January 12, 1998
UW conference helps women engineering students build bridges to top firms
Female students looking for mentors or role models in science and engineering often find themselves swimming upstream. The eighth annual Women in Science and Engineering Conference at the University of Washington aims to buoy the efforts of these students by providing workshops and networking opportunities with women scientists, engineers and managers from more than 30 top companies.
“The conference allows students to make connections with professional scientists and engineers that often lead to formal mentoring relationships,” said Suzie Laurich-McIntyre, associate director of the UW Women in Engineering Initiative. “Mentoring relationships are the beginning of professional networks that can make the difference in whether women overcome challenges and achieve their goals.”
Open to high school, community college and university students, teachers, science or engineering professionals and industry representatives, the conference will be held 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Jan. 24 at the UW. To register or for more information, contact the Women in Engineering Initiative office at (206) 543-4810 or wie@u.washington.edu.
For the first time, the conference will include company recruiters and displays representing firms such as Andersen Consulting Central Intelligence Agency, CH2M Hill, Dialogic Corp., The Dow Chemical Co., Ford Motor Co., Golder Associates, Inc.; IBM, Intel, Kimberly-Clark, Microsoft, Microstar Laboratories, Proctor & Gamble, Siemens Medical Systems, Inc. and W&H Pacific. During a networking luncheon, conference participants will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from companies as well as UW academic departments in their fields of interest.
The conference also will feature a variety of panel sessions and workshops aimed to give participants first hand insight from women scientists and engineers. Professional
workshops on mentoring and on change and transition will target both students and professionals. Other session topics include:
? Paving Your Path to the Future: Led by human resource managers and recruiters from Kenworth Truck Co., IBM and Intel, this session will cover the qualities, skills and experience companies look for in new hires and desire for job advancement
? Advanced Degrees — The Choice is Yours: In this workshop, university and industry representatives will discuss the challenges and benefits of advanced degrees in science, engineering as well as other fields such as law and psychology.
? A Day in the Life — Scientists and Engineers Tell All: With professionals from companies such as Immunex, Weyerhaeuser and the Dow Chemical Co., these two sessions will offer first-hand insight into today’s science and engineering careers
? Juggling life — Keeping it All in the Air: Engineers and scientists from academia and industry will share strategies for women trying to balance a professional career and personal responsibilities.
“With increased industry involvement and opportunities for networking, we want to give participants as much opportunity as possible to interact with professionals so they get the information and contacts they need to make good career-development decisions,” said May St. George, coordinator of the conference and a past participant. “Equally important, we’ve found, are the relationships and networks that the participants build among themselves.
Closing the conference will be a reception and an address from Jill Shapiro, vice president of the international engineering firm CH2M Hill, who will discuss the importance of women’s and professional networks.
Lead sponsors of the conference are Microsoft, The Dow Chemical Company-USA and Ford Motor Co.-Product Development and Dialogic Corp. — West Coast Division.
The Women in Engineering Initiative provides mentoring and academic services to boost enrollment and retention of women students. Since the program was founded in 1988, the percentage of female engineering graduates at the UW has risen from 15 percent to 22 percent and the number of women receiving graduate engineering degrees has more than doubled.
The Women in Engineering Initiative is the western regional center of the Women in Engineering Program Advocates Network, which conducts research on issues pertaining to women of all ethnicities in science and engineering and provides technical assistance and training at colleges and universities around the world to better serve women in science and engineering disciplines.
For more information, contact Laurich-McIntyre or St. George at (206) 543-4810 or wie@u.washington.edu
