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  • Thursday, October 20

Opening Keynote: Dr. Phyllis Schneck

  • 8:30 AM -
  • 9:45 AM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Opening Keynote: Dr. Phyllis Schneck

  • 8:30 AM -
  • 9:45 AM
  • Type: Keynote
  • Track: Keynotes & Inspirational Insights
Dr. Phyllis Schneck is vice president and chief information security officer (CISO) for Northrop Grumman. In this role, she oversees the company’s global cybersecurity strategy and policies and is responsible for the digital security of the company’s products, services, and infrastructures. Dr. Schneck has 20 years of government and private-sector experience in senior cybersecurity positions. She joined Northrop Grumman in 2019 from Promontory, a division of IBM, where she led the firm’s cybersecurity practice as managing director and global leader of Cyber Solutions. Dr. Schneck earned her doctorate in computer science from the Georgia Institute of Technology, as well as both a master’s in computer science and a bachelor’s in computer science and mathematics from Johns Hopkins University. In 2020, Dr. Schneck was an Inductee into the Georgia Tech College of Computing Hall of Fame.

Keeping up with the Comparisons: Taking Charge of your Inner-Critic

  • 9:45 AM -
  • 10:00 AM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Keeping up with the Comparisons: Taking Charge of your Inner-Critic

  • 9:45 AM -
  • 10:00 AM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Self Management
“I’m not good enough. I don’t deserve to be here. Everyone is so much better than I am.” As minorities, we often find ourselves asking why we can’t be like everyone else around us. We’re aware that comparing ourselves to others is neither helpful nor healthy, yet we can’t shake off the imposter-syndrome and make peace with our inner-critic. In this talk, I’d like to share how my experiences as an international student and woman of color in the Aerospace industry have taught me to use my inner critic to my advantage. Like all complex engineering problems, we can solve the problem of self-comparison with iterative design thinking. First, we’ll identify our assumptions. Next, we’ll reframe the problem in terms of inputs we have control over and outputs aligned with our career goals. Finally, we’ll prototype, test, and repeat till we find a solution that works for our specific inner-critic.

Ef(facing) Our Fears: Removing the Inaction Paralysis in DE&I

  • 9:45 AM -
  • 10:15 AM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Ef(facing) Our Fears: Removing the Inaction Paralysis in DE&I

  • 9:45 AM -
  • 10:15 AM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Diversity‚ Equity‚ & Inclusion (DEI)
Diversity, equity, & inclusion are essential to today’s workplace. However, there are many barriers when driving DE&I progress and change. One of those barriers is FEAR. What if I say or do the wrong thing?! In this session, two engineers that followed their passion to focus on DE&I at tech companies will dive into this topic. Session attendees will understand why people are fearful of talking about and taking action on DE&I topics, recognize why it is important to remove fear, and learn simple tactics to reduce fear to promote DE&I actions to enable change.

Demystifying Salary Negotiation and Asking for What You Need

  • 9:45 AM -
  • 10:30 AM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Demystifying Salary Negotiation and Asking for What You Need

  • 9:45 AM -
  • 10:30 AM
  • Type: Engaged Exchange Panel
  • Track: Career Management
According to a study reported in the Harvard Business Review, one eighth of women of a graduating MBA class negotiated their job offers in comparison to about half of the men in the same graduation class. Could the reason behind the difference be lack of confidence or fear of potential negative employer perception? It is time to demystify the myths women tell themselves that are keeping them from receiving what they need and deserve. Join this session to learn from three Wells Fargo Technology women leaders who will share best practices and insight into the why these myths exists and what can be done to dispel them.

The Pursuit of Success – Minority Women in Senior Leadership

  • 9:45 AM -
  • 10:30 AM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

The Pursuit of Success – Minority Women in Senior Leadership

  • 9:45 AM -
  • 10:30 AM
  • Type: Engaged Exchange Panel
  • Track: Strategic Leadership
The panel represents a spectrum of minority women in senior leadership roles, with African American, Hispanic, Asian and International representation. Each speaker will discuss their unique challenges faced in career advancement due to their heritage and inherent organization biases. The audience will learn how each shaped successful organizations in manufacturing, energy exploration, major projects and growth investments. Areas discussed include advanced leadership development, small group mentoring, career advocacy, male ally-ship, the role of work place programs that support inclusion & diversity and life-balance, preparing their families to support their leadership journey, and their role in expanding the pool of “next-up” women in senior leadership positions. Learnings will be relevant to all women in STEM to support advancement into senior leadership positions, and help male allies in advocating for women in leadership.

Can Artificial Intelligence be used to Reduce Black Maternal Mortality?

  • 10:00 AM -
  • 10:30 AM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Can Artificial Intelligence be used to Reduce Black Maternal Mortality?

  • 10:00 AM -
  • 10:30 AM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Technical Innovations
Maternal mortality continues to be a global issue however, studies over the past 5 years identify a growing alarming trend in the United States with respect to maternal mortality. According to several studies from the Centers for Disease Control, “Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women”. Many of these same studies have also acknowledged that most pregnancy-related deaths are preventable and that this alarming trend continues to grow. This session will entail providing an overview of both past and current recommendations that are being used to address this issue which did not entail the usage of technology. Recent studies will also be identified that have indicated that Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be used to reduce Black maternal mortality. This talk will explain how AI can be used to reduce Black maternal mortality and to advocate for further study of this topic.

Nothing to Hide, Everything to Lose – Protect Yourself Online!

  • 10:15 AM -
  • 10:30 AM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Nothing to Hide, Everything to Lose – Protect Yourself Online!

  • 10:15 AM -
  • 10:30 AM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Self Management
Zoom. LinkedIn. Instagram. We live more than half our lives online in the comfort of our homes, but how safe are we? When you sit at home and browse your phones, you don’t feel like you’re walking down a dark alleyway. You could have our identity stolen by malicious thieves, or get doxxed by a vengeful ex-partner. I will teach you why you need to take your digital footprint seriously by cleaning up your information online, and assess your vulnerabilities. Then I will show you how to be on social media with enhanced privacy settings so thieves don’t raid your house while you’re in Hawaii. Next, help you create better privacy systems using password managers and two-factor authentication. Lastly, explain why your email and phone number are as valuable as your social security number and address, and how to protect them.

Inspirational Insights: Inclusive Leadership from the Top

  • 10:30 AM -
  • 12:00 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Inspirational Insights: Inclusive Leadership from the Top

  • 10:30 AM -
  • 12:00 PM
  • Type: Inspirational Insights
  • Track: Keynotes & Inspirational Insights
Building workplaces that value and drive diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) has become a business imperative for many organizations. However, for organizations with employees, vendors, or customers across different parts of the world, building a cohesive DEIB strategy can be a challenge. Various employees of organizations take on responsibility for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, but what is the role of the CEO and their leadership team? These panelists will describe how they act on diversity and inclusion to drive meaningful change to bring us one step closer to equity. Knowing the difference is an important start. Join these leaders as they discuss how DEIB starts at the top.

Flatten the Learning Curve: Maximizing Contributions in a New Role

  • 10:45 AM -
  • 11:00 AM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Flatten the Learning Curve: Maximizing Contributions in a New Role

  • 10:45 AM -
  • 11:00 AM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Career Management
You’ve finally landed your dream job! Suddenly, you are overwhelmed with information and you’re worried about learning everything you need to know while meeting your deadlines. How can you flatten the learning curve and quickly add value to your new team? Come learn relevant, easy-to-implement strategies from an engineer who launched her career through a development program and has had five roles in three years. You’ll learn how to optimize your time in a role, accelerate your proficiency and identify key relationships for success. These strategies will help you quickly maximize your contributions in your new role and develop the transferrable skills you need to continue advancing your career.

Building a Growth Mindset

  • 12:00 PM -
  • 12:15 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Building a Growth Mindset

  • 12:00 PM -
  • 12:15 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Self Management
Eva Majercsik, Chief People Officer at Genesys, discusses the power of a growth mindset and how to achieve it. No matter where you are in your career, a growth mindset enables you to continually develop and improve your skills and abilities. In this session you will learn the attributes of a growth mindset and how it differs from a fixed mindset, the key steps to embracing a growth mindset every day, and the immediate and long-term benefits it can bring in both your work and personal life. Eva is passionate about supporting women to empower themselves and own their careers – and a growth mindset is one of the most effective ways to achieve this.

