The affinity groups at the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) provide avenues for member empowerment, professional development, and community building. This year, several affinity groups (AGs) organized inspiring programming for their members and participated in SWE events locally and nationally. Here’s a compilation of some of their highlights from 2025 and a few ideas of what’s in store for 2026.
African American AG (AAAG)
From January through November 2025, the AAAG delivered impactful programming focused on mentorship, professional growth, recognition, and emerging skills. The year began with mentorship-centered initiatives, such as Unlocking Potential Through Professional Guidance and Mentor Moments: Quick Chats, Big Impact, connecting members across career stages through high-value, interactive conversations. During Black History Month, the AAAG hosted an All-Member Quarterly Connect to reflect on shared experiences, celebrate community, and highlight upcoming initiatives.
The group also supported member advancement through an FY25 SWE Awards overview and live support session to strengthen award submissions. In the spring, the AAAG launched a Mentoring Program Pilot, pairing mentors and mentees in a structured three-month cohort, and hosted an AI learning webinar, Don’t Be Artificial in Your Intelligence, exploring practical and responsible uses of generative AI in learning and career development.
Community Colleges AG
AG lead Ines Figuieras shares a highlight of the fall semester was a virtual event called “The ‘Tea’ on Transfer: Expert Advice for Community College Transfer Students,” in which transfer expert Tiffany Reardon, director of the University of California Berkeley’s Community College Transfer Service, offered insight into the transfer experience to community college students, faculty, advisors, and other stakeholders.
As they work through leadership transition this year, the AG maintains a strong social media presence, elevating issues around community college women in engineering, highlighting successful students and affiliates, and disseminating scholarship and research opportunities for students. The AG is proud of their continuing partnership with SWE’s Community College Affiliate Support and Expansion (CCASE) Program, as well as with the Academia Working Group. They are looking forward to their spotlight month in April and in-the-works spring events!
DisAbility Inclusion AG (DIAG)
“The DIAG had a full and exciting 2025,” say co-leads Jenevieve Surkin and Haylee Mota. “We held a panel on accessibility in the workplace, offering our members a chance to ask panelists about navigating accommodations. During our spotlight month, the team recorded a podcast episode for Diverse and published two All Together blog posts addressing accommodations and featuring the AG team.”
At WE25, the AG lounge fostered an insightful group discussion on disability-related topics. An interactive self-advocacy workshop for SWENext SHLA followed, where high school students practiced real-world advocacy scenarios and gained tools to speak up for themselves. Their final event of the year will be held jointly with the ECP AG where they will host a panel to answer questions on non-apparent disabilities.
Early Career Professionals (ECP) AG
The group had an active and engaging year, hosting a variety of events focused on connection, growth, and professional development, say co-leads Alyssa Acosta and Karissa Schipke. Monthly offerings included virtual coffee chats that fostered community and networking, as well as a professional development series covering key career topics. To support members attending WE25, the group organized preparation events such as résumé reviews, mock interviews, and a Conference 101.
This year also marked the second session of the Peer Partnership Program, a mentorship initiative connecting members for guidance and support. At WE25, the ECP AG hosted a lounge with coloring pages and networking, participated in the Affinity Group Open House, organized a meetup at Café du Monde in New Orleans, and led five insightful sessions presented by the leadership team.
Entrepreneurs AG
“The Entrepreneurs AG continued to grow this year as a supportive space where aspiring and established entrepreneurs can learn from one another, build confidence, and strengthen the skills needed to navigate entrepreneurship,” says lead Tricia Drake. “We highlighted the journeys of women engineers leading companies across diverse industries and hosted workshops on generating influence and developing behavioral strategies that support effective business ownership.”
Community connection remained a priority, with virtual meetups, member spotlights, and collaborative discussions helping members engage and learn together. They also celebrated several AG members who received individual SWE Awards, reflecting the impact and leadership of entrepreneurs within SWE. Their members were well represented at both WE25 and multiple WE Local conferences — serving as speakers, workshop facilitators, and keynote speakers. Their visibility and contributions showcased the entrepreneurial spirit within the community and hopefully inspired future SWE founders.
First-Generation Students and Professionals AG
“The SWE First-Gen AG had a remarkable year. From January 2025 to date, we’ve continued to develop, support, and celebrate our vibrant community, marking our third year as an AG,” said co-leads Joyce M.O. Lewis and Paige Drumm. “Ahead of WE25, we organized a preconference session focused on securing funding and sponsorship, and at WE25, we hosted a lively First-Gen Lounge networking event that brought together 20+ new members and participated in the Affinity Group Open House.”
This year, they also published a Deep Dive Into the SWE First-Generation AG blog post to further enlighten members about their mission and impact. The AG expanded their communications through a new monthly newsletter and launched SWEet Successes, a feature that celebrates member achievements and milestones. As they close out 2025 with a virtual professional development session in December, the AG is focused on reflection, gratitude, and celebration that can fuel motivation and well-being.
