PittSWE Newsletter - March 2012

PITT SWE

Volume 2, Issue 3

March 2012 Edited by: Julia Wasas

SWE Dinnerview Professional Development Written By: Lisa Volpatti On Thursday March 15, Pitt SWE held its second Dinnerview of the semester. This event, held in the upstairs room of Joe Mama’s restaurant in Oakland and free of charge to all attendees, was much smaller and more informal than the January Diversity Dinnerview. The purpose of this Dinnerview was to give SWE members the chance to both network and socialize with professional women in industry in a more intimate setting than the larger Diversity Dinnerview.

There were four female company representatives present from three engineering companies: Bettis Laboratories, Mitsubishi Electric Power, and Westinghouse Electric.

The twenty Pitt students in attendance rotated tables throughout the family-style meal to enable them to network with all of the company representatives. During dinner, some of the company representatives asked example interview questions and discussed the pros and cons of each student’s answers. In addition, students were able to ask questions of the representatives, including questions about their companies and their personal work experience. Overall, the event was very successful. While some students handed out their resumes at the end of dinner, others (who were not actively searching for a job) received the representatives’ business cards for future networking or employment opportunities.

Upcoming Events April April 4 - Origami Night. All origami will be donated to meals on wheels.

April 10 – Bioengineering Company Visit April 23 - 28 – University of Pittsburgh Finals Week

A Westinghouse representative speaking with SWE members.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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SWE Dinnerview Habitat for Humanity Evening with Industry Regional News National News Global Links Eaton Corporation Ranks as an Ethical Company SWE Facts Crossword Pens Game with US Steel Current Officers Imagine Engineering

April 24 – End of Year Party University of Pittsburgh – Society of Women Engineers – March 2012 - 1

Habitat for Humanity Service Written By: Julia Wasas Pitt SWE volunteered with the Panther Habitat for Humanity chapter on March 24th. SWE did a workday at Seeds of Hope church in Friendship. The church has been under renovation for 5 years now. On March 30th the church is having a grand opening of the bottom floor of the building. It has been transformed into a space for after school programming.

Second, Harry Medsger gave an introduction to AREVA as a company and what his office does. Mr. Medsger graduated from Pitt in 1985, and is now the manager of Electrical Development and Products. While Mr. Medsger is based in Cranberry, PA, AREVA is a French company and has many international opportunities. Not only is AREVA the #1 supplier to the US nuclear power industry, but they work towards improving renewable energies such as wind, bioenergy, solar power, and hydrogen. Mr. Medsger also informed SWE members that 35% of all engineers and managers recruited are women. As a company who recently who had a female CEO, AREVA is dedicated to promoting diversity.

Lastly, Corey Faddish spoke to SWE about the transition to the workplace. Corey graduated from Pitt in 2007 with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering. In the Spring of 2012, he will receive an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a Nuclear Certificate, all of which is being paid for by AREVA. Corey also spoke to SWE members about Voyager, a Rotational Development Program within AREVA.

Julia Wasas working on a temporary wall for the church.

Overall, the three presenters left SWE members with valuable information that can be passed on to other students.

The nuclear industry shows a lot of promise for the future, especially for growth of women in both engineering and management.

Evening with Industry

Regional News

Professional Development

Region G

Written By: Mary Beth Biddle

Written By: Julia Wasas

SWE Hosted an Evening with Industry on February 17th.

Dr. John Metzger, from the Nuclear Engineering program, joined Harry Medsger and Corey Faddish of AREVA to give SWE members an overview of the nuclear industry. This meeting was very relevant to the University of Pittsburgh due to the fact that Pittsburgh was the birthplace of nuclear engineering. Thus, there are many companies in the area pursuing students interested in the topic.

Our region is composing a yearbook for the all events up to April. All photos of SWE events for our region should be sent to Jessica.Rannow@gmail.com by April 5th to be included. These photos will help represent our section to show the great work we do. Send in photos and check out the album when it comes out.

First, Dr. Metzger gave an overview of the Nuclear Engineering program at Pitt. Currently, there are three main classes offered for undergraduates. Two new courses are being introduced, including a study abroad opportunity in France! Dr. Metzger also recently petitioned the University of Pittsburgh to have a Master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering, including a Distance Learning program. The program has been met very favorably so far.

SWE National

National News Written By: Julia Wasas The Society of Women Engineers has updated the website for the 2012 conference in Houston. We encourage you to check the site periodically for more conference details.

