Upcoming Social Event!

Please join us for a Happy Hour with GradSWE!

This event is intended to be a casual networking events for graduate students to meet locals in industry, learn more about companies, job responsibilities, and career paths!

December 7th 5-7PM at Optimism Brewery (1158 Broadway Seattle, WA 98122) 

Click on this link to fill out the form if you plan to attend: Happy Hour RSVP Form

FY23 Section Election Guide - Candidate Bios and Statements

Hello Readers! The FY22 Nomination Committee is excited to present the following slate of candidates for consideration by the membership as SWE PNW officers for the FY23 fiscal year:

• President-Elect
• Secretary
• Treasurer-Elect

President-Elect Candidates

Tiffany Tang

Biography

Originally from Hawaii, I moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington (UW) where I received my B.S. and M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering. After graduating, I was lucky to stay in the Greater Seattle Area working in Redmond as a Systems Engineer for Honeywell’s avionics products. In 2021, I transitioned to a Process Engineering role at Crane Aerospace & Electronics that allows me to utilize my background in materials engineering more by working on new product development and sustaining materials and process issues.

I first became involved with SWE as a freshman at UW. I gradually became more and more involved over the years as I went from member to historian to Vice President of Member Relations. While in college, I was able to attend WE16 and the ABJ Leadership Summit in 2016. When I graduated from UW, I was lucky to find a strong SWE PNW community at Honeywell and became involved in the SWE PNW Chapter. I immediately became involved serving then leading the Nomination Committee (NomCom) in 2020 and 2021 (for FY21 and FY22 elections) and serving as Vice President of Social and Networking for FY22. I virtually attended WE21.

Candidate Statement

During my time in SWE PNW, I have met so many members from participating in online trivia night during the pandemic to hosting the Mariners Night back in April. Every time I attend a SWE PNW event, it makes me happy to be with inspiring people and drives me to invest more and more of my time back into SWE PNW. Having worked with multiple Presidents during my time with SWE PNW in my roles through NomCom and as Vice President of Social and Networking, I have seen how rewarding being President can be and want to experience the same role. These past few years during the pandemic, SWE PNW has continued to create a community and I want to use the next two years as President-Elect and President to continue to grow our member engagement and strengthen the bonds SWE PNW has created through community and member events. As President-Elect, I will be able to spend a year learning to be an effective President and will be able to start or re-start programs I am passionate about and see them through to fruition over the span of two fiscal years.

Outside of SWE PNW, I am involved in other professional and non-profit organizations in the community and continue to keep in touch with friends and colleagues I have met in school and in industry during my time in Washington. I have been able to use these connections to help schedule company tours for college students as an outreach event, fill conference panel seats, and hold joint group events. As President-Elect and eventually President, I hope to bridge my professional and personal interests with SWE PNW to create and re-establish connections SWE PNW has within the PNW community to spread SWE PNW’s mission, vision, and core values.

Secretary Candidates

Asa Reyes-Chavez

Biography

Hi, my name is Asa [she/her(s)]. I am a PNW-native and a first-generation Latina, with a low-income background, that graduated from Washington State University (WSU) in 2020 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. My current position is as a Water Solutions Engineer at Parametrix, Inc. where I switch hats between designing water/wastewater facilities, conveyance, and collection system and managing construction administration/services projects. 

I have been involved with SWE since my freshman year at WSU. It was a great support system that I grew more involved with throughout my undergraduate studies. I was an active member attending regular meetings, tabling events, and I served as the SWEster Mentoring Program coordinator for multiple terms which paired upperclassman with underclassman/transfer students. I led and served on several committees for our annual events such “Evening with Industry” and “Kids’ Science and Engineering Day” (for more information about these events, please visit https://swe.wsu.edu/). 

As a young professional and recent graduate, I am new to the PNW SWE chapter. So far, I’ve attended a virtual happy hour where I was able to meet some amazing people and I attended WE’21 virtually. Since then, I have been inspired to get more involved in this chapter.

Candidate Statement

SWE is such an amazing international organization and I align with similar core values that this organization holds. Having had such positive experience in my undergraduate studies, it led me to seek involvement post-graduation. It has been challenging to start my career in a virtual environment and I know other may feel that same. I am ready to get involved and continuing to empower and uplift others. 

I am a positive and driven individual is who is always equipped with a good meme, recipe, or book! I believe my skills and mindset make a good fit for this organization and chapter. I am interested in the Secretary position because I want to help this chapter continue to build a solid foundation to carry out the mission and vision of SWE as well as brainstorm new ways to recruit members and do more outreach with our communities.

I am also involved in multiple organizations within the water industry such as American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the local Water Environment Federation (WEF) chapter – Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association (PNCWA). I believe these organizations have the potential to be beneficial partners with SWE and vice versa. I was involved in many non-profit organizations throughout my studies that allowed me to learn and grow appreciation for various perspectives and experiences, which fed my passion for volunteering. I am looking forward to promoting the vision and goals of SWE using these experiences and connections through a position or membership within the chapter.

