with yarn and buttons. During their genetics rotation, the watched a video on Mendel’s pea plant experiment and played a game of bingo by identifying genetic traits. They also did a lab with M&M’s that demonstrated mechanisms of microevolution. Lastly, students were challenged to build a structure out of spaghetti and marshmallows that could withstand a simulated earthquake.

MSED Fall 2022 was a great success! The children were energized and excited when they reconvened at the end of the event. Thank you to everyone who participated, especially the parents and volunteers who did an incredible job introducing STEM to the students!

SWE++

By Margaret Killmeyer

For seven weeks this Fall, more than twenty middle school students participated in a Python coding course hosted by PittSWE on Pitt’s campus SWE++ is a play on words based off of another coding language’s name C++. What Python and C++ have in common is that they are both objectoriented programming languages also known as OOP. OOP is highly used in industry, but more importantly for the SWE++ course it introduces problem solving skills in a fun and engaging way. The students, with help from PittSWE volunteers, learned about basic coding techniques such as if-else conditional statements, for and while loops, and many other concepts. Being in-person for SWE++ allowed for new activities that connected the dots between foreign computer science topics and previous knowledge. Activities such as dancing to music or playing detective, allowed the students to have fun while still learning. Even more concepts were taught through weekly themes and at the end of each weekly session were used to create a project. Some projects included making Buzzfeed style quizzes, unlocking secret spy messages, and coding their own version of the popular game Wordle. This year’s SWE++ was extremely successful and enjoyed by students and volunteers

Computer Day

By Margaret Killmeyer

Computer Day is the concluding event of SWE++. It allows students from SWE++ to see how the lessons they’ve learned are used in real life. This event was also open to middle school students outside of SWE++ and served as an introduction to higher level computer science concepts. Some of the activities completed were learning to draw pictures with Python with Turtle, designing a web page using HTML, breadboarding a basic LED circuit, and learning about machine learning through a binary classification demonstration These hands-on activities showed the many facets of computers; not only was there many uses of software to complete tasks such as drawing, web design, but the students also saw some physical properties from circuit design and computer hardware. Computer Day was a fun filled day for the students, where many of their higher level computer questions were answered and explored.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP) provides militarily effective nuclear propulsion plants for aircraft carriers and submarines and ensures their safe, reliable, and long-lived operation. The NNPP is composed of four organizations – Naval Reactors, the U.S. Navy, Naval Nuclear Laboratory and Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. The Naval Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) in particular develops advanced naval nuclear propulsion technology, for the safety and reliability of our Navy’s submarine and aircraft Fleets. They train the Sailors who operate the reactors. As a 2022-2023 Platinum Sponsor of Pitt SWE, NNL facilitated a panel with women from NNPP about females in leadership and the workforce. With 13 members in attendance, they were able to ask questions to gain better insight on how to combat different trials that may arise when they enter the workforce. Great anecdotes were shared from multiple members of NNPP allowing all of our members to leave the panel feeling more confident about using their voice and finding their own work life balance. The Navy/NNL will be fulfilling the Outreach portion of their sponsorship in the spring.

Avient Corporation provides specialized and sustainable material solutions that transform customer challenges into opportunities, bringing new products to life for a better world. They strive for a culture of trust and engagement, with their associates leading company initiatives such as Lead by Women, HYPE (Harnessing Young Professionals), Pride at Avient and Embrace to advance diversity in professional and personal development. As a 2022-2023 Platinum sponsor, Avient hosted a private professional development event on September 20th to provide sustainability tips and examples of a day in the life of an engineer. A group of 12 SWE members were in attendance virtually and were able to interact with five amazing presenters, Meg, Mitch, Lauren, Bridget, and Caitlin, who shared their experiences and advice with helpful insight on what their career at Avient is like. More specifically, Avient discussed career opportunities for our students, including co-ops and ELDP. The younger employees on the call, most of which were previous student employees, shared their experiences working at Avient and why they chose to continue working there after graduating. Next, each of the representatives dove into sustainability at their company, since they focus on the manufacturing of plastics, this can be quite tricky and involves creative solutions. Lastly, Avient discussed more sustainability initiatives and goals, wrapping up with a Q and A session. Avient will be fulfilling the Outreach portion of their sponsorship in the spring.

