WE Local Bellevue in Review, Part 1

Guest Contributor: Shari Wang

WE Local Bellevue, April 5 – 6, 2019

Although I’ve attended annual conferences and regional conferences, WE Local Bellevue was my first conference since the format change to local conferences.

On the Sunday prior to WE Local, SWE PNW held a small session at Hot Cakes in Capitol Hill to provide some general guidance on the conference.  Dana Day, the WE Local Bellevue Chair, led the event and answered questions about navigating the conference, tips for preparation, etc.  The biggest difference between the local conferences and regional conferences was the level of standardization and the involvement of SWE Headquarters.  It was a casual event that helped me to prepare myself for volunteering and attending the conference.

I started my Friday morning by checking attendees (including myself) into the conference.  Beautifully prepared badges, lanyards, and pins awaited every attendee.

Source: Theresa Krack

The keynote speaker, Judy Twedt, started off the conference with a powerful perspective shift by demonstrating climate science through music.  She shared the musical interpretation of surface temperature rising and falling through the years as well as the sonification of the Arctic sea ice.  She posed a powerful question to start off the conference: How do you make the data speak to you and others? (For more information: https://www.judytwedt.com/)

Successful Transitions: Make the Most of Your Move (Anna Mary Mathew)

Anna Mary moved from Intel in Portland, OR to Microsoft in Redmond, WA.  She and her husband debated and discussed whether it was time to change, where to move to, and the logistics of making this transition before, during, and after.

• Conduct a career retrospection (goal, experiences, good/bad)
• Understand the landscape of your career field, future company
• Discuss your options with mentors for feedback and suggestions, including ones who have made a similar transition
• How do you pursue impact-driven positions and add value?

Creating Mid-Career Momentum: How to Accelerate Your Move into Senior Leadership (JeanAnn Nichols)

JeanAnn Nichols used to be Vice President and General Manager at Intel, before pursuing a career in exexcutive coaching.  Her session focused on tools and practical advice to assess your personal brand and compare that with expectations for senior leadership roles. (For more information: http://www.jeanannnichols.com/)

• Sketch out your career arc as a way to look at the bigger picture of your life and career
• Do you want to step back from higher-impact roles to travel, start a family, continue education, etc.?
• What type of impact do you want to make?
• What’s the value of the next promotion to you?  Cost and benefit?  Why? Desire?  Passion?

Source: www.jeanannnichols.com

• Personal brand: The way others perceive you
• Ask others: How am I known?  What do you come to me for?  (Adverbs & adjectives)
• Fill out the following table with tasks / characteristics and communicate to influencers

		ENJOY
		NO	YES
GOOD AT	NO / NOT YET
	YES

• To move into senior leadership, you need
• Vision: Articulate something unknown or fuzzy
• Advocate: Speak for something that’s not your expertise
• Systems thinking: Upstream, downstream, left, right
• Authenticity: Have an opinion and own it
• Executive presence: How do you show up?
• Emotional intelligence: How are my actions affecting your performance?
• Allies: Deeper relations
• Sponsor: Help your sisters, sponsor others from where you are
• Patient persistence (we know this all too well, ladies)

How to Thrive in a Competitive Environment (Priyanka Dobriyal, Jill Murfin)

Two women professionals speak to balancing and re-thinking life after children, redefining it as a collaborative rather than competitive environment.  Who knew a WE Local session could start in childcare?

• Find mutually beneficial relationships.  We are all working through the same issues and challenges.  Find friends at work, in childcare, etc.  Collaborate, don’t do it alone. 
• How do you re-see your interests to fit your current life?
• How to turn interests into benefit for the company? (ex. Love for volunteering with children + advertising maker kits for Intel)
• What does success really look like?  Happiness?

How to Build a Chatbot (Amara Graham)

Sprinkled among the professional development sessions were opportunities for me to learn something completely new.  Amara Graham, an IBM Developer Advocate, shared a great introductory and demo-filled session about using Watson Assistant to create chatbots.

High-level framework:

Source: Amara Graham

Guts of a chatbot

• #Intents: Goal of the user’s input (ex. order pizza)
• @Entities: Portion of user’s input that can provide a different response (ex. pizza toppings)
• Dialog: Return response to user’s input
• $Context: Keeps Watson aware of what has taken place in the conversation (ex. pizza size, pizza type)

How to be a Catalyst for Change in any Environment (Shawnlee Brown)

There are many types of change, some better than others.  There is ecstatic change, desired change, required change, and traumatic change.  Before asking others to “change,” we must evaluate our own perspectives and utilize innovative strategies to approach stressful and challenging situations.