Building a Community of Adult Advocates for Girls in STEM

  • 12:00 PM -
  • 12:45 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Building a Community of Adult Advocates for Girls in STEM

  • 12:00 PM -
  • 12:45 PM
  • Type: Engaged Exchange Panel
  • Track: Advocacy & Outreach
Calling all outreach practitioners! Whether you are new to outreach or have years of experience, this session is sure to help you amp up your impact! In the first part of this session, you will hear about the latest initiatives and resources that the Outreach and SWENext committees are working on that you can add to your outreach toolbelt. This workshop will raise your awareness of resources for adult advocates, the SWE children’s book, SWENext High School Leadership Academy, and SWENext clubs. In the rest of the session, you will have the opportunity to connect with fellow outreach practitioners when we break out into discussion groups, facilitated by members of the committees. You can ask your specific outreach questions, get answers and ideas from our committee volunteers and fellow attendees, and share your ideas. Each attendee will leave the session with a flashdrive filled with resources from the session.

The All-Electric Future Must Also Be All-Inclusive

  • 12:00 PM -
  • 12:45 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

The All-Electric Future Must Also Be All-Inclusive

  • 12:00 PM -
  • 12:45 PM
  • Type: Engaged Exchange Panel
  • Track: Diversity‚ Equity‚ & Inclusion (DEI)
Topic is the discussion with a panel of experts on sustainability, climate equity, and how GM’s Zero emissions, Zero congestion, and Zero crashes comes into play all while looking through the lens of DEI. The purpose of this session is to highlight the three main learning objectives.

To Infinity and Beyond, Skyrocketing Oil & Gas’s Digital Future

  • 12:00 PM -
  • 12:45 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

To Infinity and Beyond, Skyrocketing Oil & Gas’s Digital Future

  • 12:00 PM -
  • 12:45 PM
  • Type: Engaged Exchange Panel
  • Track: Technical Innovations
Just like a pilot can fly a drone from the other side of the world, it is possible to virtually interact with the oil production and downstream manufacturing facilities that make the products you use each and every day. Operators are training for emergency response using an immersive VR simulation that is incredibly realistic because it was built by a gamer and based on a digital twin. Today, robotic dogs are walking around production facilities surveying and gathering data to improve safety and reliability performance. MANY smart and talented engineers like you will be in demand as this industry grows and expands. Gain insights from a panel of digital experts leading this advanced technical transformation in the oil and gas industry. You won’t want to miss this chance to explore career opportunities in this emerging field or expand the career you already have.

The Phoenix of Women Engineers Who Transform How We Work

  • 12:15 PM -
  • 12:30 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

The Phoenix of Women Engineers Who Transform How We Work

  • 12:15 PM -
  • 12:30 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Strategic Leadership
Our constantly changing world will greatly benefit in the near and far future from women engineers who will combine natural aptitudes for structure, creativity, and collaboration against challenges and opportunities within and among organizations. The purpose of this session is to awaken women engineers to this fact and start thinking now about how to intentionally prepare to maximize the opportunities we will encounter. As our world grows ever more complex and complicated, learn to develop the skills that build on your engineering fundamentals of embracing challenges, breaking them down into tangible steps and systems, and innovating solutions that are sustainable and drive value… AND why women are uniquely equipped to take full advantage of this brave new world and use it as a lever to achieve gender parity.

Gen Z: They’re Here! Now What?

  • 12:15 PM -
  • 12:45 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Gen Z: They’re Here! Now What?

  • 12:15 PM -
  • 12:45 PM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Career Management
Just when we were starting to understand the Millennial population, the Gen Z’s have come along! Do you know which population these attributes describe? Independent, Entrepreneurial, Communicative, Competitive and Motivated by Job and Financial Security? Do you understand this population and the impact women who are pursuing engineering degrees will have on the future of your organization? Have you thought about the different recruiting and retention efforts that this vastly different generation will need to grow and thrive within your organization? How do we engage, develop, grow and retain this population? How do we educate our hiring managers and senior level leaders? This presentation will focus on how to keep up with the changing dynamics of the workplace and will provide specific examples of how to manage an intergenerational workforce.

Diagnostic Error: We Don’t Need to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

  • 12:30 PM -
  • 12:45 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Diagnostic Error: We Don’t Need to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

  • 12:30 PM -
  • 12:45 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Self Management
I know what you’re thinking: another pep talk on how to stop feeling like an imposter in the workplace. We, especially women, are told these feelings of intense self-doubt and anxiety mean we suffer from imposter syndrome. The message is we must change our thinking, we must do the work to overcome self-doubt, and we are our own problem. Let’s beg to differ. The concept of imposter syndrome, developed in the 70s by two female psychologists, captured the attention of many, and sparked initiatives and new solutions to address imposter syndrome in women. As it currently stands, imposter syndrome focuses on “fixing” the women who experience it, rather than addressing the societal norms that cause women to feel like imposters. This session will explore how certain environments and societal norms encourage women to question their abilities and ways that we can collectively empower women to rewrite their internal narratives.

Inspirational Insights: Leadership Looks Like Me Fireside Chat

  • 12:45 PM -
  • 2:00 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Inspirational Insights: Leadership Looks Like Me Fireside Chat

  • 12:45 PM -
  • 2:00 PM
  • Type: Inspirational Insights
  • Track: Keynotes & Inspirational Insights
Growing up, Deepa Purushothaman saw very few role models that looked like her in the corporate world, but she refused to let it stop her from reaching her full potential. The first Indian-American woman to make partner at Deloitte, Deepa made a point of becoming a national inclusion leader within the organization, whole-heartedly invested in addressing the diversity gap from the top down and helping clients do the same. Deepa says that the idea that diverse talent is hard to find is a myth. We need to expand our definition of what a leader looks like and consciously seek out diverse talent. Sometimes it’s that companies are not looking for talent in the right places, but the truth is that they may not recognize the untapped potential in the talent that they already have. This urgent presentation is two-fold: first, drawing from cutting-edge research and methodologies, it will help you evolve your definition of leadership and leadership rules—an early step to creating a company culture that fosters belonging and true inclusion. Then, it will give you concrete and actionable strategies for finding, retaining, and advancing people of color within your organization.

Multifaceted Careers: Medicine to Engineering – Dare To Dream

  • 1:00 PM -
  • 1:15 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Multifaceted Careers: Medicine to Engineering – Dare To Dream

  • 1:00 PM -
  • 1:15 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Career Management
Women are multifaceted. Every role they play, be it mom, wife or daughter comes with a lot of responsibilities. I always believed women can perfectly handle career transformations. My own journey where I transformed career from medicine to engineering was not an easy one, but looking back it’s the most valued accomplishment I have in my life, which made me believe that you can accomplish anything, if you dare to believe in yourself and dare to challenge the odds.

KickSTAR Your Career

  • 1:30 PM -
  • 1:45 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

KickSTAR Your Career

  • 1:30 PM -
  • 1:45 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Career Management
Dr. Jaqunda Grubbs will discuss her career journey from feeling stagnant after 12 years without a promotion to success in kickstarting her career. She will demonstrate how the STAR interview technique may be used to change the course of one’s career by presenting a case study from her own experience. The session will include the actions that may be taken to change the situation including validation of one’s feelings, developing a strategic mindset around development and advancement, and building a supportive network. This is a session that will be important to attendees no matter where they are in their career journey. Attendees will leave with direction on how to kickstart their careers using the STAR interview technique to define their situation, identify tasks to act upon, take action and realize positive outcomes.

A Unique Perspective: Stereo Blindness Let Me See Things Differently

  • 2:00 PM -
  • 2:15 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

A Unique Perspective: Stereo Blindness Let Me See Things Differently

  • 2:00 PM -
  • 2:15 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Technical Innovations
What do Rembrandt, Johnny Depp, and Elizabeth Baron have in common? Stereoblindness – the inability to see the world in 3 dimensions. This rare condition affects up to 12% of the population at some point in life, and 3% are born stereoblind as in Elizabeth’s case. Traditional thinking might view this as an impairment, but it inspired Elizabeth. Her stereoblindness helped her “see” the importance of ultra high-definition visualization after a pivotal event. Elizabeth, a veteran of the Ford Motor Company and Enterprise Solutions Executive at Unity will share the story of how she invented Ford’s (FiVE) process, which allows teams to leverage high-definition rendering in VR. This collaboration tool enables design and engineering to experience a holistic vehicle in realtime. She will explain why this allowed her to understand how the concept can be applied to other industries for digital storytelling – taking her down a new career path.

