A new year is upon us fresh with new opportunities. After a wonderful holiday season, remember those whose day-to-day existence leaves little to celebrate. To that end here is another chance to join with others from around the world who have taken time to help those in need. Click on the link to find out how you can lend a hand.
One great feature about E4C is that those who help get almost as much out of their participation as the people receiving the assistance. Volunteers universally tell us that their sense of accomplishment and giving is enhanced by actively doing good for others, even though they will never meet those people.
If you are not sure this is something you can do, check out our webpage and ask someone already working on a challenge. Ask your section members and classmates if they are involved. Consider using an E4C challenge as a class or section project. Whatever your motivation, get started now. We can make this New Year a better year for many, and next holiday season we can all celebrate!
Lester McNair
lester.mcnair@swe.org
The Society of Women Engineers strives to advance and honor the contributions of women at all stages of their careers as well as recognize the successes of SWE members and individuals who enhance the engineering profession through contributions to industry, education and the community.
The SWE Individual Awards Program offers 14 different awards:
- Achievement Award
- Suzanne Jenniches Upward Mobility
- Resnik Challenger Medal
- Rodney D. Chipp
- Distinguished Engineering Educator
- SWE Distinguished New Engineer
- Fellow Grade
- Distinguished Service
- Entrepreneur
- Work Life Integration
- Emerging Leaders
- Collegiate Member
- Collegiate Outstanding Faculty Advisor
- Collegiate Outstanding SWE Counselor
Award requirements and instructions can be found within the Individual Awards Packet. You can also download the packet from the SWE website at www.swe.org, just click on ‘Awards’ then ‘Individual Awards’. To access the nomination form click here.
The nomination deadline for all Individual Awards is March 31, 2013. Awards will be presented at the WE13 Annual Conference in Baltimore, MD, October 24-26, 2013.
To assist you with your 2013 award nominations we will conduct three training sessions. These sessions will familiarize you with the nomination process and bring you up to date with some changes. They will be held as webinars on:
- Tuesday Jan 22 at 12 pm CST
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/936341994
- Wednesday January 30 at 6 pm CST:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/810647962
- Thursday February 7 at 12 pm CST
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/381175746
For information or specific questions on SWE Individual & Collegiate Member and Advisor Awards, please contact Kalyani Mallela, Awards Chair, at awards-chair@swe.org.
Looking for leadership opportunities in SWE? We are currently accepting applications for a Collegiate Leadership Forum coordinator-elect and WE14 graduate programming coordinator-elect. The application process allows all SWE members the opportunity to express an interest in these types of leadership roles within the Society, and it allows us the opportunity to better match our members' strengths and interests to the needs of the Society.
Call for SWE Collegiate Leadership Forum (CLF) Coordinator-Elect Applications!
Applications are being accepted for the position of CLF Coordinator-Elect, who will coordinate and run CLF in FY15 (July/August 2014) but initially participate in organizing CLF with the current CLF Coordinator in FY14 (July/August 2013). CLF is an annual event each summer used to train elected collegiate leaders. Applications are due January 20, 2013 to clf-coordinator@swe.org. More information can be found HERE and in the Governance Documents.
Application for WE14 Graduate Programming Coordinator
We are currently seeking applicants for the WE14 Graduate Programming Coordinator (GPC) position. The GPC works with a dedicated team of graduate students and professional SWE members to create a diverse track of sessions at the SWE annual conference for current graduate students, and for those who are considering going to graduate school. The GPC position is a two-year term filled by a SWE graduate student or recent graduate (one year as coordinator-elect and one year as coordinator). GPC Elect and GPC do not have to be current graduate students, but must be less than three years out from completing their graduate degree. If you are interested in applying for the position and/or would like more information, please email Tabitha Voytek, grad-coordinator@swe.org. You can also find information about SWE’s graduate program on the graduate blog. Applications are due by January 15th, 2013.
KATE GLEASON AWARD
OUTSTANDING WOMEN IN ENGINEERING
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
2013
At ASME we believe that women bring a unique sense of clarity and vision to the field of engineering, and we strive to bring those experiences and insights to the forefront of the engineering profession. We want to learn more about the women who have made ingenious contributions to engineering and bestow the Kate Gleason Award upon one such extraordinary woman.
The Kate Gleason Award is an annual ASME Society-level Achievement Award dedicated to honoring an individual female who is either a highly successful engineering entrepreneur or represents a lifetime of achievement in an engineering discipline. The award recipient will receive a $10,000 honorarium, and will be honored as part of the 2013 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition.