Pioneer Power Group provides electrical power system studies for customers in over 31 states, and is dedicated to performing high-quality power systems studies necessary for facilities and business buildings. Pioneer Power Group, a 2022-2023 Conference Sponsor of Pitt SWE, hosted a private professional development event on September 29th to provide job search and interview tips to our organization members. A group of 5 SWE members were in attendance and were able to interact with two amazing presenters, Angela and Bomi, who shared their experiences and advice on how to obtain a mentor post-college. PPG also shared employment opportunities with our members.

GE Power, within The General Electric Company (GE), is an American multinational company. For more than 125 years, GE has invented the future of industry. Today, GE is best known for its work in the Power, Renewable Energy, Aviation and Healthcare industries. GE brings to market innovative solutions that deliver essential energy, healthcare and transportation infrastructure. As a 2022-2023 Platinum sponsor, GE Power hosted a private professional development event on October 13th to provide career development advice. GE Power outlined what steps you can take to network, ask the right questions, have career conversations, and be proactive in driving your success when you join a large organization. They also went into opportunities for our students within their company! A group of 10 SWE members were in attendance in-person and were able to interact with four amazing presenters, Sri Harini Balaji, Joseph Pail, Marco Mageste, and Deana Marcello, who shared their experiences and advice at GE Power along with career development tips. GE Power will be fulfilling the Outreach portion of their sponsorship in the spring.

Eaton, a power management company renowned globally, is dedicated to improving people’s lives and the environment with power management technologies that are more reliable, safe, efficient, and sustainable. More specifically, Eaton works with their customers to solve their greatest power management problems in industry-leading sectors such as aerospace, electrical, vehicle, and hydraulic products and services all while keeping the environment at the forefront. As a 2022-2023 Platinum Sponsor of Pitt SWE, Eaton hosted ‘PD Night’ with Pitt SWE. The event, on November 16th, was a huge success with 12 participants! They were able to interact with and learn from 10 different great Eaton employees: Tyler Gould, Lisa Barney, Angela Finding, Michal Chlebowski, Phil Andreoli, Delaney White, Himanshu Dedge, Liz Smith, Alexa McCann, and Haley Midili. The event consisted of dinner, mock interviews, resume reviews, and a panel by Eaton. Open to all engineering students, they were able to learn more about Eaton, meet new people, and pick up some networking/interviewing tips! Eaton will be fulfilling the Outreach portion of their sponsorship in the spring.

Range Resources Corporation is a petroleum and natural gas exploration and production company as well as a pioneer of the Marcellus Shale and one of the most active natural gas drillers in Pennsylvania. As stated on their web page, they are proud of our long legacy of delivering energy solutions and value to our partners and shareholders. This statement holds true as the company delivered a valuable experience to our Pitt SWE members acting as a sponsor. Range Resources served as a 2022-2023 Conference Sponsor of Pitt SWE. Their sponsorship supported sending our executive board officers and highly active members to WE22 in Houston, Texas. WE22 was a fantastic opportunity for our members to develop personally and professionally through adding career fairs, keynotes, and informational sessions. Range Resources made this wonderful experience a reality for many of our Pitt SWE members to enjoy!