The Art of Influencing Without Authority

  • 2:00 PM -
  • 2:15 PM CST
Learn More
  • Thursday, October 20

The Art of Influencing Without Authority

  • 2:00 PM -
  • 2:15 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Strategic Leadership
Congratulations ! You have been assigned to lead a major project, BUT none of the team members assigned to you work in your organization. You are getting pushback on the workload and have been challenged on the timeline. How do you lead them towards a common goal? Imagine that you have an idea that is going to accelerate your project timeline, but you can’t seem to convince your peers that this idea will work. How do you convince your peers? Come to this session to learn about ways to get alignment from your team members or stakeholders. Influencing without authority is becoming much more common in today’s organization and is a critical skill to have for both those who don’t have authority, and those that do. In this presentation, you will learn actionable steps that can be applied in your work and outside your work to become an influential leader.

Lead your SWENext Club to SWEet Success

  • 2:00 PM -
  • 2:30 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Lead your SWENext Club to SWEet Success

  • 2:00 PM -
  • 2:30 PM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Advocacy & Outreach
Encourage the SWENext generation by getting involved with SWENext Clubs. Hear best practices on how to start, engage, and maintain a SWENext Club based on experiences and insight from SWENext Committee volunteers, past SWENexters and current SWENext club leaders. During this session, we will share key initiatives that you can take to build a strong foundation for your club, help you take advantage of your SWE section’s existing events and network to engage SWENexters, and discuss ways you can set up your club to make a lasting impact. At the end of our presentation, attendees will get the chance to engage in targeted conversations through a guided activity to brainstorm ways to apply these best practices. All attendees will receive a folder with access to helpful resources and a brand new milestone calendar that will surely help you lead your club to SWEet success.

Techniques for Finding Renewed Purpose and Motivation in the Workplace

  • 2:00 PM -
  • 2:30 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Techniques for Finding Renewed Purpose and Motivation in the Workplace

  • 2:00 PM -
  • 2:30 PM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Self Management
Maintaining drive and interest in the job is critical for professional success. After overcoming the learning curve of a new project, role, or company, day-to-day tasks may become more mundane and motivation may wane. This session will recognize the existence of the “sophomore slump” in the workplace and will provide actionable advice to enable professionals to find renewed motivation and purpose to stay on their desired career trajectory. Participants will be challenged to reflect on their short- and long-term goals while completing a Gap Analysis in order to reframe the situation into a manageable challenge. Learn how to overcome this slump and succeed at work again!

Own It

  • 2:00 PM -
  • 2:45 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Own It

  • 2:00 PM -
  • 2:45 PM
  • Type: Engaged Exchange Panel
  • Track: Career Management
Are you an Experienced Professional and considering venturing out on your own? Do you hear about start-ups and wonder if you could build a business around your ideas and skills? If you’ve considered starting your own business, come listen to this panel of engineers and scientists who own their own engineering companies here in Houston. Join us to learn how these women have leveraged their expertise and experience to start, and build, successful businesses. They’ll share their experiences: the good, the bad and the “we can laugh about it now.”

Trailblazers: The Untold Stories of Six Women Engineers

  • 2:00 PM -
  • 2:45 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Trailblazers: The Untold Stories of Six Women Engineers

  • 2:00 PM -
  • 2:45 PM
  • Type: Engaged Exchange Panel
  • Track: Diversity‚ Equity‚ & Inclusion (DEI)
This session will begin by showing the award-winning short documentary, Trailblazers: The Untold Stories of Six Women Engineers (2020; 19:18 minutes), followed up by a panel discussion moderated by the film’s producer and featuring four of the trailblazers. The documentary tells the stories of a diverse group of U.S. women engineers who graduated from college in the 1970s, a time when a small but growing cohort of women entered the field. In Trailblazers, the women share their experiences overcoming obstacles and paving the way for the next generation. Their stories are powerful and inspirational. They help us to understand how women engineers navigated challenges and provide institutions with motivation and tools to address them.

Creating High-Performing Teams Through Psychological Safety

  • 2:30 PM -
  • 2:45 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Creating High-Performing Teams Through Psychological Safety

  • 2:30 PM -
  • 2:45 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Strategic Leadership
Culture sets apart a company or an organization from others and is responsible for long term employee satisfaction, retention, and business growth. We have all heard of the recent example of Microsoft undergoing a positive transformation by prioritizing and investing in team culture. Creating a work culture that is engaging, welcoming and open where everyone can collaborate to achieve their maximum potential is called psychological safety. This is one of the underlying qualities of a high-performing team. Psychological safety enables team to have an open conversation, share diverse opinions, take risks, promote a growth mindset, and come up with innovative solutions in a dynamic work environment. In this session you will learn about the – what, why, and how to create a psychologically safe organization where people are respected and are able to challenge the status quo without any fear!

Why and How Women Will Pioneer the Sustainable Energy Transition

  • 2:30 PM -
  • 3:00 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Why and How Women Will Pioneer the Sustainable Energy Transition

  • 2:30 PM -
  • 3:00 PM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Technical Innovations
Our electrical grid no longer meets the needs of today. In recent years, we’ve seen severe weather knock out electricity to entire cities. Last February, Texans endured the largest forced blackout in U.S. history. At the same time, legislators and investors have pressured organizations to invest in sustainable energy solutions. Engineering achievements — microgrids, renewables, and digital technologies — are poised to, not just help us avoid these outages and meet evolving demands, but fundamentally change the way we make and use energy. This transformation won’t happen on its own. It will require an entire industry to change. And the best way to bring in fresh ideas is to shake up the status quo. That’s why women will be such important leaders in our transition to this new world. In this talk, Jana Gerber shares stark realities and new strategies for elevating women engineers in the sustainable energy transformation.

SWENext Best Practices: Handling Youth Data – Real Life Approaches

  • 2:45 PM -
  • 3:00 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

SWENext Best Practices: Handling Youth Data – Real Life Approaches

  • 2:45 PM -
  • 3:00 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Advocacy & Outreach
SWE’s new Youth Protection Policy and Code of Conduct Standards outline expectations on youth contact and data privacy. But how should these standards be implemented in your STEM Programs? What are the best practices SWE members should follow to manage youth protection and privacy and any data you might collect related to minors? In this interactive session, the standards will be brought to life with real, practical approaches to managing youth privacy, from first contact with a minor to when you should delete their information, and everything in between. You will learn what signed releases you need and where to find them. We’ll discuss examples of the Do’s and Don’ts of social media. And we will explain five typical situations you or your SWE organization might face and how to navigate them within the policy. Bring your questions! We’ll provide the answers to keep our youth and SWE volunteers protected.

Maternity Leave – The Best Lesson in Delegation

  • 2:45 PM -
  • 3:00 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Maternity Leave – The Best Lesson in Delegation

  • 2:45 PM -
  • 3:00 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Self Management
Growing and birthing a baby is such an exciting time in life, don’t let it be overshadowed by planning for your leave! This session will share the challenges, learning, and rewards of dedicating time and attention to planning for a baby and maternity leave. The session will primarily focus on the work life prep with a little touch of personal prep because it is important to prep in all aspects of your world! Come find out how to delegate tasks for maternity leave then how to leverage your leave to be more intentional with your time and expertise when you return. Everything from planning through execution will drive towards stress reduction and spending more time with your family. Although we will focus on maternity leave, these lessons in planning and delegation can be leveraged all throughout your career.

Influence Your Next Promotion: Career Management in the WFH Age

  • 3:00 PM -
  • 3:15 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Influence Your Next Promotion: Career Management in the WFH Age

  • 3:00 PM -
  • 3:15 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Career Management
Working environments have radically changed as a result of the global pandemic, and for many people, doing the job from home has become the new normal. But if you’re looking to advance your career, how do you stay connected and relevant instead of “out of sight, out of mind?” In this session, we’ll take a look at strategies used by social media influencers who are able engage, instruct, and inspire followers to see how they can help you maintain and grow your own presence with your organization.