• Say first what you fear most
• Next best action (don’t compound the mistake)
• Leave the baggage (active choice to leave the regret, guilt, etc.)
• “KonMari”: Learn from it, say thank you, and leave it
• Traumatic events can change your perspective, can being wrong also change it?
• When actuals deviate from the plan, don’t ask about how to get back on plan, ask what changed since the plan was created
• Leadership: Be the last to speak

A common theme throughout the entire conference, including this session, was asking for and offering help.  The people who become Navy Seals are not the ones who are the strongest or largest, they are the ones who ask for and help each other.  We are not alone.

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Shari Wang is a team member of the SWE PNW Virtual Brand Team. She is an Industrial Engineering Manager at Boeing, supporting Everett Site Operations through daily management, continuous improvement, and data analytics. Shari enjoys singing with the Seattle Women’s Chorus and volunteering for the Industrial Engineering University Relations Team at Boeing.

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.

FY19 Introductions: Virtual Brand Team (VBT)

Contributor: Theresa Krack, FY19 VBT Coordinator

A long time ago, in a corner of the Pacific Northwest, the SWE PNW Virtual Brand Team (VBT) was launched. It all started with a multiple year strategic plan to implement improvements to our Section's internal infrastructure and communication to our members. But that is a story for another day!

We've come a long way since then and accomplished a ton of great improvements to the Section's infrastructure and communication platforms - and we continue to evolve the vision and role of the VBT to provide support.

In FY19, we've further updated the VBT model to provide a higher focus on Section Operations, technical support, tool deployment, and documentation. The lead for the communication content generation has shifted back to the Secretary role and to the Officers, Chairs, and Leads that plan the events.

Our key focus items on the VBT for FY19 are:

• Tools: set up, maintenance, management of our section digital and communication tools
• Templates: to improve overall communication and lower level of effort for officers
• Infrastructure: electronic record keeping, doc templates, etc
• Branding: aligning templates and communications to society and section branding
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): backstage details for VBT and guides for Executive Council

These are broad areas that cover everything from social media to helping generate PPT and google docs templates, to providing tech support to officers/chairs/leads as they plan events. Even though we have deployed lots of new tools, platforms, and best practices over the last several years, it is always a work in progress and a challenge to stay current with the various tool set changes and integrations.

The great thing is that we have had a core team that has been supporting these tasks over the last several years. We split our team roles into the level of support that each member can provide:

• Core Team Member: provide continually support and task tracking, supports brainstorming, and are the first stop on the team for needed help
• Adjunct Team Member: provides help when and where they can, taking on a specific project or task set throughout the year
• Content Contributor: some one who is able to provide content to the blog or help lead a facilitated discussion on social media; these are typically one-off activities

So, without any further ado, I'd like to introduce you to our VBT members and thank them for their continued and new support!

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Theresa Krack, Virtual Brand Coordinator

Theresa Krack has led the SWE PNW Virtual Brand Team since its inception in 2013. Theresa is a Development Program Manager at Honeywell Aerospace, coming from an aircraft certification engineering background. Theresa is a proud Cheesehead, enjoys martial arts, and getting out on her bicycle to ride the trails.

Theresa has held leadership roles in both SWE-WI and SWE PNW, including Girl Scout Liaison, Section Rep, and SWE PNW FY19 President-elect. She joined the Leadership Coaching Committee in FY18 and is the FY19 LCC Strategic Planning SME.

Theresa earned her B.S. from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering & Mechanics from the University of Minnesota, and her Master of Engineering Management from UW-Madison.

Claire Robinson, Core Team Member

Claire Robinson joined the SWE PNW VBT in 2016.  She is currently working as the Honeywell on-site engineer for Boeing, supporting communication management on their commercial aircraft. Claire loves to travel, read, and hike whenever she is not working on homework for her online master’s degree.

Claire earned her B.S. from Harvey Mudd College in engineering.  She is working on her master’s degree in systems engineering through Georgia Institute of Technology.  She is a Chicago native, and has lived in Los Angeles, CA, Paris, France, and Phoenix, Arizona before making her way to Seattle.

Elaine Reeves, Core Team Member

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.