thanks to all

Huge thanks to all

thanks to all

COnference events

Authentic Leadership

By Olivia Porcello

During the second day of the conference, I attended a session led by Dina Venezky, the Executive Director for Nondegree Programs at Smith College. This interactive session, titled Authentic Leadership: Building on What You're Exceptional At, focused on finding your strengths and amplifying them to be a better leader. This process was portrayed in three steps beginning with identifying your leadership values and strengths. Attendees of the session shared personal accomplishments with each other while listening for themes and values within them. Everyone reflected on opportunities that aligned with their personal strengths to figure out what they could do more or less of, to further develop high level skills. Dina then expressed the importance of strategic storytelling to increase your leadership impact. She encouraged explaining your capabilities in a positive way. Using statements that begin with “I am” shows that you own your strengths. After listening to this session I felt empowered and confident in realizing how many more strengths and skills I have than I thought. I feel prepared to find more opportunities to enhance my strengths and speak confidently when conveying them to others. My key takeaways from the session are: if you believe it, you can achieve it; never be afraid to identify your strengths (and weaknesses) because it will help you be a more confident and authentic leader!

Influencing Sustainability in the Workplace

By Merrin Pickford

The session titled “Sustainability and Your Role in Our Environment’s Future” was presented by three women who advocate for sustainability at their companies. They started their presentation by defining sustainability and allowed the session to be an interactive panel where the audience could ask questions! Many questions from the audience focused on how to influence a company to change old methods to become more sustainable, and there were two main approaches for this. First, they spoke about how real change comes when senior leaders are involved, but that junior staff often generate the best ideas. Then, they focused on how to create sustainability goals and ensure the longevity of them. There were recommendations to apply for certifications and to create meaningful metrics to track progress. Sustainable practices need to become a regular conversation, goals need to be set high, and companies need to create change. Another piece of advice offered was to focus on sustainable procurement and add sustainable practices into contracts, so customers must abide by them. Overall, I learned new ways to make sustainability a priority and feel more prepared to start my career while creating meaningful change in the workplace!

First Lesson to Becoming a Jedi Leader

By Katie Harris

Session: Jedi Bootcamp: Leadership Lessons from the Women of Star Wars Speaker:

Evelyn Cortez-Davis

WE22 demonstrated a ‘world of opportunity’ awaits female leaders The session ‘Jedi Bootcamp: Leadership Lessons from the Women of Star Wars’ helped me see leadership through the lens of fear, hope, and decisive action.

I have attended countless leadership talks to learn how to hone my skills The messages are clear, but are sometimes difficult to adapt to my everyday life. It can be hard to fully comprehend how to be a leader, but the iconic women from Star Wars provide an example closer to home to exemplify. Of the five basic lessons, the one that resonated with me most was to face your fears It is easy to assume that the leaders in our lives have no fear. What intimidates us is often what holds us back from reaching our full potential. Rey Skywalkers in ‘The Last Jedi’ says, “I’m afraid. I don’t know what it is or what to do with it And I need help ” Like Rey, many of us are reluctant to accept change and may not want to acknowledge our fears. She is a reminder that moving past our fears lets us grow our skillset and move past seemingly insurmountable odds. Recognizing our fears is the first step. Asking for help is the second step We should leverage our resources and those around us to achieve the outcome we desire and use our new perspectives that give a better understanding and greater empathy.

So next time you sit down to watch your favorite Star Wars movie, pay attention to the inspiring female leads Take leadership lessons from their memorable actions and you will be one step closer to becoming a successful leader.

The Power of your Brain – Keynote Speech by Nancy Post

By Saipriya Namasivayam

WE22’s Friday program kicked off with a thought provoking and invigorating keynote speech by Nancy Post, the Vice President of Embedded Software and Solutions at John Deere. From being the youngest of 15 children to leading a global team of 2000 members, Nancy used her personal experiences to convey the power of your brain when it comes to establishing new habits, higher performance, and living life with greater joy. She says we should start by getting to know ourselves and our brain better, and something that often gets overlooked is out EQ or emotional intelligence. EQ is what allows us to have empathy for others and be aware of our own emotions What I thought was interesting is that when intelligence is the same across a group of people, the biggest thing that sets someone apart and lets them move up the ladder is their EQ. In fact, 82% of global companies test for EQ when hiring for executive positions and on average, people with a higher EQ make $29,000 more per year. Well, how do you work on your EQ? Nancy cites neuroplasticity and brain waves that we can actually influence to create brain pathways. She gave the analogy of a path in the woods, the more the path is used by people, the wider and clearer it is, and the more likely people are to continue using that path. This is the same for your brain, we can form pathways with our thoughts and by repeatedly using them, they become bigger and eventually we will subconsciously travel the same paths in the future By practicing connecting with and tuning into ourselves and being aware of our emotions, we can establish strong pathways that our brains jump to for years to come.