Inspirational Insights: Everyday Resiliency in Ever Changing-Times

  • 3:00 PM -
  • 4:15 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Inspirational Insights: Everyday Resiliency in Ever Changing-Times

  • 3:00 PM -
  • 4:15 PM
  • Type: Inspirational Insights
  • Track: Keynotes & Inspirational Insights
With stress, uncertainty, and unrest at a record high, Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe’s message is both inspirational and practical. She introduces her theory “Everyday Resiliency: The 5 Pillars” and shares strategies to help foster each pillar within ourselves and others through research-informed, accessible storytelling and real-world applications. This interactive and engaging Inspirational Insight session will help you regain a sense of calm and order in ever-changing times. You will be inspired and equipped to establish new daily systems to increase productivity and decrease overwhelm.

Boss Lady: Organizational Strategies & Performance Management as a Collegiate

  • 3:30 PM -
  • 3:45 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Boss Lady: Organizational Strategies & Performance Management as a Collegiate

  • 3:30 PM -
  • 3:45 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Career Management
For many, people management/supervisory skills are learned on the fly. This unstructured approach can be a catastrophe for direct reports who are left wondering where they fit into the larger organization or what is expected of them in their role. Many students see themselves in management positions when they envision their career, but where will they practice that experience so they’re confident for that advance leadership role? In this session, Mines SWE shares the efficiency that stems from a well-structured organizational chart (officer board) and position descriptions, to experiencing the performance management process as a collegiate through goal setting, feedback, and evaluation of their direct reports (officer peers). The role of SWE advisor as a coach and mentor throughout this process is also highlighted.

Academic Job Searches: Views from Both Sides of the Table

  • 4:00 PM -
  • 4:45 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Academic Job Searches: Views from Both Sides of the Table

  • 4:00 PM -
  • 4:45 PM
  • Type: Engaged Exchange Panel
  • Track: Career Management
Academic job searches have many phases and can be a bit intimidating. What should you put in your teaching statement? What makes a good research statement? What are the expectations for a phone or Zoom interview, versus an on-site interview – and what is the search committee looking for throughout this process? In this session, you’ll hear from women who have recently been through the job search process and who have served on and even chaired search committees. Bring your questions, and come learn about the phases of the search process so that you can increase the chances of getting an interview and then translating it into an academic job offer.

Yes…And! An Interactive Improv Workshop for the Working World

  • 4:15 PM -
  • 4:45 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Yes…And! An Interactive Improv Workshop for the Working World

  • 4:15 PM -
  • 4:45 PM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Self Management
Have you ever wondered how to think fast in meetings? Would you like to learn techniques to deliver a presentation with confidence? Join Meredith Biechele as she shares the lessons learned during her time as a former improv comedian and applies them to working as an engineer. She will share how you can develop your leadership, listening, and public speaking skills with the power of improvisation. In this interactive session, you will learn techniques that you can take back to your workplace to hone your creativity. Take a step outside of your comfort zone in this fun workshop that help you become a better leader, listener, and engineer!

#IamRemarkable Because…. (a Self-Advocacy Workshop)

  • 4:15 PM -
  • 5:00 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

#IamRemarkable Because…. (a Self-Advocacy Workshop)

  • 4:15 PM -
  • 5:00 PM
  • Type: Engaged Exchange Panel
  • Track: Diversity‚ Equity‚ & Inclusion (DEI)
#IamRemarkable is “is a Google initiative empowering women and other underrepresented groups to celebrate their achievements in the workplace and beyond.” (https://iamremarkable.withgoogle.com/) Talking about our accomplishments is hard for many, especially when you are part of an underrepresented and/or marginalized group(s). As we progress through our careers and life, gaining skills in self-promotion is necessary to ensure that others know what we have done and how our skills apply to new situations. Come to this workshop to learn the importance of letting others know your abilities and accomplishments. Increase your knowledge of the impact and importance of diversity in all its forms in the workplace.

Navigating Technical Careers: Open a World of Opportunity

  • 5:00 PM -
  • 5:45 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Navigating Technical Careers: Open a World of Opportunity

  • 5:00 PM -
  • 5:45 PM
  • Type: Engaged Exchange Panel
  • Track: Career Management
Do you want to influence technology, advise high performing teams, nurture your curiosity, and be a lifelong learner? Then a technical career is for you! The technical career path doesn’t always come with a roadmap, and female representation in senior technical roles has lagged behind management in many industries and organizations. So how do you know if you are gaining the right skills and experiences along the way to advance your technical career? Learn from a panel of multi-industry experts who have risen to senior technical positions. Learn how a technical career can lead to exciting opportunities revolutionizing the aerospace, materials, data science, consumer, and other industries. Ask questions and connect with them as they share their perspectives and experiences on topics including influencing without authority, personal branding, technical credibility, and practicing authentic leadership. Hear best practices for publications, getting patents, and other skills important for advancing your technical career.

Black Women in STEM Panel

  • 5:15 PM -
  • 6:00 PM CST
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  • Thursday, October 20

Black Women in STEM Panel

  • 5:15 PM -
  • 6:00 PM
  • Type: Engaged Exchange Panel
  • Track: Diversity‚ Equity‚ & Inclusion (DEI)
From the three trailblazing Black women NASA scientists that served a key strategic role in the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit to Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, a scientist at the NIH leading COVID-19 vaccine research, Black women have historically played key roles in STEM. Yet studies show that Black women are underrepresented in STEM fields. According to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Black women earned 5.6% of engineering degrees in 2020. Join our panelists as they share their insights on being Black women in STEM, the challenges they encounter, and how to rise above them.
  • Friday, October 21

Friday Keynote: Nancy Post

  • 8:30 AM -
  • 9:45 AM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Friday Keynote: Nancy Post

  • 8:30 AM -
  • 9:45 AM
  • Type: Keynote
  • Track: Keynotes & Inspirational Insights
Nancy Post is the vice president for embedded software and solutions for the Intelligent Solutions Group (ISG) at John Deere. She leads a team focused on advancing the design, development, and test of embedded systems with increasing efficiency. She is responsible for leading the delivery of the Precision Ag Technology stack and all embedded solutions for Deere across the Ag & Turf Division. Prior to working at Deere for the last 25 years, Nancy worked at Rockwell International and Compressor Controls Corporation. She earned her bachelor’s in computer science from Mount Mercy College and her master’s in business administration from the University of Phoenix.

Breaking Tradition, One Lap at a Time

  • 9:45 AM -
  • 10:00 AM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Breaking Tradition, One Lap at a Time

  • 9:45 AM -
  • 10:00 AM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Diversity‚ Equity‚ & Inclusion (DEI)
Completing an automobile race takes preparation, tenacity, and adaptation. So does being a woman in motorsports, a field that has been traditionally male-dominated. This session will relate motorsports-based communicative flags to real-life experiences and the lessons learned from them. The Green Flag, communicating to “go, and go fast” will detail the preparation and opportunities taken to prepare for a career in motorsports. The Blue Flag, communicating to “let others faster than you go by”, will describe how to learn from other experts in the field and how men in motorsports can act as allies. Finally, the Red and Yellow Striped Flag, communicating that “track conditions have changed”, will represent the “dos and don’ts” when a team’s dynamics change. At the end of this session, attendees should be able to take lessons learned from each motorsports-based flag example and apply them to benefit their own lives and careers.

IoT Evolution and Support – Smarter Services for Businesses/Cities

  • 9:45 AM -
  • 10:15 AM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

IoT Evolution and Support – Smarter Services for Businesses/Cities

  • 9:45 AM -
  • 10:15 AM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Technical Innovations
In the past five years the internet of things (IoT) use cases have grown dramatically – connecting practically every object to the internet, equipping everything from doors to vehicles with sensors to measure and send data to the cloud. IoT is forecasted to deploy over 41 million IoT devices worldwide by 2025. IoT has the ability to transform how our organizations and cities provide services by driving efficiencies and improving effectiveness – in other words, making life processes ‘smarter’ than ever. In this session we will not only discuss IoT technology and the huge implications of IoT, but also outline setting a strategic vision to ensure an organization’s or city’s IoT benefits are maximized. This session will include the journey of how a wireless company developed the competencies, capabilities, and team to support IoT through its evolution and the strategy to be prepared for a world of future IoT uses.

