Global Marathon!

We need your help telling women in engineering and technology about the Global Marathon! Identify colleagues and other networks of women engineers you know and ask them to 1) register, 2) become a fan on Facebook, and 3) forward this postcard. It’s that simple.

This free, virtual conference for women engineers originates from a different region of the world each day and features daily live web sessions. A few of the topics include:

• Energy Engineers: From the Lab to the Living Room
• From Grassroots to Business to Government Initiatives: How Everyone Can Play a Role in Achieving Water Sustainability
• Innovation in India
• How to Apply the Scientific Method to Creating and Building a Start-Up Business
• From Water to Housing to Fuel: Engineers Making a World of Difference
• And more.

Participate and gain new contacts, more knowledge, and a new appreciation of how women engineers are poised to change the world!
Register Today!
P.S. Like us on Facebook and take our first poll on sustainable food supplies.

Remember – Region G Conference Online Registration Ends this Friday – February 24 at noon!

Here is a summary of the conference schedule.  For more detailed information, please go to http://www.southohioswe.org/region-conference-home/schedule/

 

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

• Registration opens at 5:00 p.m. and goes until 9:00 p.m. in the hotel lobby
• There will be a Hawaiian-themed Mixer in the hotel Atrium from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.  Light appetizers and beverages will be provided.  Please plan to stop in for networking on Friday night.

SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 2012

 

• The morning kicks off with group yoga for anyone interested from 6:30 – 7:30 a.m. in the Tri-County Room at the hotel.  Please bring your own yoga mat or a towel to participate.
• Registration opens at 7:00 a.m in the hotel lobby.  Registration will be open until 11:30 a.m.  If you arrive after 11:30 a.m., please go to the Monroe Room (on the 1st floor, just to the right of the hotel lobby).
• Conference kicks off with a served breakfast and joint collegiate/professional meeting at 8:00 a.m. in the hotel ballroom (West Chester III & IV)
• Morning sessions:  9: 30 – 11:30 a.m. in various breakout rooms at the hotel
• Buffet Lunch:  Sponsored by Toyota, State of SWE, Keynote by Susan Elkington of Toyota from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in the hotel ballroom (West Chester III & IV)
• The career fair will be open from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. in the Tri-County room.  We are expecting recruiters from more than 10 companies who will be actively recruiting for co-ops, internships and full-time positions.  Please be sure to bring several copies of your resume if you plan to attend the Career Fair.
• Afternoon sessions: 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. in various breakout rooms at the hotel
• At 3:00, attendees can meet at the hotel lobby to carpool to IKEA for a shopping experience.  For information about IKEA, go to;  http://www.ikea.com/us/en/store/west_chester
• South Ohio and University of Cincinnati SWE host a cocktail reception for conference attendees in the hotel Atrium from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
• Dinner Banquet, Awards and Keynote by Michelle Salmon, UC Women’s Soccer Coach starts at 6:30 p.m in the hotel ballroom (West Chester III & IV)

 

SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

 

• Buffet breakfast in the hotel ballroom (West Chester III & IV) from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.

 

To register, please go to:  http://www.southohioswe.org/region-conference-home/registration/

 

If you have any questions about the conference, please contact Margaret Adriatico, South Ohio SWE President and University of Cincinnati SWE Counselor at southohio.swe.pres@gmail.com or call 513-319-9469.

 

Thank you!

Girl Scouts Press Relase about STEM – 02/14/12

Contact:
Joshua Ackley
Girl Scouts of the USA
212-852-8038
jackley@girlscouts.org

New York, N.Y. — According to the Girl Scout Research Institute study Generation STEM: What Girls Say about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, though a majority of today’s girls have a clear interest in STEM, they don’t prioritize STEM fields when thinking about their future careers.

This latest offering from the Girl Scout Research Institute shows that 74 percent of teen girls are interested in STEM subjects and the general field of study. Further, a high 82 percent of girls see themselves as “smart enough to have a career in STEM.” And yet, few girls consider it their number-one career option: 81 percent of girls interested in STEM are interested in pursuing STEM careers, but only 13 percent say it’s their first choice. Additionally, girls express that they don’t know a lot about STEM careers and the opportunities afforded by these fields, with 60 percent of STEM-interested girls acknowledging that they know more about other careers than they do about STEM careers.