It is becoming increasingly clear that younger generation of girls need more female mentors and engineering role models to look up to, and know that they can help transform the world. We must all work together to honor the women who continue to narrow the gender gap in engineering.
For more information, and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.asme.org/about-asme/honors-awards/achievement-awards/kate-gleason-award
Application deadline: February 1, 2013
Please Note: Nominees, or nominators, are not required to be ASME Members.
For any questions, please contact ASME Foundation at either (202) 785-7385 or asmefoundation@asme.org
The Kate Gleason Award was established by ASME Foundation, and generously funded through the Gleason Family Foundation, to honor the legacy of Kate Gleason; the first woman to become a full member of ASME and an engineering pioneer.
The SWE Scorecard provides quarterly updates on the progress toward achieving our strategic goals. The FY13 First Quarter Scorecard displays the accomplishments of our section, region and Society leaders and members. In FY13, goals include:
- Growing the Profession – Outreach: There is an increase in women choosing to enter the engineering and technology profession.
- Professional Excellence: Women in engineering and technology excel professionally, and their achievements are showcased and valued.
- Inclusive Global Community: Women in Engineering and Technology and SWE stakeholders find value in SWE as a diverse, inclusive, global community.
- Membership: SWE is a first choice organization for supporting women in engineering and technology.
The FY13 First Quarter Scorecard is now available.
Bylaws Update
As a result of the changes voted on at the Senate Meeting in Houston, the Society Bylaws are being updated and will be posted in December for review. Please visit the communities to read the udpated bylaws which will be available by the end of December.
Senate Survey
Give us your thoughts on the Senate Meeting in Houston. A survey link will be sent to all of the members of the senate and we would like to hear your thoughts on the meeting and suggestions for the next meeting. Thanks again to everyone who attended and contributed to the Senate Meeting.
Please contact any of the Senate Leadership if you have questions.
Helen Patricia - Speaker
Brittney Elko - Deputy Speaker
Jennifer Nichols - Senate Secretary
Amy Jo Bowdidge - Mega Issue chair
Karla Tankersley - Chair-Elect of the MI committee
Happy Holidays!!
Jenn Harris Nichols
FY13 SWE Senate Secretary
There is probably someone in your life who encouraged you within your career. Maybe it was a family friend, high school physics teacher, or your first supervisor. However, not every woman has a mentor. In one study 21 percent of girls said their parents encouraged them to become an actress, while only 10 percent of those girls were encouraged to think about an engineering career*.
SWE wants to change that. This year’s theme, A Lifetime of Opportunity, showcases SWE as a relevant resource throughout your career. For more than 60 years, we’ve worked to provide a voice and a place for women engineers. With your financial contribution, we can continue to make a difference in the lives of current and future women engineers. Whether you choose to make an unrestricted donation or pick a cause meaningful to you, your financial support makes a tangible difference in the lives of women in our industry.
Donate now and make a difference.
P.S. DOUBLE your gift through your company's matching program. Please check with your HR department for more information.
*Source: Harris Interactive for the American Society of Quality, 2009
As the calendar year comes to an end, many of us think about donating to our favorite charities. We hope that SWE will be on your list of worthy causes! Did you know that SWE can accept donations of appreciated stocks? By donating appreciated stocks or securities, you can make a fully tax-deductible gift without incurring transaction costs or paying any capital gains taxes! You may designate your gift for our scholarship fund or for any other programs important to you, or you may simply allow SWE to decide where the funds are most needed.
If you need more information on donating securities, please contact the SWE Board of Trustees at fy13_bot@swe.org. Happy Holidays!
Have you ever considered a SWE Life Membership? It was the best thing I ever did for myself! It is a one-time donation of $2000 to the SWE Endowment Fund...a great investment, a tax deduction and a memorable gift that lasts a lifetime. Pay in one payment or in a multiple payment plan and never worry about paying future SWE dues following payment completion. Contact SWE Headquarters at (312) 596-5223 and ask for Fund Development for more details. Treat yourself or someone special in your life today!
Happy Holidays from the SWE Membership Committee!
Susan Thomas Schlett
SWE Membership Committee Chair FY13
Through the years, countless women have found a voice and a place in engineering with the assistance of SWE. To learn more about the founding of the organization and how its conference has evolved, visit the new From the SWE Archives page. Originally debuted at WE12, the videos shared at this venue are a great way to share the conference with your colleagues or catch up on information you may have missed.
