FY18 SWE PNW Certificate of Merit Scholarship Recipients

Contributor: Elaine Reeves

We are thrilled to announce the winners of our FY18 SWE PNW Certificate of Merit (COM) Scholarship Program!

Our FY18 SWE PNW COM Scholarship Recipients are:

• Aditi Kumar
• Karen Benson
• Anna Soper
• Diane Haass

The COM Award 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 should be someone whom you would like to encourage considering engineering as one of their career options.

To be eligible for a COM Scholarship, applicants must meet the following qualifications:

1. Be a woman of Senior standing who will graduate from high school by June of the application year.
2. Be a woman who has been accepted for enrollment in an ABET accredited engineering college or university.
3. Be a Certificate of Merit (COM) Award recipient.

Thank you to all the students that applied and good luck to our recipients as they begin their college careers!

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Elaine Reeves has over nine years of experience in EMC and Environmental Hardware Compliance in both commercial and medical equipment. She graduated with a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington, Seattle in 2017. She is an active in SWE PNW as is the current FY19 President.

FY18 SWE PNW Collegiate Scholarship Recipients

Contributor: Elaine Reeves

SWE PNW has the privilege of being able to offer several scholarship opportunities to students to support our SWE mission & vision:

Our Mission: Empower women to achieve full potential in careers as engineers and leaders, expand the image of the engineering and technology professions as a positive force in improving the quality of life, and demonstrate the value of diversity and inclusion.

Our Vision: A world with gender parity and equality in engineering and technology.

SWE PNW college scholarships are targeted for both high school seniors that will be pursuing engineering as well as college freshman to juniors that are in an engineering program. We are therefore thrilled to announce the winners of our FY18 SWE PNW Collegiate Scholarship Program!

Lydia Pickup Memorial Scholarship

Lydia Pickup, a member of the Pacific Northwest Section of SWE, devoted her career to engineering and science and her life and energies to the benefit of SWE. Lydia served as chief petty officer in the Waves during World War II. She attended the University of Kentucky and worked as an engineer at Boeing. In addition to being an avid SWE member and supporter, Lydia was very active in the American Legion. The recipient must have achieved at least a college level junior standing. The Lydia Pickup Memorial Scholarship is a minimum of $1000.

FY18 Recipient: Alexis Brandon who is a Petroleum Engineering student at Montana Tech of the University of Montana.

Mary Ellen Russell Memorial Scholarship

Mary Ellen Russell, a charter member of the PNW section of SWE, devoted her career to engineering and science. She dedicated her life and energy to activities to the benefit of SWE, to geology, to outdoor activities and to the leadership of many young women and men who cherished their time with her. Mary Ellen earned degrees in Mathematics and Geology at the University of Washington. The recipient must have achieved at least a college level junior standing. The Mary Ellen Russell Memorial Scholarship is a minimum of $1000.

FY18 Recipient: Alissa Capuano who is a Civil Engineering student at Seattle University 

Shirley Holmgreen Memorial Scholarship

Shirley Holmgreen was a winner of Zonta International’s Amelia Earhart scholarship. She was a graduate of the University of Texas in Aero Engineering and completed post-graduate studies in Belgium. Professionally, Shirley was an expert in wind tunnels and worked as an engineer at Boeing. The recipient must have achieved at least a college level sophomore standing. The Shirley Holmgreen Memorial Scholarship is a minimum of $500.

FY18 Recipients:

Leticia Ndagang who is a Mechanical Engineering student at Seattle University.

Krista Brown who is a Biological Engineering student at the Montana State University in Bozeman.

Congratulations to our scholarship winners!

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Elaine Reeves has over nine years of experience in EMC and Environmental Hardware Compliance in both commercial and medical equipment. She graduated with a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington, Seattle in 2017. She is an active in SWE PNW as is the current FY19 President.

Region J Senator Write-in Candidate Campaign

As a part of the transition to the new SWE Governance structure, Region J will be voting on the first 3-year term Senator. With the nomination and petition period for Region Senators now closed, this means that Region J does not have any slated/petitioned candidates for our ballot.

After dialog between Society and Region leaders, Region J is going forward with a Write-In Candidates Only via Society Ballot option.

This will allow the Society ballot to determine the outcome of the Region J Senator elections, but write-in candidates will be the only option. The member with the most votes who meets the qualifications for the position per the bylaws and consents to take the position would be the new Senator.