Treasurer-Elect Candidates

Lisa Wipplinger

Biography

Dr. Lisa Wipplinger, SE, LEED AP BD+C is an experienced creative engineer, educator, consultant, and leader with expertise in integrated design, mindful building, deep sustainability, and education. Her professional experience includes faculty positions at the United States Military Academy at West Point and Kansas State University, along with structural engineering consulting and design. She specializes in connecting the technical and non-technical and building profound resonance through inquiry and discovery. She is the founder and president of Savvy Structures Inc, executive director of the nonprofit Water Harmony Network and is currently a structural engineering project manager at Seattle Structural PS Inc.

Candidate Statement

I have recently returned to Seattle and am looking for ways to re-engage with the professional community here. I have a long history of supporting diversity and inclusiveness and promoting STEAM among women and girls. I have served has committee chair for Women’s History Month observance, faculty advisor for SWE at the US Military Academy at West Point and Kansas State University, Girl Scout Engineering Day volunteer, and Expanding Your Horizons panel expert. Encouraging, celebrating, supporting, and mentoring women in technical fields is one of my passions and I would be pleased to serve as PNW SWE Treasurer-elect in order to become more involved. Though I have held other leadership positions that included financial and budget management, I have not previously served as a Treasurer. I look forward to expanding my experience while supporting and learning from the Treasurer if elected to this position.

Call for FY23 Nominations

Hello SWE PNW!

We hope that this note finds you well! As we are preparing for a great FY23, we are opening the nomination period for the SWE PNW elected officer positions.

This year the elected officer positions for the executive council are:

• President-Elect (two-year term, becomes FY24 President)
• Secretary (one-year term)
• Treasurer-Elect (two-year term, becomes FY24 Treasurer)

Please note that the President and Treasurer positions are already filled for FY23 as they were voted President-Elect and Treasurer-Elect for FY22. Each executive council position will have at least the following responsibility: All elected officers are expected to attend the monthly executive council meetings.

The following positions will be appointed by the FY23 executive council once the elections are complete:

• Vice President of Outreach
• Vice President of Professional Development
• Vice President of Social & Networking

Additional details of each elected and appointed position are included in the second half of this post.

Your nomination, for either elected or appointed position(s), needs to only consist of your name and position(s) of interest at this time. Please limit nominations to up to 3 position(s) and provide order of interest by email to swe.pnw.nomination@gmail.com by Wednesday, June 1, 2022.

If you have any questions about making a nomination for any of these positions, feel free to reach out to the Nomination Committee. We are more than willing to help answer your questions!

Thank you,

SWE PNW Nomination Committee

Stephanie Tu, Upekesha Ngugi
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

President (Filled for FY23)

The role of section president is to be filled by the president-elect from the prior fiscal year’s elections.  If the president-elect is unable to fulfill the duties or was not elected by section membership, the role of the president must appear on the ballot. The president’s duties are to include but are not limited to:

• Represent the section before the public and preside at meetings of the section and its executive council;
• Appoint the chairs of all committees, with the approval of the executive council, except chair of nominating committee;
• Approve the appointment of all committee members, except the members of the nominating committee;
• Authorize the disbursement of section funds within the budget approved by the executive council;
• Be an authorized signatory on all section accounts;
• Coordinate activities and execute the business and policies of the section between meetings;
• Review and approve the year-end section financial report;
• Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned; and
• Perform other duties normally associated with the office of president or as may be assigned by the executive council or the governance documents.

President-Elect

The role of president-elect is meant to spend the year learning what the president’s role entails such that the seat-holder can easily transition to President in the next fiscal year. The candidate must be willing to dedicate time throughout the two (2) years as a President-elect and President to lead the officers, and to work with SWE headquarters. The president-elect's duties are to include but are not limited to:

• Assume the duties of the president in case of temporary absence or temporary inability to serve;
• Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned;
• Authorize the disbursement of section funds within the budget approved by the executive council; and
• Perform other duties incident to the office of president-elect, whether assigned by the president, the executive council, or the governance documents.

Secretary

The position of secretary is elected to a 1 (one) year term.  The secretary’s duties will include but are not limited to:

• Maintain records of the section, record meeting minutes at all EC meetings, maintain and update bylaws as needed;

• Serve as the section data officer and send out email communications to membership;

• Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned;

• Support the virtual brand committee by maintaining connection between the virtual brand committee and the executive council; and

• Perform other duties normally associated with the office of secretary or as may be assigned by the president, the executive council, or the governance documents.

Treasurer (Filled for FY23)

The role of treasurer is to be filled by the treasurer-elect from the prior fiscal year’s elections.  If the treasurer-elect is unable to fulfill the duties or was not elected by section membership, the role of the treasurer must appear on the ballot. The treasurer’s duties will include but are not limited to:

• Be responsible for the collection, distribution, and safekeeping of section funds;
• Be an authorized signatory on all section accounts;
• Prepare, maintain, and report as directed on the financial position of the section in relation to the approved budget;
• Submit a financial report to the Society in accordance with established procedures;
• Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned; and
• Perform other duties normally associated with the office of treasurer or as may be assigned by the president, the executive council, or the governance documents.