Elaine has held numerous leadership roles in both SWE MN and SWE PNW including: Professional Advisor to St Cloud State & University of St Thomas, SWE PNW Section Representative, College Relations Chair, FY18 President Elect, and Region J Secretary.

She earned her undergraduate degrees from the University of St Thomas in Electrical Engineering, Physics, & Music Performance with a minor in Applied Mathematics.

Shari Wang, Adjunct Member

Shari Wang is an adjunct member of the SWE PNW Virtual Brand Team. She is an Industrial Engineering Manager at Boeing, supporting Everett Site Operations through daily management, continuous improvement, and data analytics. Shari enjoys singing with the Seattle Women’s Chorus, skiing, hiking, and playing video games with her husband.

Shari co-founded the community volunteering team of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers Puget Sound chapter, supports the University Relations Team and Boeing Asian Professional Association at Boeing, and organizes the talent show for the Seattle Women’s Chorus.  She earned her B.S. Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences from Northwestern University, and her Master of Engineering Industrial and Systems Engineering from University of Washington.

Ashley White, Adjunct Member

Ashley White is an adjunct member of the SWE PNW Virtual Brand Team and was involved with SWE throughout college. She is a Systems Engineer at Honeywell Aerospace working in the communication and navigation area. In her free time, Ashley likes to travel, enjoys attending different conventions, and watching bad movies with her friends.

Ashley has held several leadership positions throughout her time with SWE. At Seattle University Ashley was the Treasurer and Section President. After graduation, she transitioned into the role of professional mentor for her collegiate section. Ashley earned her B.S. in Electrical Engineering with a Specialization in Computer Engineering from Seattle University.

Kat McCoy, Adjunct Member

Katharine McCoy is a Senior Systems Engineer with Honeywell Aerospace in Redmond, WA. Katharine holds a BSE in Computer Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Katharine has 15 years of experience testing software and hardware for a variety of aerospace applications including communication, navigation, radar and satellite systems. Her career and education have moved her all over the US over the years.

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.

WSU SWE Industry Mentor Program 2018/2019

Guest Contributor: Ayumi Manawadu

Hello SWE PNW,

My name is Ayumi Manawadu and I am a graduate student in structural engineering, at Washington State University. I am the new coordinator for the Industry Mentor Program, conducted by WSU Society of Women Engineers (SWE). Each year, students are paired with industry mentors, who provide one-to-one guidance to make students prepared for their professional careers ahead. We anticipate having many new mentees join the program this semester and looking forward to expand.  

I wanted to reach out about joining the mentor program. Would you be willing to take part in the WSU SWE Mentor program during the 2018/2019 school year? Your expertise and knowledge will benefit the current WSU engineering students, to build their careers. The mentors are expected to provide guidance in areas such as;

·         Resume Critique

·         Improving networking circle

·         Enhancing interviewing skills

·         Providing general career advice

·         Building business etiquette skills

The mentor program is aimed to be primarily an email or phone relationship (not a huge time commitment), however meeting during breaks is always encouraged.

Attached is the mentor information sheet for the SWE mentor program 2018/2019. It has more details regarding the expectations and time commitment for the program. If you decide to be a part of this enriching program, please fill out the information sheet and email me back at wsu.swementor@gmail.com at your earliest convenience.

We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Ayumi Manawadu

Mentor Coordinator | Society of Women Engineers

Graduate Student| Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Washington State University

wsu.swementor@gmail.com

Industry Mentor Coordinator: Ayumi Manawadu

I joined WSU to pursue doctoral studies in Structural Engineering, soon after my bachelor's degree form Sri Lanka and this is my first year serving as a SWE officer. However, for years, I have volunteered as a President's Guide Awardee, an AIESECer, a Rotaractor and a youth leader, mentoring and empowering underprivileged communities. I joined SWE last semester, after volunteering for the Kids Science and Engineering Day (KSED-2018). I love basketball and played for my country, sometime ago. Currently, I am also a member of the Toastmasters Club. 

President: Rachel Johnson

This is my third year serving as a SWE officer and I am passionate about promoting diversity within STEM. I am from Santa Clara, CA and I'm majoring in mechanical engineering. I enjoy paddle boarding, hiking and baking during my free time.






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This guest article is part of SWE PNW's Collegiate Section Spotlight series, where we ask the local collegiate sections to showcase their section so we can share information up at the professional section level.