On behalf of the Region J leaders, I am happy to present our write-in candidate, Linda Thomas. I have personally known Linda for many years - and I think she is a great candidate for the first 3-year term Senator. I encourage you to read her candidate statement below and write her in on the society ballot that will be coming to you within in the next couple of weeks.

If you have any questions on the write-in campaign, the Senate, or the SWE governance chances, please email me at swe.pnw.section.reps@gmail.com.

Kind Regards,
Theresa Krack
FY18 Section Representative

Linda Thomas, F. SWE, Write in Candidate

I am asking my fellow SWE Region J members consider me as a write in for a Senator candidate for the next three years.  I am willing to represent you as Senator.  What I bring to the position was representing you as a past president in SWE PNW, a lieutenant governor, governor, Director of Regions, and also as a Member at Large representative.  My accomplishments in these positions resulted in my recognition as SWE Fellow and Woman Engineer You Should Know.

My passion is providing SWE members a voice in deciding the direction of the Society. It is our organization, and incumbent we understand the society’s strategy and direction , communicate this to the membership, so we can effectively participate in the society, and continue its mission and vision.

SWE is about to enter a new governance model in July 2018. At the same time, we want SWE to continue serving as an organization crucial to the development females in STEM, from grade school to seasoned engineers of all types. We need to understand and communicate how this change will enable us to participate in SWE fully as members and stakeholders.  Also, we need to understand the Society’s strategic plans so we can help shape its direction.

My experiences in SWE Leadership from the ground up gave me perspective on how to ensure we all have a voice in SWE governance.  And I want to continue ensuring we all have a voice in SWE governance.  I want to be that voice to help communicate the Society’s strategies. When you receive that ballot in April, please consider writing me in as a candidate. Please contact me at lindamsthomas@gmail.com for any questions.

Thank you for your support! And thank you for supporting SWE!
Linda Thomas

SWE Election Timeline

On March 30, 2018, the mailed letter will go to any members that do not have an email in their membership record.

On April 1, 2018, an election email will go out to all members with an email in their membership records.

On April 27, 2018, a reminder email is sent to all members with an email in their records.

Both communication types (email and mailed letter) indicate that voting can be done either online or a paper ballot can be requested.

All online voting must be completed by May 1, 2018.

All paper ballots must be returned to the contracted teller by May 4, 2018.

Senate & Governance Links

• Get a recap of the Senate's year so far: http://senate.swe.org/
• Learn more about the SWE Senate: http://senate.swe.org/about-the-senate.html
• Review the Senate's FY18 Amendments and Motions: http://senate.swe.org/amendments-and-motions.html
• Catch up on the latest SWE governance changes: http://societyofwomenengineers.swe.org/swe-governance-update

Purchase SWE PNW Gear

SWE PNW Gear!

We are now offering two clothing options, a black jacket and grey cardigan, both pictured below, for you to represent and promote SWE PNW! Below you will find information on option selections, survey link, cost information, and sizing options. Please pay the deposit by April 16 to ensure delivery by May 6^th, our annual SWE PNW banquet.

Instructions:

1. Review items, sizing options below.
2. Go to the Google Forms Survey to select which item you want
3. Either send the $30 deposit to pnw@swe.org via paypal, or visit paypal.me/swepnw/30
4. Dana will send invoices if you have not paid your deposit by the following Friday.
5. All surveys need to be completed by April 15^th, and deposit paid by April 16^th.

Option A) Shown on left. Black Jacket with white embroidery.

Made for movement, this sophisticated stretch twill fleece jacket has a smooth face and brushed fleece backing. Tonal welding details at the pockets and streamlined tailoring give it a refined look for indoor and outdoor uses. Beautifully shaped, feminine collar. Reverse coil zippers. Front zippered pockets. Contrast Eddie Bauer logo heat transfer on the right hem. Made of 13.8-ounce, 94/6 poly/spandex fleece with an anti-pill finish

Care Instructions: Machine wash cold. Do not bleach. Tumble dry low. Remove promptly. Cool iron if needed. Do not use softeners

Ladies Sizes: XS-4XL

Final cost approximately $65

SIZE CHART

	XS	S	M	L	XL	2XL	3XL	4XL
Size	2	4/6	8/10	12/14	16/18	20/22	24/26	28/30
Bust	32-33	34-35	36-37	38-40	41-43	44-46	47-49	50-52

Option B) Shown on right, Grey cardigan sweater with white embroidery.