GradSWE AG
Throughout 2025, the GradSWE AG has grown its impact with engaging initiatives that empower, connect, and celebrate graduate women and alums in SWE. Co-leads Ju Hyun Lee and Monisola Jayeoba shared that one of the highlights this year was the launch of the Graduate Research Showcase in July led by Professional Development Chair Jenna Salmen. The series featured a wide range of professional development topics — from hands-on technical opportunities to navigating SWE and external resources — and brought together multiple AGs for an exciting collaboration on career paths after graduation and transitioning beyond academia.
August marked GradSWE’s spotlight month, with Advocacy Chairs Jabreel Walker and Morgan Smith appearing on Diverse: A SWE Podcast to share authentic insights on graduate life and how GradSWE supports its community. At WE25, their AG Lounge session and AG Open House were a huge success, sparking new connections and energizing members from across SWE. As the year wraps up, they’re excited to continue celebrating graduate women’s achievements (check out their awards page!) and expanding resources for master’s and Ph.D. students.
HeForSWE AG
Co-leads Trevor George, Ashley Wynne, and Mia Olson shared that the HeForSWE AG grew tremendously this year following momentum from WE24. Connections that were made during the conference resulted in new AG members, who had an immediate impact with their experiences and expertise. HeForSWE produced and published a HeForSWE Collegiate Guidelines document, which outlines best practices for starting and maintaining a collegiate HeForSWE AG, including lessons learned from active collegiate AGs. They prepared collegiate “starter packs” for WE25 that included these guidelines and some HeForSWE items to initiate conversations at the conference.
Additionally, HeForSWE had the opportunity to engage externally with both collegiate sections and industry. Highlights include a presentation to Los Alamos National Laboratory, a partnership with the HeForSWE at University of Minnesota for Spotlight Month, and a successful interactive discussion at WE25. HeForSWE is also incredibly proud to be a silver recipient of the Mission Award, a testament to the dedication of our team. The team meets monthly and has developed new committees this year to drive internal engagement within the HeForSWE community in addition to external pursuits of their priorities and strategy for outreach.
Late Career & Retiree (LCR) AG
LCR AG co-leads Anne Townson and Beth Silverman shared that the group held three online meetings in 2025 and a fourth in December. Typical attendance is 40-60 people from all over the United States, plus one dedicated member from Nigeria, where it’s 1:00 a.m. when meetings occur. A highlight of their work this year was a book about the first 25 SWE Achievement Award recipients, Women Engineering Legends 1952-1976, edited by six LCR AG members.
They also hold regular “Banter & Decanter” meetings online where about 20 members chat about a topic of interest while drinking their preferred beverage. They published four newsletters and a fifth is in process. Members are engaged and active, and they have many other projects in the works, so consider joining.
Latinos AG
The SWE Latinos AG celebrated a season of culture, community, and connection, building strong momentum through events designed to uplift and support members through the year. “We began by sharing member stories across social media and creating a First-Gen Dorm Essentials Checklist to help students thrive,” say co-leads Doris Moreno Maldonado and Myra Zhinin Rogers. “We hosted a goal-setting session, encouraged applications for WE Local 2026 leadership roles, and launched a vibrant Hispanic Heritage Month campaign featuring cultural stories, traditions, and a lively Music Trivia Night.”
The group also highlighted five Latina engineers who earned 2025 SWE Awards and published two blog posts focused on mentoring and networking and celebrating this year’s honorees. Their Conference Cafecito, preconference tips, WE25 dinner, and open house brought even more members together. As they wrap up the year, they’re expanding wellness and finals-prep resources — and even exploring a holiday drink and recipe cookbook. They’re grateful for the tremendous support from fellow AGs and the entire SWE team, and are excited for everything ahead in 2026.
Public Policy AG
In 2025, the Public Policy AG continued work on advocacy, community building, and education across SWE. “We hosted a series of DEI-centered discussions, creating space for members across academia, industry, and government to process the impact of evolving policies,” say co-leads Jenny Tsao, Laura Kubiatko, and Samprikta Basu. “Follow-up sessions focused on developing shared resources to combat anti-DEI sentiment, strengthen community resilience, and encourage legislative advocacy.” The AG additionally consulted with SWE’s DEI Advisory Council, outlining opportunities to elevate critical public policy priorities within the Society.
They also supported SWE’s annual Capitol Hill Day, which contributed to successful advocacy for the STEM Restart Act’s reintroduction. The AG also partnered with SWE HQ to enhance the public policy section of the website, expanding resources that help members take action and engage in the policy process. They continued highlighting intersections between engineering and policy leadership through new blog posts, including a conversation with Congresswoman Luz Rivas about her engineering background and STEM advocacy.
If you have questions or want to learn more about our 22 SWE Affinity Groups, please contact affinitygroups-workinggroup@swe.org.
Affinity groups at SWE bring together communities with similar interests and backgrounds to support each other in their personal and professional journeys. Membership in any SWE Affinity Group is open to all SWE members interested in participating.