University of Pittsburgh – Society of Women Engineers – March 2012 - 2

SWE FACTS CROSSWORD The first person to complete the crossword below and send the correct answers to pittSWE@gmail.com will win a $15 gift card to his or her choice of Oakland restaurant. Ignore spaces for all answers.

Across:

3. This company is a Pitt SWE gold sponsor. (2 words) 4. Where is SWE’s next national conference?

7. SWE should serve as the center of ___ on women in engineering.

8. The SWE mission is to demonstrate the value of ___.

9. In 1976 SWE admitted ____ members with full rights and privileges.

Down:

Global Links Service Written By: Christina O’Donnell On March 14th, members from Pitt SWE volunteered with Global Links, a Pittsburgh-based medical relief and development organization dedicated to promoting heath relief services in resource-poor communities. They send medical supplies to communities located primarily in Latin America and the Caribbean. Global Links receives donations of surplus medical supplies from over 30 hospitals, nursing homes, and homecare companies in the Pittsburgh area.

When SWE visited, members sorted and organized assorted needles that were going to be sent to hospitals and clinics in Haiti.

Eaton Corporation Ranks as a Top Ethical Company

1. Finding a guy in _____, the odds are good but the goods are odd.

Sponsorship Highlight

2. Who is Pitt SWE’s Faculty Advisor?

Eaton Corporation has generously been a sponsor for our section of SWE this year. In addition to holding the opening presentation at our Diversity Dinnerview, they also sponsored the event. Pitt SWE is extremely grateful for their contribution and would like to highlight their great accomplishments. The following is an excerpt from an article that has been provided by Eaton Corporation.

5. SWE’s values are Integrity, Inclusive Environment, Mutual Support, Professional Excellence, and ____.

6. What professional development dinner event does SWE host annually?

Written By: Julia Wasas, Eaton Corporation

Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the sixth consecutive year.

"As a values-based organization with a long-standing heritage of integrity, we are honored to be recognized by the Ethisphere Institute," said Deborah Severs, Eaton senior vice president, Global Ethics and Compliance. "By doing business right, Eaton continually builds its reputation with

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one set of global standards that we apply throughout our operations."

Ethisphere reviewed thousands of nominations from companies in more than 100 countries and 36 industries to determine the winners. The research and selection process included reviewing companies' codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers.

"Each year the competition for World's Most Ethical Companies intensifies as the number of nominations submitted for consideration grows," said Alex Brigham, executive director of the Ethisphere Institute. "Eaton knows that a strong ethics program is a key component to a successful business model, and it continues to scrutinize its ethical standards to keep up with an ever-changing regulatory environment."

Eaton Corporation is a diversified power management company with more than 100 years of experience providing energy-efficient solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power. […]

Eaton has approximately 73,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit www.eaton.com.

Hockey Night in Pittsburgh Networking/ Social Written By: Christina O’Donnell Three Pitt SWE representatives joined U. S. Steel Corporation for a "Hockey Night in Pittsburgh" on March 20th for an evening of food, hockey, and fun. Pitt SWE, as well as other student organizations from the University of Pittsburgh, Robert Morris and Duquesne, was invited to join employees of U.S. Steel for dinner at Damon's Bar and Grill followed by a Pittsburgh Penguins game. Pitt SWE and U.S. Steel representatives had the chance to mingle and network before and during the game.

The Pens played the Winnipeg Jets and won 8-4. In addition to being the first night that Sidney Crosby returned to Pittsburgh after being injured for most of the season, Neal scored a hat trick, Malkin scored his 200th career goal, and the fans received free Big Macs. Pitt SWE would like to thank U.S. Steel Corporation for the opportunity to participate in their “Hockey Night in Pittsburgh.”

Imagine Engineering Outreach Written By: Aimee Pickering Members of Pitt SWE volunteered at Imagine Engineering, an event hosted by Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania (GSWPA), on March 25th. During the day-long event, girls in grades 6-12 participated in a series of workshops that introduced them to various aspects of engineering. The girls also had the opportunity to question professional engineers as well as undergraduate and graduate students about pursuing a career in this field. Like Pitt SWE, GSWPA’s goal is to inform young girls that engineering is not only for men but rather a career that they should consider.

By participating in this event, Pitt SWE continued to strengthen its relationship with Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania. We look forward to working with them on more outreach events in the future!

A view of the game from Pitt SWE’s seats provided by U.S. Steel.

Current Officers President - Sandy Liu President – Mary Beth Biddle Vice President – Lisa Volpatti Secretary – Julia Wasas Treasurer – Stephanie O’Neill Visit Our Website for a complete list of officers. www.pitt.edu/~pittswe

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