Modern, two-toned cardigan. 60/40 ring spun combed cotton/acrylic. Patch pockets. Rib knit cuffs and hem.

Care Instructions: Machine wash cold. Lay flat to dry. Cool iron if necessary.

Ladies Sizes: XS-4XL

Final cost approximately $45

SIZE CHART

	XS	S	M	L	XL	XXL	3XL	4XL
Size	0/2	4/6	8/10	12/14	16/18	20/22	22/24	24/26
Bust	32-34	35-36	37-38	39-41	42-44	45-47	48-50	51-53

Option A (Jacket) on left, Option B (Cardigan) on right

Please fill out the survey and pay the non-refundable deposit by April 16. Final payment will be due upon receiving item. 

FY18 Section Election: Ballot & Voting Period Announcement

Greetings SWE PNW!

The FY18 nomination committee is very excited to go live with the election survey for the SWE PNW officer election for the FY18 fiscal year. We have many highly qualified and talented candidates running this year! The final ballot is as listed below:

• President (elect 1):
  • Grace Lefebure
• President-Elect (elect 1):
  • Ann Mary Myers
  • Elaine Reeves
• Treasurer (elect 1):
  • Ann Mary Myers
  • Sherrie Rippe
• Secretary (elect 1):
  • Erin Kiselica
  • Marina Dannecker
• Vice President of Professional Development (elect 1):
  • Marina Dannecker
  • Sonia Hingorany
• Vice President of Career Guidance/Outreach (elect 1):
  • Dana Day
  • Lynette Lopez
  • Sarah McDowell
• Section Representative (elect 1):
  • Theresa Krack
  • Wendy Jenkins

Voting is now live, and is open to all SWE PNW members. Please help us elect our section's next officers by voting! You can access the election survey at this link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GKKS3XM

Short biographies for the candidates are available on the SWE PNW section blog, Rainy Day Reads. Please take a look at the information about the candidates and all FY18 section election related blog posts here. And follow along with the latest information on our FY18 Section Election Central webpage here.

The voting period is open as of Thursday, June 8, 2017 and it will close on Friday, June 30, 2017.

If you have any questions, please contact us at swe.pnw.nomination@gmail.com.

Respectfully submitted,
Cary, Kimber, Maria, and Tamaira
SWE PNW FY18 Nomination Committee

FY18 Candidate Bios: Section Representative

The FY18 nominating committee is very excited to present the following candidate bios for the elected positions listed below:

• Section Representative (elect 1):
• Theresa Krack
• Wendy Jenkins

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Theresa Krack

Theresa is excited to be running for the position of FY18 Section Representative!

She has been an active member and leader in SWE PNW since 2013 and has been a professional member for over 10 years. As one of SWE PNW’s Section Reps for the last two years, Theresa have actively represented the section in SWE business meetings and governance change discussions at both Society and Region/WELocal conferences.

One of her accomplishments with SWE PNW has been leading the strategic effort to integrate and upgrade the section’s virtual footprint and communication platform. This has been an ongoing, multi-year project that Theresa has combined with her role as Section Rep to improve the member-to-member engagement and communication of key SWE information.

Theresa completed a dual degree program, earning a B.S. (major: physics, minor: math) from the University of Wisconsin (UW) – Eau Claire and a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics from the UofM – Twin Cities. She completed her Master of Engineering in Management online through the UW – Madison while working full time as an engineer (and moving from Wisconsin to Washington). Theresa has worked in the aerospace industry on aircraft certification projects for approximately ten years and currently works at Honeywell Aerospace in Redmond, WA.

Going into the last year of Section Reps, Theresa believes this is a critical role for the section to have an experienced voice representing the section in the region, society, and governance discussions. She hopes to continue to be that representative voice for the section.

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Wendy Jenkins

Wendy Jenkins joined SWE in FY04 and quickly took on leadership roles.  Since moving to Seattle in 2009 she has held many section positions including Section Representative, Treasurer, and President.  She has also served at the region level as Senator and most recently Region Governor.  