Girls are also aware that gender barriers persist in today’s society: 57 percent of those studied concur that if they were to pursue a STEM career, they would “have to work harder than a man to be taken seriously.”

As to what girls are drawn to with regard to these subjects, Generation STEM notes that the creative and hands-on aspects of STEM hold the most appeal. STEM-interested girls take an active, inquisitive approach to engaging in science, technology, engineering, and math: a high percentage like to solve problems (85%), build things and put things together (67%), do hands-on science projects (83%), and ask questions about how things work and find ways to answer these questions (80%). Girls enjoy the hands-on aspect of exploration and discovery and recognize the benefits of a challenge: 89 percent of all girls agree that “obstacles make me stronger.”

“While we know that the majority of girls prefer a hands-on approach in STEM fields, we also know that girls are motivated to make the world a better place and to help people,” says Kamla Modi, PhD, research and outreach analyst, Girl Scout Research Institute. “Girls may not understand how STEM careers help people, or how their STEM interests can further their goals of helping people. Girl Scouts of the USA is committed to engaging girls in STEM activities and encouraging them to pursue STEM interests both in and outside the classroom, [in part] through program partnerships.”

Girl Scouts’ relationship with AT&T constitutes one such partnership. Girl Scouts of the USA and AT&T have joined together to advance underserved high-school girls in science and engineering. As minority students and women are gravitating away from science and engineering toward other professions, and employment in STEM fields is increasing at a faster pace than in non-STEM fields, educational experts say the U.S. must increase proficiency and interest in these areas to compete in the global economy. Girl Scouts of the USA and AT&T are tackling this issue with a $1 million AT&T Aspire contribution, designed to spark STEM interest in underserved high-school girls across the country.

Addressing another critical Generation STEM finding—just 46 percent of girls know a woman in a STEM career—Girl Scouts of the USA and the New York Academy of Sciences have announced a partnership to design and implement a STEM mentoring program for Girl Scouts, modeled after the academy’s current afterschool STEM mentoring program. The new curriculum will be adapted and scaled to Girl Scouts’ network of more than 100 councils across the country. The goal is to identify and train young women scientists to serve as role models and mentors for girls, and to work in collaboration with Girl Scout volunteers to bring high-quality, hands-on, informal science education opportunities to middle-school Girl Scouts.

“America has a huge opportunity for economic growth with girls’ interest in science, technology, engineering, and math,” says Anna Maria Chávez, CEO, Girl Scouts of the USA. “When girls succeed, so does society. We all have a role to play in making girls feel supported and capable when it comes to involvement in STEM fields—and anything else they set their minds to and have traditionally been steered away from.”

About the Girl Scout Research Institute
The Girl Scout Research Institute, formed in 2000, is a vital extension of Girl Scouts of the USA’s commitment to addressing the complex and ever-changing needs of girls. Comprised of a dedicated staff and advisors who are experts in child development, academia, government, business, and the not-for-profit sector, the institute conducts groundbreaking studies, releases critical facts and findings, and provides resources essential for the advancement of the well-being and safety of girls living in today’s world. The institute also informs public policy and advocacy for Girl Scouting with its research and outreach.

About Girl Scouts of the USA
Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts of the USA is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, with 3.2 million girl and adult members worldwide. Girl Scouts is the leading authority on girls’ healthy development, and builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. The organization serves girls from every corner of the United States and its territories. Girl Scouts of the USA also serves American girls and their classmates attending American or international schools overseas in 90 countries. For more information on how to join, volunteer or reconnect with, or donate to Girl Scouts, call 800-GSUSA-4-U or visit www.girlscouts.org.

Region G Conference and FY13-14 Officers

Region G Slate of Officers for FY13/14:

The Region G nominating Committee has completed our Nominating Process for the FY13/14 Region Officers.  I’m pleased to share with you the slate for the FY 13/14 region officers.

Treasurer – Virginia Brandt
Secretary – Miranda (Oaks) Wantland
Professional Senator – Karla Tankersley & Jennifer Norman

Additionally the Nominating Committee has solicited candidates for the Region G Representative to the Society Nominating Committee.