Run Your Home as an Agile Team Using Kanban

  • 9:45 AM -
  • 10:15 AM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Run Your Home as an Agile Team Using Kanban

  • 9:45 AM -
  • 10:15 AM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Self Management
Too much to do and not enough time seems to be the prevailing issue for working parents along with the mental load that goes along with organizing and managing a household. Agile methods provide a great way to help you and your family prioritize what is important and work together. They can be applied to everyday life and help your family deliver value to each other. From chores/homework and individual activities to larger projects like planning a party, agile methods can help you breakdown work into manageable sizes and organize them. One methodology is Kanban. It can help the entire family work effectively together to achieve outcomes that benefit everyone. Kanban also helps your family determine the flow of how the work gets done so that you can organize to accomplish your goals. You will learn effective tools and fun tips to help bring order to the chaos!

Adulting 101: Life Skills for Gen Z

  • 9:45 AM -
  • 10:30 AM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Adulting 101: Life Skills for Gen Z

  • 9:45 AM -
  • 10:30 AM
  • Type: Engaged Exchange Panel
  • Track: Career Management
Graduating college is an exciting achievement, but it can be scary, overwhelming, and even daunting to think about the transition to professional life that follows. Led by the Early Career Professionals Affinity Group, this session will explore the many aspects of “adulting” and help attendees prepare for life after college with practical tips for personal and professional growth and success. Topics will include pursuing post-undergraduate educational opportunities, managing finances and household responsibilities, balancing health and wellness, career planning, and networking. This session is targeted towards college students and early career professionals but will be useful for anyone looking to bolster their practical life skills.

Advocating STEM: What does Congress have to do with it?

  • 10:00 AM -
  • 10:30 AM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Advocating STEM: What does Congress have to do with it?

  • 10:00 AM -
  • 10:30 AM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Advocacy & Outreach
Women across America are raising their influence in business and culture. They should do so in politics as well. In this talk, women – and anyone else who wants to have an impact – will learn techniques used by lobbyists and other influencers to directly affect politics and policy, to understand the important role Congress and Federal Agencies play in public policy and Federal funding, and to gain insight into what it takes to advocate for the Science, Technology Engineering, & Math (STEM) community to Congress, including how to organize and produce an impactful Congressional visit event.

Successfully Lead a Cross-Functional Team

  • 10:00 AM -
  • 10:30 AM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Successfully Lead a Cross-Functional Team

  • 10:00 AM -
  • 10:30 AM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Strategic Leadership
When interviewing collegiate candidates, I would just nod when they said “I can’t wait to work with non-engineers!” That’s understandable considering the project teammates were most likely the same major. In the workforce, cross-functional teams are widespread. These teams are one of the most powerful tools for innovative organizations – and one of the most tricky to use effectively. They can destroy department silos, de-risk implementations with their diverse experiences, and help with communication flow hindered even more by our new hybrid workplaces. Along with the benefits, there are key challenges that result in up to 75% of cross-functional teams becoming dysfunctional. Let’s review the best practices addressing these challenges and see how your leadership style can set you up for your next cross-functional team project. Take this assessment [https://assessment.predictiveindex.com/bo/vUn/WE22_KeyInsight] to have your own personalized case study of your leadership style.

There is No One “Right” Way of Thinking- Supporting Neurodiversity

  • 10:15 AM -
  • 10:30 AM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

There is No One “Right” Way of Thinking- Supporting Neurodiversity

  • 10:15 AM -
  • 10:30 AM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Diversity‚ Equity‚ & Inclusion (DEI)
Do you know what Bill Gates, Emma Watson, Steve Jobs, Simone Biles, and Temple Grandin all have in common? All these individuals are neurodivergent. So, what is neurodiversity and why focus on it? Chances are you may know someone that is neurodivergent since studies show 1 in 7 individuals are neurodivergent which is a wide range of neurological differences that include but are not limited to Dyspraxia, Dyslexia Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Dyscalculia, Autistic Spectrum, and Tourette Syndrome. Making space and including these individuals results in leveraging different perspectives, ways of thinking, and problem solving approaches. In this session, you will learn more about what it means to be neurodivergent including individuals’ superpowers and challenges. We will also discuss ways we all can be strong allies to our family members, friends, coworkers and maybe even ourselves toward being more inclusive and being better together.

Inspirational Insights: Discover Your Authentic Voice — And How to Use It to Create Change

  • 10:30 AM -
  • 11:45 AM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Inspirational Insights: Discover Your Authentic Voice — And How to Use It to Create Change

  • 10:30 AM -
  • 11:45 AM
  • Type: Inspirational Insights
  • Track: Keynotes & Inspirational Insights
This isn’t your average executive presence training! Instead of diving into tactics on how you “should” present yourself, we’re going to get clear on what is authentic to you so that you can share your ideas, challenge the status quo, and impact positive change in your workplace – and beyond.

Show Me the Money! Tiered Sponsorship Model for Collegiate Sections

  • 11:45 AM -
  • 12:00 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Show Me the Money! Tiered Sponsorship Model for Collegiate Sections

  • 11:45 AM -
  • 12:00 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Advocacy & Outreach
It can be difficult for collegiate sections to fund conference attendance, scholarships, and outreach. At Michigan Technological University, during COVID-19, our traditional funding method lacked structure and could not be done remotely. We took a chance and with the help of our advisors and University Career Services, we developed a tiered sponsorship system. The goal was to provide all corporate sponsors with an equitable share in funding and representation. With a tiered approach, companies can select how and what they want to support; and student members can solicit funding professionally. Additionally, when the Michigan Tech Advancement office meets with companies who have an interest in supporting SWE, staff can describe the program and refer sponsors to the web site. Come learn how we created and implemented a tiered sponsorship system that you can adjust to fit your section’s needs.

Why EHS and Engineering Go Hand in Hand

  • 11:45 AM -
  • 12:00 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Why EHS and Engineering Go Hand in Hand

  • 11:45 AM -
  • 12:00 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Strategic Leadership
In any profession, having the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes to better understand their perspective can improve your ability to collaborate and results in a stronger, mutually beneficial decision-making process. Safety is an essential ethical requirement in engineering. Engineers in manufacturing, regardless of whether they are in an EHS function or not, have to be aware of and practice EHS principles. We will discuss the need for engineers to have an understanding of EHS regulations and best practices, and the need for EHS professionals to have basic knowledge of engineering principles, along with advice for building relationships between these two functions. Our aim is to improve the relationships between EHS and engineering professionals.

Sleep Well and Prosper

  • 11:45 AM -
  • 12:15 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Sleep Well and Prosper

  • 11:45 AM -
  • 12:15 PM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Self Management
Most of us know getting a good night’s sleep is important, but in our list of priorities getting those 7-9 hours between the sheets tends to fall to the bottom. Powerful research shows just how critical sleep is for so many facets of our lives, including memory, performance, nutrition, longevity, and reproduction. Sleep is a fundamental human need that is vital to most of our body’s systems, yet it is often a misunderstood and neglected component of everyone’s overall well-being. It is frequently thought of as the time when your mind and body shut down, but in reality sleep is an active period where a lot of processing, restoration and strengthening occurs. This session will share the science of sleep, and why we should place sleep as a higher priority in our lives. After all, it enhances our physical and cognitive performance, improves our memory, and supports our survival mechanisms.

Behind Closed Doors: How to Get Selected for Management Roles

  • 11:45 AM -
  • 12:30 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Behind Closed Doors: How to Get Selected for Management Roles

  • 11:45 AM -
  • 12:30 PM
  • Type: Engaged Exchange Panel
  • Track: Career Management
The new organizational email comes out, your leader is leaving, and someone has been named as a new interim leader. Have you ever wondered how that decision was made? Come to this panel to find out what happens behind closed doors when deciding who is ready to take on next-level management positions & why having a sponsor in that room is critical. This panel of leaders will speak to how & why they advocate for certain people when filling all levels of management from front-line managers to senior leaders. We will ask them their opinions on how their employees become more visible and which skills are key for success in the next role. You will learn how to translate the skills you have to the skills you need and how to demonstrate that to individuals who have the potential to advocate for you in the future.

Navigating STEM: Perspectives from African American Women in Engineering

  • 11:45 AM -
  • 12:30 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Navigating STEM: Perspectives from African American Women in Engineering

  • 11:45 AM -
  • 12:30 PM
  • Type: Engaged Exchange Panel
  • Track: Diversity‚ Equity‚ & Inclusion (DEI)
Studies show that African American women are underrepresented in engineering and are pursuing engineering degrees at lower rates. A unique set of challenges that intersect race/ethnicity, gender, and culture can be overwhelming for young professionals to navigate. From imposter syndrome, to microaggressions in the workplace, to code switching; progressing through multiple stages of your career without the much needed support and guidance can be difficult. With varied experiences and perspectives, the panelist will share their personal stories of being a black woman in engineering and lessons learned. Join this amazing group of women, all from different backgrounds, as they provide insight on how you can develop your own success strategies. Get empowered and encouraged from African American women in engineering as they inspire you in navigating STEM and supporting each other throughout your journeys.