Treasurer-Elect

This role is meant to spend the year learning what the Treasurer’s role entails such that the seat-holder can easily transition to Treasurer in the next fiscal year. The candidate must be willing to dedicate time throughout the two (2) years as a treasurer-elect and treasurer to lead the officers, and to work with SWE headquarters. The treasurer-elect’s duties will include but are not limited to:

• Assume the duties of treasurer in case of temporary absence or temporary inability to serve;

• Be an authorized signatory on all section accounts;

• Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned; and

• Perform other duties incident to the office of treasurer-elect, whether assigned by the president, the treasurer, or the governance documents.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vice President of Outreach

The position of VP of Outreach is appointed to a 1 (one) year term.  The duties of this position will include but are not limited to:

• This officer manages and oversees the section’s outreach activities;
• Oversee the deployment of SWE PNW Student K-12 Outreach Programs such as:
• Explore Engineering Workshops
• Kids in Science and Engineering (KISE)
• Expanding your Horizons (EYH)
• Community outreach booths (e.g., PSEC Engineering Fair booth)
• Schedule and plan events, engage volunteers, and manage the outreach portions of the section budget;
• Oversee the section Outreach Committee; and
• The intent of this role is to serve as liaison with student outreach programs, especially K-12.  As the size and volunteer interest in the section allows, mentorship programs with collegiate students may be coordinated through other section volunteers, such as a mentoring program coordinator.

Vice President of Professional Development

The position of VP of Professional Development is appointed to a 1 (one) year term.  The duties of this position will include but are not limited to:

• This officer will be responsible for the section’s professional development; 
• Develop events including but not limited to technical talks, technical tours, skills development/workshops, and Executive leadership talks;
• Schedule and plan events, engage volunteers, and manage the professional development portions of the section budget; and
• Oversee the Professional Development Committee. 

Vice President of Social & Networking

The position of VP of Social & Networking is appointed to a 1 (one) year term.  The duties of this position will include but are not limited to:

• This officer will be responsible for the section’s social and networking activities; 
• Develop events including but not limited to coffee chats, happy hours, trivia/game nights, and event meetups (sports, hiking, etc);
• Schedule and plan events, engage volunteers, and manage the social and networking portions of the section budget; and
• Oversee the Social & Networking Committee. 

FY22 SWE PNW Certificate of Merit Recipients

  Contributor: Grace Amundsen Barnkow

The Certificate of Merit (COM) program was established to honor high school women having high achievement in science and mathematics and to encourage them to consider engineering as a career.  To receive a certificate, the student does not have to be planning on going into engineering, but should be someone whom you would like to encourage considering engineering as one of their career options.

 

Congratulations to the following 2022 recipients!

SENIORS

 

Daniela Sekhar	Emi Nakata	Elizabeth Bollich
Kaytlin Vanderhorst	Samantha Corcoran	Alexis Yates
Ashlynn LeClercq	Mia Winstead	Zoe Eisenbrey
Heather Seldomridge	Anna Stolp

 

JUNIORS

 

Ella Jung	Avery Rochon	Heidi Anderson
Melissa Fifer	Edith Contreras Moreno	Evelyn Schmidt
Courtney Johnson

 

Good luck to our Senior Certificate of Merit recipients as they begin their college careers this fall!

 

FY21 SWE PNW Certificate of Merit Scholarship Recipients

 Contributor: Elaine Reeves

 

It is with great pleasure that we introduce our recipients of the Society of Women Engineers Pacific Northwest Section’s 2021 Certification of Merit Freshman Scholarship.

 

This Freshman Scholarship is associated with the SWE PNW Certificate of Merit (COM) program established to honor graduating high school women having high achievement in science and mathematics, who have been accepted for enrollment in an ABET accredited engineering school, and who provided a compelling written statement explaining why she would like to be an engineer and why she wants and/or needs this scholarship.

 

Congratulations to the following 2021 recipients!

 

Society of Women Engineers Pacific Northwest Section’s 2021 Certification of Merit

Freshman Scholarship in the amount of $1000

Halima Taddei from Shorewood HS attending University of Washington

 

Society of Women Engineers Pacific Northwest Section’s 2021 Certification of Merit

Freshman Scholarship in the amount of $750

Abigail Burnett from Bellingham HS attending University of Washington

Catalina Kashiwa from Shorewood HS attending University of Washington

 

Society of Women Engineers Pacific Northwest Section’s 2021 Certification of Merit

Freshman Scholarship in the amount of $500

Abigail Emert from Seattle Preparatory School going to California Polytechnic State University

Julia Heywood from Bellingham HS going to Gonzaga University

Paola Medina from Shorewood High School going to Seattle University

Vivian Corcoro from Shorecrest High School going to University of Washington

 

Thank you to our FY21 judges for reviewing all the applications. The scholarship program would not be successful without volunteers like you.