Region G Representative to Society Nominating Committee – Lee Ann Schwope & Jennifer Vallero

The petition period begins today and will close on Feb 28th.  All petitions need to be sent to Pam Snyder at pamsnyder@gmail.com by 11:59 PM EST on Feb 28th.

The candidates for professional senator will be submitted to HQ on March 1st to be included in the Society Ballot.  All other positions need to be voted on by the Region Council between March 1st and May 1st.  I will look to Jessica as Governor to lead this election.

If there are questions by any members interested in petitioning to be added to the ballot, please feel free to refer them to the Region by-laws or a member of the region Nominating committee.

If there are any questions on the slate please let me know.

Thanks to the Nominating Committee for the great job they have done this year.

Pam Snyder – Region G Nominating Committee
Inaas Darrat – Columbus Rep
Diana Leveridge – Blue Grass Rep
Jennifer Vallero – MAL Rep
Laura Iannacci – Pittsburgh Rep
Kristen Kesse – South Ohio Rep

 

Reminder – Register for the 2012 Region G Conference by February 24th!

Join us for a full weekend of events. We have two exciting speakers lined up for Saturday:

Lunch Speaker -Susan Elkington, Vice President Automotive at Toyota

Banquet speaker -Coach Michelle Salmon, the UC Women’s Soccer Coach.

Date: March 2^nd - 4^th
Location: Marriott Cincinnati North
Theme: Change Brings Opportunity
Sponsored by: South Ohio SWE and University of Cincinnati SWE
Details:   Register now! Rooms are available for $99 up until 2/18/12 at the  Marriott -Cincinnati North. This rate is good for double or king rooms. Please let them know that you are with the SWE Region G conference when booking. If you need a room with 2 double beds, please use group code SOWB. If you need a room with a king bed, please use group code SOWA. After 2/18/12, rates will go back to normal pricing. Book at 1-800-228-9290

Full schedule of events can be found here:  http://www.southohioswe.org/region-conference-home/schedule/
 
Register here:  http://www.southohioswe.org/region-conference-home/registration/ 
Online registration is only available until noon Feb 24^th. 
Registrations after that date will be charged a $50 processing fee.

Questions?  Please Contact Margaret Adriatico - South Ohio SWE President & UC SWE Counselor southohio.swe.pres@gmail.com

Casting for Discovery Channel Top Engineer!

DISCOVERY CHANNEL SEEKING AMERICA’S TOP INVENTORS, MACHINISTS AND ENGINEERS TO COMPETE FOR A HUGE GRAND PRIZE

We are looking for visual effects experts, accomplished home shop machinists, contractors and engineers with backgrounds in electrical, civil, structural or mechanical engineering.

If you have an outgoing personality and are ready to get your hands dirty for the chance to win a GRAND PRIZE and the title of TOP ENGINEER, then we want to hear from you.

Email TopEngineerCasting@gmail.com with your name, age, location, phone number, a recent photo and a brief explanation of why you are perfect for this competition show.

Click the link for more info:

http://pilgrimstudios.com/casting/topengineer/

February Hot Topic: Finding Your Passion

Life is too short to live life going through the motions. For that reason, we must strive to truly “be alive” in everything we do. As engineers, we have an amazing opportunity to affect the world. However, if our work becomes merely a means for making money, we limit ourselves from impacting the world with our highest potential. Being passionate pushes to test that last idea when our failures make us feel like giving up. It pushes us to keep thinking when the world tells us it can’t be solved. It makes us question, create, and design. Aspire, advance, and achieve. It makes us real engineers.

So take the time to find your passion. Read scholarly articles and see if you find something that interests you. Apply for research experiences for undergraduates (REUs) and try something to see what you think. Seek internships and see what working in industry is like (it’s much different than academia). Try new things and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Only by doing this, will you truly be able to figure out who you are and what your passion in life is.

As Nicholas Sparks said in his novel Dear John:

“The saddest people I’ve ever met in my life are the ones who don’t care deeply about anything at all. Passion and satisfaction go hand in hand, and without them, any happiness is only temporary, because there’s nothing to make it last.”

Seek your passion. For it fills every member of our being, drawing us to the things we care about the most, and without it, we aren’t truly “living.”

Represent SWE during E-Week (Feb.19 – 25)!