Electric Transportation and Infrastructure Integration

  • 12:00 PM -
  • 12:30 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Electric Transportation and Infrastructure Integration

  • 12:00 PM -
  • 12:30 PM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Technical Innovations
Electricity powers nearly every aspect of our lives, and we’re bringing that sustainable energy to transportation. Electric vehicles are better for the environment, have a lower total cost of operation than gasoline or diesel vehicles. In this session, we will discuss the state of multiple applications of electric transportation, the necessary infrastructure for a viable market, and the infrastructure integration into the electric utility grid. All forms of electric transportation are essential to reshape the transportation structure in the United States. Attendees will be exposed to the technical opportunities that exist to create the market for the growth and sustainability of electric transportation. The session will cover the following: • Commercial and industrial applications • Development of the charging infrastructure • Customer programs and projects in place to accelerate charging infrastructure and electric transportation • Electric grid capacity and integration with renewable energy

Hands-On Impact: Student-driven Recruitment to Attract Underrepresented Minorities in Engineering

  • 12:15 PM -
  • 12:30 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Hands-On Impact: Student-driven Recruitment to Attract Underrepresented Minorities in Engineering

  • 12:15 PM -
  • 12:30 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Advocacy & Outreach
Kennesaw State University is thriving with nearly 43,000 students on two metro Atlanta campuses. It boasts of vibrant campus culture, diverse populations, global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit. What we won’t boast about is while women make up over half of all students enrolled at KSU, they comprise only 14% of undergraduate engineering students. The researchers of this project endeavored to do something different to attract a diverse population to the college while exposing current underrepresented minority engineering students to community-engaged scholarship. Equipped with an arsenal of hands-on models, we turned our KSU students from various professional organizations like SWE into recruiters. Research shows outreach from peers with similar backgrounds can help high school students overcome pre-existing beliefs and pressures. This session will share, through student narratives, how community-engaged scholarship not only changes attitudes and outreach self-efficacy in engineering students but also inspires underrepresented minority high school students to pursue engineering.

Start on Track, Stay on Track

  • 12:15 PM -
  • 12:30 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Start on Track, Stay on Track

  • 12:15 PM -
  • 12:30 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Strategic Leadership
Congrats! You are a new project leader on a new project! Where do you start? What is the project scope? How long will it take? What activities need to be completed first? As engineers, we often work on complex projects, but do we approach our projects by defining the work and understanding the project schedule upfront? Making an initial project charter and timing plan can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to. Learn how a project charter and timing plan can get your personal and professional project work started quickly and efficiently. Practice applying these tools with a facilitator-guided activity on planning an example project. Harness these simple yet powerful planning tools to communicate with your stakeholders and take your project leadership skills to the next level.

Inspirational Insights: State of Women in Engineering

  • 12:30 PM -
  • 1:45 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Inspirational Insights: State of Women in Engineering

  • 12:30 PM -
  • 1:45 PM
  • Type: Inspirational Insights
  • Track: Keynotes & Inspirational Insights
The State of Women in Engineering session presents an overview of research on the issues affecting women in engineering. During this special event, Roberta Rincon, Ph.D., will share updates on SWE’s current research projects. Peter Meiksins, Ph.D., will discuss highlights from the 20-year research retrospective published in SWE Magazine’s 2022 State of Women in Engineering magazine issue on topics related to women’s underrepresentation in engineering. Ursula Nguyen, a doctoral candidate at The University of Texas at Austin, will present findings from a collaborative research study aimed at understanding the development of an engineering identity among young women in SWE’s K-12 community, SWENext.

Engaging Girls to Build a Better World through STEM

  • 1:45 PM -
  • 2:00 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Engaging Girls to Build a Better World through STEM

  • 1:45 PM -
  • 2:00 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Advocacy & Outreach
Join Girl Scouts of the USA to find out how you can empower girls to use STEM to make the world a better place. We’ll share how our programs equip girls with the skills and resources to build community solutions. We’ll also discuss how SWE Sections and Girl Scout councils are working together to implement program and offer opportunities that make a difference for girls on a local level.

Failed It to Nailed It: Achieving Success by Overcoming Failures

  • 1:45 PM -
  • 2:15 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Failed It to Nailed It: Achieving Success by Overcoming Failures

  • 1:45 PM -
  • 2:15 PM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Career Management
Failure has come to be a rather daunting word – something to avoid, something to overcome, something to defeat. What if we started to see failure differently? Failure as a teacher. Failure as a prerequisite to success. Many of our greatest achievements are only possible because of the failures that came first, not in spite of them. So, how do we turn failure from a scary story into a stepping stone? By trying to fail faster! Inventors know the value in tinkering, designers know the value in prototyping, and engineers know the value in building incrementally. In this session, attendees will learn proven techniques and hear real-world examples for embracing failure, building their resilience, and failing fast. Attendees will be able to apply these lessons to their own lives and use them at work to foster a team culture where it is safe to fail.

Attracting, Retaining, and Developing Female Engineers in Qatar

  • 1:45 PM -
  • 2:15 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Attracting, Retaining, and Developing Female Engineers in Qatar

  • 1:45 PM -
  • 2:15 PM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Diversity‚ Equity‚ & Inclusion (DEI)
While Qatar has made the legal and social advancement of women a priority over the past two decades and there is a high percentage of female engineering graduates in the country, this does not always lead to representation and job satisfaction for women upon entering the workplace. Our exploratory research study examined current female engineering students’ and alumnae perspectives on how attractive the engineering profession is for women in Qatar. The paper employed a multi-method approach, gathering and analyzing data obtained via a survey and interviews. We share some of the key findings from our study and discuss the need for context-specific and macro, meso, and micro approaches—approaches that brings together the government, academia, and industry in order to tackle legal, socio-cultural, and structural barriers that make it difficult to attract and retain women in the engineering industry in Qatar and beyond.

Sustainability and Your Role in Our Environment’s Future

  • 1:45 PM -
  • 2:30 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Sustainability and Your Role in Our Environment’s Future

  • 1:45 PM -
  • 2:30 PM
  • Type: Engaged Exchange Panel
  • Track: Technical Innovations
According to Engineering Change Lab USA, climate change is real – the impacts are serious, and they are accelerating. They’ve stated that there is an urgent imperative for the engineering community to take informed and intentional actions now to both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of a changing climate. However, with all the buzz words surrounding sustainability, most individuals are unsure how truly support initiatives related to our environment’s future. This informative and engaging sustainability-themed discussion will feature four industry-leading panelists. Discussion will focus on the five basic areas of society: ecology, energy, food, water, and waste. Panelists are subject matter experts in the fields of climate change, environmental stewardship, water conservation, pollution prevention, sustainable building / farming / community development, energy management, biodiversity and land use, waste management, and/or other area related to sustainability, thus providing an education for what individuals can do to help.

Battlefield to Boardroom: Experienced Military Veterans Turned Fortune 500 Executives

  • 1:45 PM -
  • 2:30 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Battlefield to Boardroom: Experienced Military Veterans Turned Fortune 500 Executives

  • 1:45 PM -
  • 2:30 PM
  • Type: Engaged Exchange Panel
  • Track: Strategic Leadership
Companies need to identify leaders who can lead and execute visions for their operations and get the best out of their teams. In many ways, the global supply chain is at a crossroads like that of the U.S. military working through an everchanging climate. The environment is much more complex and problematic, presenting new challenges and forcing a new playbook for how to do things. This session will discuss how former military members are bringing their experience into the corporate world, to be strategic leaders that focus on human connection as an asset. The result is well-positioned, authentic, compassionate, and well-respected leaders in their organizations, and they will focus on why this is important in creating strategic leaders for the future.

