On March 19, 2026, SWE member Joyce Lewis traveled from California to Washington, D.C., to participate in SWE’s Congressional Outreach Days, carrying a unified message to the offices of three California legislators — the time to invest in women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is now.
The day began with a visit to the office of Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, (D-CA-12), where Joyce and fellow SWE member Belle Heish met with Legislative Assistant Sydney Dahiyat. The conversation centered on two of SWE’s key policy priorities: the STEM RESTART Act (HR 4452/S 2306), bipartisan legislation designed to fund workforce reentry programs for experienced STEM professionals who have stepped away due to caregiving responsibilities, workplace bias, or structural barriers; and sustained federal investment in K–12 STEM education, particularly for students from underserved and underrepresented communities. Sydney received the group warmly, acknowledged the importance of elevating STEM to the next level, and committed to passing the team’s priorities along to Congresswoman Simon.
The delegation then had the privilege of joining the broader SWE California team for visits to two additional offices. In the office of Senator Adam B. Schiff of California (D-Calif.), the team met with Aide Colin M. Kruse to discuss the same pressing priorities — workforce reentry, K–12 STEM investment, and the critical role of federal research funding in driving innovation and expanding opportunity for women in engineering. The day concluded with a visit to the office of Congressman Eric Swalwell, (D-CA-12), where Legislative Fellow Alexis Kerrane engaged the group in a thoughtful conversation about how federal policy can be designed to address equity gaps in STEM and keep talented women in the pipeline.
Across all three meetings, the team shared the latest issue of SWE Magazine — featuring the cover story, “Chaos in American Research Funding,” and the Society’s annual State of Women in Engineering, a timely and powerful resource that brought the stakes of the conversation to life. They also highlighted the impact of the SWE Mentor Network, advocating for policies that sustain community-level programs proven to keep women engaged in STEM careers. The team further urged federal agencies to collect and publish disaggregated STEM workforce data, emphasizing that evidence-based policymaking begins with knowing exactly where women are being lost from the field.
For Joyce, the day carried deep personal meaning. As a STEM coach, leader, and mentor, she has seen firsthand how policy gaps, weak institutional protections, and limited access to opportunity push women out of STEM — regardless of geography. “Where protections and support systems are strong, women thrive; where they are not, talent is lost,” she reflected. “That is why I flew from California to be in those rooms.”
Three offices. Three conversations. One clear message — the engineering community is here, it is organized, and it will not stop advocating until every woman in STEM has the support she needs to enter, stay, and lead. SWE’s Congressional Outreach Days make that possible, and this year’s California delegation proved just how powerful member voices can be when they show up on Capitol Hill.