The SWE Board of Directors has encouraged our committee to initiate a social media blitz during eWeek.   We are to encourage members & the BOD to utilize Facebook/ Twitter to post/ tweet about SWE. 

• Monday message is to encourage fellow SWE members to post about how SWE has influenced their life during the week.
• Tuesday message is how SWE has helped them aspire.
• Wednesday message is how SWE has helped them advance.
• Thursday message is how SWE has helped them achieve. 

The main point is to post something about SWE 5 times during the week.  Perhaps they tag old friends from their collegiate years with a memory of SWE & asking those friends – are you still a member?  Perhaps they mention a teacher or professor who influenced their engineering career & ask the question of “who has influenced you?”

 

Join in on the fun and represent SWE!!

Support Future Engineers!

Sign up to Judge SWE Upperclass and Graduate Student Scholarship Applications

 

It’s time for judging scholarship applications and we again need your help to make this year’s scholarship program a success.  It is through your generosity judging scholarship applications that young women are fulfilling their dreams of becoming engineers and making significant contributions to society.  Many of you have volunteered to judge more than once and 80% told us you would be willing to judge again. We greatly appreciate everyone’s participation.  Thank you!

 

In 2011, SWE received 1,300 sophomore – graduate student applications and awarded 156 scholarships worth $475,000.  We expect 2012 to be similar.

Please volunteer to judge this year’s applications by Feb 26th for judging between March 1-22.

 

We will provide updated training via webinar including expanded instructions to simplify the GPA Verification portion of the process.  Our goal is to assign 20 applications to each judge, but we will not have a final count until the last week of February.

 

If you have found judging scholarships to be a rewarding experience and think other SWE members would also appreciate this opportunity, please extend a personal invitation to them.  If you want to do so via social media or email, there are many options for sharing from the All Together article.  Follow this link and click on Share in the lower right hand corner.

To participate in judging, you can sign up here. Please contact me or Marcia Lampela, HQ scholarship committee liaison, with any questions.

 

Miranda (Oaks) Wantland

SWE FY12 Scholarship Committee Chair

Don’t Forget to Register for the Region G Conference! Deadline Feb. 24th!!

Region G Conference Online Registration closes February 24!  Make sure to sign up today!

Join us for a full weekend of events. We have two exciting speakers lined up for Saturday:

Lunch Speaker -Susan Elkington, Vice President Automotive at Toyota 

Banquet speaker -Coach Michelle Salmon, the UC Women’s Soccer Coach. 

 

Date: March 2^nd – 4^th
Location: Marriott Cincinnati North
Theme: Change Brings Opportunity
Sponsored by: South Ohio SWE and University of Cincinnati SWE
Details:  Register now! Rooms are available for $99 up until 2/18/12 at the Marriott -Cincinnati North. This rate is good for double or king rooms. Please let them know that you are with the SWE Region G conference when booking. If you need a room with 2 double beds, please use group code SOWB. If you need a room with a king bed, please use group code SOWA. After 2/18/12, rates will go back to normal pricing. Book at 1-800-228-9290 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            1-800-228-9290      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

 

Full schedule of events can be found here:  http://www.southohioswe.org/region-conference-home/schedule/

Register here: http://www.southohioswe.org/region-conference-home/registration/
Online registration is only available until noon Feb 24^th. 
Registrations after that date will be charged a $50 processing fee.

 

Questions?  Please Contact Margaret Adriatico – South Ohio SWE President & UC SWE Counselor southohio.swe.pres@gmail.com

Benefits of Being a Regional Leader

Running for RCR/RCCE/RCS – Benefits!

To help promote the positions, Jessica Kiefer and Jasmine Harris (RCR/RCCE Coordinators) have put together a list of benefits that holding a regional position offers:

• The opportunity to travel to somewhere fun during summer (most expenses paid!) and receive leadership training.
• Meet the President of SWE, Board of Directors, and lots of other important people who have been involved for years.
• Network with other collegiate leaders outside your section and make friends that will last for years (we still regularly meet up with our old RCR/RCCE friends each year at conference).
• Become a better public speaker by giving several presentations
• Learn about SWE’s mission and apply it to help struggling sections across the Region. You’ll learn to deal with difficult situations and help solve conflict.

Below is Jessica and Jasmine giving a presentation in front of 500 college students at a SWE luncheon