Court to Conference Room: Leveraging Your Athletic Strengths at Work

  • 2:00 PM -
  • 2:15 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Court to Conference Room: Leveraging Your Athletic Strengths at Work

  • 2:00 PM -
  • 2:15 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Self Management
From recreational leagues to elite competitions, athletes spend hundreds of hours honing physical, mental, and interpersonal skills in preparation for the next match or meet. Habits are built and challenges are overcome in pursuit of a championship, but what happens when an athlete plays her final game? Where can those strengths be put into practice, if not on the field, court, or course? In this session, a former NCAA athlete will share how her athletic career shaped her as an engineer and leader. She will tell stories of bringing her strengths from athletics into the workplace, including learning to lift those around her, asking for and responding to feedback, and finding a way when faced with failure. Attendees will leave empowered with insights to identify and articulate the skills they have grown in athletics and leverage them in their careers.

Design Squad Latinx: A Strengths-Based Approach to Engineering

  • 2:15 PM -
  • 2:30 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Design Squad Latinx: A Strengths-Based Approach to Engineering

  • 2:15 PM -
  • 2:30 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Advocacy & Outreach
Design Squad Latinx is a strengths-based engineering program developed for and with Latinx communities. We will share key takeaways learned from creating a bilingual program as well as discuss how a funds of knowledge approach to STEM education can make engineering relevant to youth’s lives by creating connections between their lived experiences and engineering. In this session you will hear about Design Squad Latinx’s iterative development process and get a preview of the wide variety of program materials.

Who Has Your Back? Using Your Network to Discover Sponsors

  • 2:30 PM -
  • 3:00 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Who Has Your Back? Using Your Network to Discover Sponsors

  • 2:30 PM -
  • 3:00 PM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Career Management
Awkward events with strangers and prewritten elevator speeches no longer cut it for networking. In 2021, Gartner released a study that 82% of company leaders will allow employees to work remotely. How do we connect and advocate with others who have our best career interest and have the resources to propel us forward? Just like technology had to adjust to the modern work world, our networking practices are in need for an update. How can we manage these relationships and identify key sponsors that can separate us from other capable peers? In building mentor relationships, we begin to understand the value of the community and the opportunities that align when we find mentors who are willing to invest their time and expertise in us. This presentation will empower participants to learn tools for navigating and discerning who has their back and the potential to elevate them to future work opportunities.

Affording Adulthood: Building Financial Awareness as a Young Adult

  • 2:30 PM -
  • 3:00 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Affording Adulthood: Building Financial Awareness as a Young Adult

  • 2:30 PM -
  • 3:00 PM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Self Management
Adulting can be scary, but financial management doesn’t have to be! While everyone picks up their personal expenses at different times, the transition to college and then to the workforce brings about the biggest changes in financial responsibility. Through personal experiences and the collection of trusted third-party information and resources, Katie and Bridgette would like to help students and young professionals conquer this challenge. Whether you want to learn about tools for day-to-day expense tracking, how to create yearly and monthly budget goals, pre- and post-tax expenses, 401(k) contributions, or the need for emergency funds, this session will have something for everyone. We will also share how having an idea of your expenses can help you with everything from job offer comparisons to making lifestyle decisions such as where to live, what type of car to get, and more.

CybHER DivHERsity – Hacking the Glass Ceiling

  • 2:30 PM -
  • 3:15 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

CybHER DivHERsity – Hacking the Glass Ceiling

  • 2:30 PM -
  • 3:15 PM
  • Type: Engaged Exchange Panel
  • Track: Diversity‚ Equity‚ & Inclusion (DEI)
According to the Aspen Institute survey in 2021, It is estimated that only 4% of cybersecurity workers self-identify as Hispanic, 9% as Black, and 24% as women. The field remains remarkably homogeneous, both among technical practitioners and policy thinkers, and there are few efforts that have demonstrated real progress in building diverse and inclusive teams. This panel will explore multiple perspectives on diversity within the cyber domain/career field. This panel is comprised of a diverse group of women cyber professionals, each offering their unique skills, knowledge, backgrounds, and experiences that have shaped them towards their current careers in cyber. Diversity plays a critical role in technical innovation and agility, in addition to the social/personal aspects. This interrelationship will be examined and discussed through the eyes of this diverse and dynamic panel.

Bridging STEM Skills to the Real World for Youth

  • 2:45 PM -
  • 3:00 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Bridging STEM Skills to the Real World for Youth

  • 2:45 PM -
  • 3:00 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Advocacy & Outreach
Early engagement can make all the difference in how youth perceive STEM. While many organizations provide STEM programs to youth, experiencing STEM in action with a STEM professional adds inspiration that can have a long-lasting impression with youth. When companies create partnerships with K-12 organizations to showcase how STEM skills can translate to “real world” jobs, the benefits to the future generation are limitless. This session will teach participants how to find K-12 organizations that are open to creating strategic partnerships for STEM outreach, build mentoring programs to inspire interest, empower young girls in STEM, and develop both virtual and hands-on experiments that demonstrate how STEM skills translate to careers. Speakers will also share their “success stories” and benefits of outreach programs they have developed for young girls in under-represented groups.

The Power of Failing Early and Often in Simulation

  • 2:45 PM -
  • 3:00 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

The Power of Failing Early and Often in Simulation

  • 2:45 PM -
  • 3:00 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Technical Innovations
As systems become more complex, from your oven at home to autonomous vehicles, traditional development methods are no longer adequate. Engineers are turning to methods that help them deliver complex products faster and with higher quality. For embedded systems, testing on hardware is expensive and time consuming. Model-Based Design has been shown to reduce cost and time to market for many complex applications across a variety of domains. Using Model-Based Design, engineers and scientists can model, simulate, and automatically generate code as well as perform verification and validation throughout the development cycle. In this session you will learn how a Model-Based Design environment gives you the power to fail (and fix) early, reduce the need for expensive prototypes later, and improve the robustness of your systems.

You Could Be My Granddaughter: Leading as a Young Female

  • 2:45 PM -
  • 3:00 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

You Could Be My Granddaughter: Leading as a Young Female

  • 2:45 PM -
  • 3:00 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Strategic Leadership
Leadership skills don’t come naturally for everyone. And as one works on that development, it can be even more daunting when those you lead have more years of experience than you’ve been alive. “My granddaughter is your age” can have positive intent and sounds like a gesture to find common ground, but one may also wonder if the statement could point to youth as an obstacle to overcome to get to a leadership position. This session will provide strategies and example actions on how to establish yourself as an early-career female leader and step out of the shadow of your age and gender.

Inspirational Insights: Engineering a Low Carbon Future

  • 3:00 PM -
  • 4:15 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Inspirational Insights: Engineering a Low Carbon Future

  • 3:00 PM -
  • 4:15 PM
  • Type: Inspirational Insights
  • Track: Keynotes & Inspirational Insights
The world’s transition to cleaner energy is largely enabled by engineering advancements to develop and deploy innovative solutions for carbon emission reduction. The latest technologies include sustainable biofuels, methane reduction technology, wind and solar energy, and a more efficient and reliable power grid. Engineers from companies on the forefront of the conversation to a carbon-reduced future join SWE for a discussion about the wide range of technologies being deployed to achieve this goal. These experts will also discuss navigating related industry regulations and how engineers in the field can meet the needs of this lower carbon future.

From Beaker to Gavel – Engineers Make Great Lawyers

  • 4:15 PM -
  • 4:30 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

From Beaker to Gavel – Engineers Make Great Lawyers

  • 4:15 PM -
  • 4:30 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Career Management
Have you ever considered how an engineer’s critical thinking and problem-solving skills transcend engineering, creating the perfect foundation for a brilliant career as a lawyer? In the midst of the technological revolution, “Legal Engineers” are in fierce demand, as they play a critical role in bridging the gap between law and technology. Evidence shows that “Legal Engineers” are making valuable contributions in law firms and in corporate board rooms around the globe. However, the transition from engineering to law school can be daunting. Having practiced as an engineer and lawyer, I will draw upon my experiences to present the challenges, advantages, and the best ways to prepare for amazing career opportunities that await engineers who pursue a career in law. I will present facts that are not in dispute, because the verdict is in. Engineers have the right formula to become the best lawyers — I rest my case.

Design Your Career Roadmap’s Scenery: How to Influence DE&I Culture

  • 4:30 PM -
  • 4:45 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Design Your Career Roadmap’s Scenery: How to Influence DE&I Culture

  • 4:30 PM -
  • 4:45 PM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Diversity‚ Equity‚ & Inclusion (DEI)
You’ve listened to the podcasts, watched the TED Talks, and genuinely believe in the importance of a diverse, equitable & inclusive workforce. But what can you actually do about it? No matter what your level is in the organization – individual contributor, manager, or organizational lead – you can make a difference on your company’s DE&I culture. As you develop the roadmap of your career, don’t just go along for the ride – join this session to learn how to change your surroundings and make your contribution to DE&I in the workplace real and measurable!