Stepping into Your Power and Influence

By Danielle McDonald

Speaker: Julie Abrams Castro

One of my favorite sessions I attended at WE22 in Houston, TX was a talk titled “Stepping into Your Power and Influence – Boards, Investing, and More”. The speaker for this session was Julie Abrams Castro, and the first thing she has us, the attendees/listeners, do was envision what we would do / who we would help if we were able to do anything and have our dream job/position. She, personally, envisions an equitable future for both men and women. She thinks it’s important to empower other women to help them feel comfortable for once. Be fierce advocates for each other, reinforce her voice, and be unabashedly visible in the workplace.

We have power in numbers, she said. She encouraged us to look for a position on a board. No matter who you are, your perspective is valued. “Write down five companies you want to be on a board for,” she said. To achieve this, ask to talk to someone you know that is connected to one of these boards – ask for money and get advice, ask for advice and get money. It is okay to ask others for help – people love to help, so you are making others happy by asking them for help. Also, companies love to see women that are on a board / applying to be on a board. They love to hear that you want to be in a leadership role and that you are enthusiastic about their mission. Overall, I am very happy I was able to attend this session and gain a lot of valuable information and advice on equity in the workplace and how to get the leadership position you desire.

Opportunity Within

By Isabella Steinley

Session:Pursuing the Job You Didn’t Know you Wanted.

Speaker: Melanie Laberge

SWE22 was a super rewarding experience. As I near graduation, SWE conferences are especially impactful. Engineering is a rather broad career path, which can be exciting and nerve-wracking. It can be difficult to pinpoint even after choosing your major what exactly you want to do. As I complete my last few semesters, I often ask myself a lot about what I want to do next. A session that really stuck with me was about pursuing job opportunities and progressing in your career. The speaker, Melanie Laberge, talked about her career transitions thus far working in semiconductors. She talked about both being “pulled” and “pushed” as people noticed her good work and also as she found the types of roles she wanted to do. She talked about the importance of knowing what your strengths are and finding roles that let them shine. Additionally, she mentioned finding something that you like to do but also that there is a market for. It was comforting to hear from Melanie that there are definitely jobs out there that may be perfect for you that you do not know about yet. I was inspired by the idea that unlikely events can spark job opportunities. You have to leverage your network, and also know yourself so that you continually find the best roles for yourself.

To Be a Better

Innovator,

Start with Your Brain

By Vidhya Thiyagarajan

Speaker: Nancy Post

On Friday, October 21st, PittSWE attended the Friday Keynote event hosted by Nancy Post, a Vice President at John Deere. During this keynote, Nancy shared several habits to improve your brain elasticity and habits to be a high performer and lead a joyful life. My biggest takeaway was the following habit: when making a decision, consider how you will feel in 10min, 10months and 10 years. As college students and engineers, we are faced with so many personal and professional decisions throughout our career. Because of that, it can be very easy for us to get bogged down when considering all the options and the impact when making a choice. Implementing this habit can help us see the bigger picture when we’re faced with a choice. The example Nancy used was choosing to accept a new job in a different location. In the first 10 minutes, you might feel elated and proud that you received an offer. In the first 10 months, you might feel a little stressed in your new role and homesick. But, in 10 years, you might be grateful for the experience and how it developed you. By putting your choice into a larger perspective, you can feel more confident with your decision going forward.

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