The year of 2020 was tough on all of us. It was particularly hard for us in academia because of the quick changes in delivery modalities, that is, in person, hybrid or online classes. A lot of people who are not in academia are used to changes and quick ones, but for us, all modifications are done in advance – 1 or 2 years in advance, if not more.
I was genuinely happy to be accepted to the ALWE program, but I was not thrilled to participate in it when the time came. There had been so many events online and this was another one, over the weekend. ALWE was done via zoom which is something we learned to use a lot in 2020. I showed up with no great expectations, despite the good words about the program that I received from my colleagues.
The 2021 ALWE program had an interesting start as we were placed in Breakout rooms to discuss the main goal or question that we expected to be answered by the program. We shared it with a couple of colleagues and soon enough we realized we had remarkably similar questions and goals. It was amazing to see how we were in different institutions, from different backgrounds, never interacted with each other prior to the program and, yet, we had so much in common. It was a great start and a good sign of what else was to follow in the program.
I was blown away by the first session: “Inclusive Leadership During Times of Change” by Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd. It was all I needed to hear. Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd had a great impact on me with candid words and elegant behavior. I was really inspired by the presentation because Dr. Boyd reassured me of the importance of making my presence known in different environments. “Engineer is what I am and what I do”. This is how Dr. Boy started this presentation.
Despite the pandemic situation, despite changing our lives (upside down), despite losing loving ones to the disease and despite the ongoing injustice that is happening in the country, we must bring our best to the table. Dr. Boyd also talked about the importance of having allies in this journey: an advisor, a mentor and a sponsor. All I can say is that I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be part of the ALWE cohort of 2020-2021. I feel empowered and refreshed by attending it. There were so many incredible speakers and discussions. I enjoyed every second of it. This program gave me tools and resources to continue in my career in Academia and to accept leadership positions without second guessing them or myself. “I earned this t-shirt” (university jersey) and I understand the responsibilities to bring inclusive leadership to my workplace.
About the ALWE Program
To address the need for more women in academic leadership positions in engineering and to foster the professional growth of women in academia, SWE developed the Academic Leadership for Women in Engineering (ALWE) program.
The 2021 ALWE program took place virtually, with a concentrated program from January 8-9, in addition to year-round virtual programming in the following months. The program hosted 54 early and mid-career women working as engineering faculty across the United States and five countries.
The overarching purpose of ALWE is to provide female academics in engineering with tangible skills and knowledge needed to pursue, acquire and gainfully maintain institutional leadership positions at a university. SWE also hopes this program provides women with skills to help them grow personally as leaders.
Related Content:
- The Benefits of SWE’s ALWE Program
- Global STEM Perspectives: Tripti Singh & Moixa Technology, London
- The Mentoring Journey of a SWE Global Affiliate Member