Women in Charge – Leading Manufacturing Sites

  • 4:45 PM -
  • 5:30 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Women in Charge – Leading Manufacturing Sites

  • 4:45 PM -
  • 5:30 PM
  • Type: Engaged Exchange Panel
  • Track: Career Management
Ever wondered what it takes to be plant manager? While women’s participation in engineering has grown, women only comprise 7% of manufacturing leadership in the United States. Houston is a hub for chemical and energy production and offers many opportunities for women engineers. In this engaged exchange, women leading various local production facilities will tell their stories. They will detail their roles and responsibilities, share how they built their technical expertise and leadership styles, describe what it is like to be ultimately responsible for the people and production they manage, and identify critical career steps and experience needed to reach the top leadership position at their work sites. Attendees will learn about opportunities in manufacturing and how to gain the experience and skills needed to be prepared and considered for these high visibility jobs.

Attracting Diverse Talent with Authentic Purpose

  • 5:00 PM -
  • 5:30 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Attracting Diverse Talent with Authentic Purpose

  • 5:00 PM -
  • 5:30 PM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Diversity‚ Equity‚ & Inclusion (DEI)
Companies are fiercely competing for qualified diverse talent to join their teams, and the candidates know it. While tangible offerings such as salary and location are important in their decision making, candidates are looking into the DE&I work and cultures of these companies to seal the deal. Therefore, it is paramount that companies are authentic about why they seek to attract diverse talent and work diligently to retain them. This session will both give insight to the challenges faced when recruiting diverse talent, while giving them the necessary tools to overcome them by approaching each candidate honestly and authentically.

Climbing the Corporate Ladder with a Broken Rung

  • 5:45 PM -
  • 6:15 PM CST
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  • Friday, October 21

Climbing the Corporate Ladder with a Broken Rung

  • 5:45 PM -
  • 6:15 PM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Career Management
We all need a good mentor, but it is rare to gain career advice from women professionals ranging in experience from entry level to executive. The Smith and Nephew SWE chapter leadership teams created a Career Advancement Series that spanned one year. Each session was led by a different level of female professional starting with new professional and ending at executive, respectively. We learned that in order to progress as a new professional, it is important to have visibility to short and long-term goals as well as a clear understanding of what needs to happen to achieve those goals. Some speakers put an emphasis on succeeding at home and at work. These talks reminded the group that these VPs are people just like the rest of us, even in such large roles. The knowledge from this series is beneficial to any and every level of professional.
  • Saturday, October 22

Formula for Testing Your Balance

  • 8:00 AM -
  • 8:30 AM CST
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  • Saturday, October 22

Formula for Testing Your Balance

  • 8:00 AM -
  • 8:30 AM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Self Management
Are we looking to find a formula to help us strike a work life balance? Let’s start by testing our balance because when we are off balance, our productivity declines, personal and professional relationships suffer. Testing our balance requires us to understand our priorities and manage our commitments better. This session will help us understand the prioritization formula and how it is instrumental in maintaining balance. This formula helps yields into a healthy balance. It’s a way to measure and readjust. This enables us to evaluate both professional or personal in an objective manner and align them to long and short-term goals. While doing this exercise, we are constantly managing our development and growth opportunities at both professional and personal front.

Finding your Mentor/Encontrando tu Mentora, Latinos AG

  • 8:00 AM -
  • 8:45 AM CST
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  • Saturday, October 22

Finding your Mentor/Encontrando tu Mentora, Latinos AG

  • 8:00 AM -
  • 8:45 AM
  • Type: Engaged Exchange Panel
  • Track: Career Management
The common myth is that there is one right way to mentor others. Typically, everyone thinks of a stodgy, one-way relationship in which the mentor imparts knowledge on the mentee. In reality, mentorship can be very dynamic and can be found in a variety of forms. In this bilingual (English and Español) session, we will discuss several varieties, and how you can gain value from each type. Resources will be shared on how to get connected to mentors/mentees and how to find the right match. Finding your match is not always easy and can sometimes feel intimidating. That’s why it’s important to find a similarity whether that’s your career path, language, traditions or that you’re both SWEsters! We’ll also discuss personal experiences as Latinas and allies in engineering, and how mentors and mentees can help each other reach their goals. [This session will be in English and Spanish.]

Be an Engineering Leadership-Multiplier in a Post-Pandemic World

  • 8:15 AM -
  • 8:45 AM CST
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  • Saturday, October 22

Be an Engineering Leadership-Multiplier in a Post-Pandemic World

  • 8:15 AM -
  • 8:45 AM
  • Type: Listen & Learn Lecture
  • Track: Strategic Leadership
It is important that we examine what industry and cultural trends that evolved during COVID mean to women in engineering leadership positions. This session will discuss how issues like career satisfaction, resilience, adaptability, work/life integration, choices on where to live, where to work, childcare, eldercare, remote work, leading virtual teams, change management, communicating with customers and employees, and networking are all so intertwined that it is easy to feel, well,… OVERWHELMED! This session will take some time to sort our how strategic leadership is changing with shifts in workplace trends and how we are adapting to continue to be successful as engineering leaders. If it is true that 70% of management is about human behavior and humans can behave irrationally, let’s discuss how we seek to anticipate, understand, and provide what our teams need from us as leaders.

Navigating through Racism and Sexism In the Workplace and Beyond

  • 8:30 AM -
  • 8:45 AM CST
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  • Saturday, October 22

Navigating through Racism and Sexism In the Workplace and Beyond

  • 8:30 AM -
  • 8:45 AM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Diversity‚ Equity‚ & Inclusion (DEI)
Many companies today often have diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives aimed at improving intra-workplace culture. But what about when you experience racial and gender bias with external partners or customers outside of your organization? This snap session will explore the intersectionality of gender and racial bias, and the manners in which to address bias in the workplace and beyond. Tools and examples will be shared on overcoming situations of racism, prejudice, and stereotypes through personal accounts from employees, and how their management and company responded and supported them during these situations.

Inspirational Insights: Technology Trends That Will Enhance Human Performance

  • 8:45 AM -
  • 10:00 AM CST
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  • Saturday, October 22

Inspirational Insights: Technology Trends That Will Enhance Human Performance

  • 8:45 AM -
  • 10:00 AM
  • Type: Inspirational Insights
  • Track: Keynotes & Inspirational Insights
We’ve all heard about technology trends such as the Internet of Things, robotics and artificial intelligence, and Virtual Reality. These technologies will impact us profoundly as individuals and as communities, and will connect us by providing the ability to have shared experiences. As we augment human performance, will this result in a Borg collective or in shared and collaborative experiences that bring a collective empathy to society? Dr. Lathan explores the impact of these technologies on us as humans and how we can shape the human-technology interaction to have a positive impact.

Turn Up Your Turn Down Skills: Set Boundaries, Say No

  • 10:00 AM -
  • 10:15 AM CST
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  • Saturday, October 22

Turn Up Your Turn Down Skills: Set Boundaries, Say No

  • 10:00 AM -
  • 10:15 AM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Career Management
Do you wish you said ‘No’ more often at work? Do you know how to constructively set boundaries for yourself at work? There are a host of reasons why we say ‘Yes’ to things we don’t want to. Whether you feel bound by social norms, discomfort in moments of conflict, or the pressure to overachieve, saying ‘No’ to assignments or activities at work may feel completely out of the question for you. However, agreeing to every request may soon overwhelm you and drive burnout faster. This session will teach you how to become comfortable with the uncomfortable, empowering you to freely set boundaries and maximize your bandwidth. By the end of this session, you will understand why we feel pressured to say yes, recognize how this can lead to burnout, and develop the tools to constructively say ‘No’ while maintaining positive relationships.

6 Keys to a 6G World

  • 10:00 AM -
  • 10:15 AM CST
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  • Saturday, October 22

6 Keys to a 6G World

  • 10:00 AM -
  • 10:15 AM
  • Type: Snap Session
  • Track: Technical Innovations
Our future, beyond year 2030, will be built on a ubiquitous connectivity fabric underpinned by 6G, the next generation of wireless technology, and supported by a wide range of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), digital twins, holographic communications, and sensing. 6G has the potential to enhance human connection, health, and safety as well as