Having spent the last few years in region level positions, Wendy is excited to once again get involved in the local section.  She hopes that her knowledge and experience will prove beneficial in helping the section reach its FY18 goals.  

Outside of SWE, Wendy enjoys hanging out with friends, playing softball, and traveling.  She recently left Boeing and now spends most of her time working towards starting her own home inspection business.

FY18 Candidate Bios: Vice President of Outreach

The FY18 nominating committee is very excited to present the following candidate bios for the elected positions listed below:

• Vice President of Career Guidance/Outreach (elect 1):
• Dana Day
• Lynette Lopez
• Sarah McDowell

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Dana Day

Dana is a long-time advocate for STEM outreach for girls. Having served as the FY12 SWE-PNW President, she is familiar with the potential strength and passion this section has to give back to our communities by sharing our love stories about engineering. As FY11 President-Elect, she sought out a task force to bring back PNW's partnership with the local girl scout groups. Dana looks forward to growing that partnership as the FY18 VP of Career Guidance.

Dana has been a SWE member since 2004, a SWE Distinguished New Engineer award recipient in 2015, and has held a several positions throughout SWE. Most notably, she was the FY15 Society Outreach Chair. Dana worked with the SWE Outreach director and her team to launch the Outreach Metric Tool and the popular SWENext program during her term. She also focused on building better connections and relationships with the sections and outreach advocates across the Society. For 5 years, she was on the core planning team for the Invent It. Build It. event that is held on the last day of the annual conference. She has continued to be a key figure in executing large-scale STEM Outreach events, including at the 2016 Joint Regions' ABJ Conference and the SWENext DesignLab event at WE Local San Jose.

Dana wants to continue to build on the SWE-PNW outreach foundation by building stronger partnerships with local STEM organizations, expanding our outreach portfolio, and enabling our members with the right training to become confident and effective outreach leaders.

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Lynette Lopez

Lynette Lopez is a manufacturing engineer at Boeing working on production of the 777 fuselage. She has Bachelors and Masters degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Northern Arizona University, and is currently working on an MBA from Pepperdine University. 

She began her SWE membership as the president of her university’s SWE chapter in 2005. For the past 3 years, she has led the Expanding Your Horizons events for SWE PNW, an event which focuses on introducing middle and high school girls to careers in STEM.

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Sarah McDowell

Sarah McDowell has been a member of SWE since 2013 as a mechanical engineering student at Washington University in St. Louis.  As a collegiate member, she planned and organized the Girl Scout Day event, which included various engineering-based activities for the girls ages 8-14.

She has always been passionate about encouraging young girls to learn more about STEM fields and gain the confidence and interest to pursue them throughout their education.  She also volunteered for Girls for Science, a Chicago-based organization that supplements the public schools' science curriculum by teaching middle school girls about various STEM subjects on intensive Saturday learning sessions.  Sarah has continued being an active SWE member since graduation and joined the PNW Chapter when she moved to Seattle in October 2016.

FY18 Candidate Bios: Vice President of Professional Development

The FY18 nominating committee is very excited to present the following candidate bios for the elected positions listed below:

• Vice President of Professional Development (elect 1): 
• Marina Dannecker
• Sonia Hingorany

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Marina Dannecker

Marina became a SWE member while she was an engineering student at UCLA. As a sophomore, she joined several committees for UCLA's collegiate SWE section. During her junior year, she was on the executive board as Evening With Industry External Chair. As a senior, Marina served as President of the UCLA section. In this role she lead a board of 16 people to organize outreach, professional development, advocacy, and mentorship events.

After graduating college, Marina moved to Seattle and joined SWE-PNW. This past year she has been a member of the Professional Development Committee and helped to plan events like technical tours. She is excited to continue being involved in SWE-PNW by organizing more events that help empower women to succeed in STEM fields.

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Sonia Hingorany 

Sonia Hingorany currently serves on the SWE PNW Executive Committee as one of the Section Reps focused on Membership Engagement. This year, she has organized several social events including happy hours (and head shots!) and a tour of one of Amazon's Prime Now Fulfillment Centers. Sonia looks forward to continuing her involvement with SWE and leading the professional development mission this coming year.

