Spring 2019 Newsletter

May 2019

Thank You for a SWEet Year!

The year has come to a close, but the memories will last forever. Thank you to all who attended any events we had this semester and this year. We hope you had lots of fun, made new friends, and learned a lot. Congratulations to all graduates and good luck on your next adventures! We hope to see everyone else return next year for more mentorship, professional development, outreach, and social events! Please enjoy this newsletter and read about some of the awesome things we had going on this spring semester.

Professional Development

On January 9th, we had a panel of upperclassmen give advice and answer questions about Co-op at an event called “Co-Up Your Game.”

On January 28th, we hosted our sponsor, FM Global, for a panel discussion on “Finding Your Dream Career & Company” with an emphasis on company culture, technical vs. consulting positions, and worklife balance.

We learned a lot at Bystander Intervention Training with Lauren Harrington, a certified trainer from Rockwell Automation and a professional member of SWE on February 12th.

At “Etiquette Dinner” on March 20th, we learned about professionalism from the Career Center and representatives from the Elliott Group.

We improved our public speaking skills at “How to Rock Your Next Public Speech with Confidence” on April 2nd, thanks to Stephanie Opalinski.

Allies for Gender Equity Series

In honor of women’s history month in February, the Engineering Office of Diversity and Pitt SWE hosted the Allies for Gender Equity Series, led by gender equity specialists from North Dakota State University, on February 28th.

The series included a male audience session which encouraged and equipped men to serve as effective allies for gender equality in STEM settings, and a female session with an open discussion about personal experiences as women in STEM and how we can find solutions to institutional challenges.

4th Annual Women in STEM Conference On January 19th, Pitt SWE collaborated with the University of Pittsburgh Engineering Graduate Student Organization and Graduate Women in Engineering Network to host the 4th Annual Women in STEM Conference. It was an inspiring day full of networking and learning.

Keynote speakers included Barbara A. Staniscia, Director of Operations & Deputy Manager in the Instrumentation & Controls Department at Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc., and Alka A. Patel, Deputy Director of the Risk & Regulatory Services Innovation Center at Carnegie Mellon University.

There were also five tracks of interactive breakout sessions led by representatives in STEM from academia and industry. It was a successful event promoting young women to gain confidence and achieve excellence in the underrepresented fields of STEM.

SWEvening

Outreach

On March 29th, we hosted about 40 high school girls from local schools for an amazing event: “SWEvening.” The students got to learn all about engineering and life at Pitt while also getting to connect and have fun with members of Pitt SWE. The afternoon started with a presentation on why engineering is a great career choice for women, followed by lab tours of research and creativity spaces in Benedum Hall. They then learned about different engineering majors from Swanson’s various engineering clubs and got to go on a scavenger hunt to explore Pitt! The evening included dinner, a keynote presentation, a tour of the engineering dorm, and an activity making spa supplies! It was an awesome day of mentorship and experiential learning.

Girls Engineering in Middle Schol At “Girls Engineering in Middle School” (GEMS) on January 26th, about 50 local middle school girls and 25 parents had the chance to learn about engineering and STEM through fun activities and games!

Super Saturday At our “Super Saturday” event on February 23rd, Pitt SWE and Engineering Student Council hosted students from Sewickley Academy. The students participated in groups to complete a “Design in a Box” activity creating a new product to help with sustainability. They had to brainstorm, create a prototype from random materials, come up with a slogan, and pitch the project!

Social Events

Spring was full of social events to get to know each other better, and to get to know other local SWE members. Pitt SWE Members had lots of fun at events such as Rock Climbing, Game Night with Triangle, The Future is Female Trivia Fundraiser, and Behind-the Scenes Tours at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium!

Additionally, we got the chance to meet SWE members at Duquesne and Carnegie Mellon University during a trip to Fudge Farm and a Minute-to-Win-It Team Competition.

Mentorship

There were multiple mentorship events this semester to allow younger members to grow closer with their mentors and find more mentors in SWE. This helped members to broaden their network by connecting with upperclassmen involved in a variety of organizations on- and offcampus. Additionally, they had the chance to learn the ins-and-outs of engineering through upperclassmen advice about professors, electives, class styles, exams, and more! It also created opportunities for lots of fun during an adventure to the Heinz History Center!

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Ansys, our Platinum Sponsor this year, provided tremendous financial support for the 5th Annual Women in STEM Conference. We were honored to have Julie O’Hara represent their distinguished organization as our opening keynote speaker at our conference. For over 45 years, Ansys has provided engineering simulation software which is used in industries such as manufacturing, medicine, and research. Ansys has many co-op, internship, and full-time roles available to engineers in which it is imperative to embrace their innovative and collaborative culture.

ExxonMobil, one of our Presenting Sponsors for this year, is a global powerhouse who creates products that synthesize energy, technology, and the environment. At their professional development event in the fall, we learned about ExxonMobil’s dedication to corporate citizenship. This company places a tremendous focus on philanthropy, workplace flexibility, and operational integrity. If you’re interested in learning more about their career opportunities, it is excellent to note their values which combine to form a positive company culture.

FM Global, a PittSWE Presenting Sponsor, is an esteemed property insurance company. At their professional development event, they led an engaging panel discussion on finding your dream career and company. We primarily discussed technical vs. consulting positions, specifically how most engineers begin at FM Global as consultant engineers who then progress into various positions of specialty within the organization. They utilize a hands-on engineering-based approach to the business to establish personal and customized partnerships with their clients (they insure about 1/3 of all Fortune 500 companies!).