Sonia moved to Seattle almost two years ago for her full-time job. She currently works at Amazon in the North America Transportation and Logistics organization. Sonia earned her MBA from Carnegie Mellon University where she focused on concentrations in Information Systems and Operations Management. Before earning her MBA at CMU, Sonia previously worked at Accenture for five years in a technology consulting capacity. She earned her BS in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Cognitive Science from UCLA where she initially got involved with SWE. Sonia held a position on the SWE board for three years. She played several key roles in SWE at UCLA as the Internal VP, responsible for handling funding for the organization, as well as the Evening With Industry chair. 

Sonia likes to play soccer and tennis and enjoy the outdoors including running, hiking, and skiing. She loves to travel; Sonia has been to more than 30 countries and visited 40 states in the US. 

FY18 Candidate Bios: Secretary

The FY18 nominating committee is very excited to present the following candidate bios for the elected positions listed below:

• Secretary (elect 1):
• Erin Kiselica
• Marina Dannecker

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Erin Kiselica

Erin Kiselica is originally from Syracuse, NY, and graduated with her Bachelors in Computer Science from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in 2012.  She moved to Seattle in early 2016, and is currently a Software Engineer at Amazon in the International Expansion organization.  As part of her role, Erin builds and supports software for India-first initiatives focused on improving seller experience.  In her spare time, she enjoys exploring Seattle, reading as many books as possible, and learning to play new board games.

SWE has been an important part of Erin's life since her freshman year of college in 2007.  As a collegiate, she held various leadership roles including Webmaster and Outreach Coordinator, organizing RIT SWE's award-winning overnight outreach program 2 years in a row.  As a professional, Erin continues to be involved in SWE through outreach, as a society scholarship judge, and served as Section Representative for SWE Philadelphia in FY16.  She hopes to continue to grow her involvement with SWE PNW this year!

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Marina Dannecker

Marina became a SWE member while she was an engineering student at UCLA. As a sophomore, she joined several committees for UCLA's collegiate SWE section. During her junior year, she was on the executive board as Evening With Industry External Chair. As a senior, Marina served as President of the UCLA section. In this role she lead a board of 16 people to organize outreach, professional development, advocacy, and mentorship events.

After graduating college, Marina moved to Seattle and joined SWE-PNW. This past year she has been a member of the Professional Development Committee and helped to plan events like technical tours. She is excited to continue being involved in SWE-PNW by organizing more events that help empower women to succeed in STEM fields. 

FY18 Candidate Bios: Treasurer

The FY18 nominating committee is very excited to present the following candidate bios for the elected positions listed below:

• Treasurer (elect 1):
• Ann Mary Myers
• Sherrie Rippe

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Ann Mary Myers

As a participant of PACCAR Emerging Leadership Roundtable in Spring 2016, I had to go through a program to find my personal strengths were and it was determined that my top five qualities were:

1. Activator – Outstanding in bringing thoughts into action
2. Ideation - To find connections between seemingly disparate things
3. Analytical – Search for reasons and causes to factor in everything that affects a situation
4. Futuristic – Inspired by what the future could be and inspiring others with this vision
5. Significance – To stand out and get recognized

I am passionate about advocating for changes in workplace to create an inclusive environment that addresses the needs of women in a way that increases productivity. In the past, I have been an active member of Society of Automotive Engineers and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. I have served as the Vice Chairman and Treasurer for the local IEEE chapter during my undergraduate days and have been a mentor to college students at Seattle University in the recent past. This is my first year with the Society of Women Engineers and I look forward to being a leader with SWE.

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Sherrie Rippe

Sherrie Rippe is a Tooling Stress Engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Everett, WA. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, she earned her Masters and Bachelor in Civil Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. Her passion is helping others grow in their professional and personal lives, she serves as a Board member for the North Seattle College Education Fund and is a Professional Career and Life Coach. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, spending time with her husband, and playing with her two dogs and cats.

I am currently running for Treasurer of our section for FY18.  I have learned a lot about Non-Profit accounting in my time as a board member for North Seattle College Education Fund, and I would love to continue to increase my knowledge and aid in the fiscal health of our section. I have experience developing and revising policies and procedures, and would enjoy working with the executive board to ensure all of our procedures and policies are up to date. As a professional member, I have served as SWE-PNW Membership Chair FY09 thru FY11, as SWE-PNW Secretary FY12, and SWE-PNW Section Representative FY15. I am eager to apply my knowledge of how SWE operates to the role of treasurer.