In accordance with the Society of Women Engineers Bylaws, Article XIII – AMENDMENT, this proposed bylaws amendment is being presented to the membership.

The SWE Board of Directors will vote on these changes following the 45-day notice period.

The amendment proposal contains the rationale and pro/con considerations.

B2668 Amend SWE Bylaws Article IX – Amendment to Remove the Nominating Committee From the Bylaws and Replace With Article IX Elections

For questions or comments, please submit via email to:

• Society Secretary Genevieve Kane at secretary@swe.org

Read more at All Together

Executive presence, the alignment of expertise, communication, and confidence that others recognize as credible and ready to lead, is a powerful asset for women engineers at every career stage. It signals capability and authority and often serves as shorthand for “she has what it takes.” Yet executive presence is also paradoxical. Many women pursue it without realizing they already possess it. It can feel individually owned yet socially negotiated, stable yet situational.

Over the past two decades, I have worked with thousands of established and aspiring women leaders, most recently within a STEM institution. Across roles, disciplines, and career stages, the desire to project confidence, command a room, and lead authentically is strikingly consistent. Equally consistent is the belief that hard work alone will one day unlock a future version of ourselves: the calm under pressure, charismatic leader who is effortlessly respected and heard.

That future-moment transformation is a myth. Not the “you are capable” part, but the “someday” part. You already have executive presence. Consider the authority you hold in a classroom, the confidence you bring to leading a research group, or the ease you feel when operating at the top of your expertise. Executive presence is not something you acquire once and for all. It is a practice that shifts with context, stakes, and audience. Like any leadership capability, it strengthens through intentional use. The real work is extending the presence you already have into higher-stakes environments.

A Familiar Model and Its Bias Traps

A useful starting point is Sylvia Ann Hewlett’s research, which asked more than 4,000 professionals and executives to identify the elements of executive presence. Their responses clustered around three dimensions: gravitas, communication, and appearance.

Gravitas reflects how leaders project confidence, demonstrate decisiveness, and maintain poise under pressure. Communication refers to the ability to command attention through clarity, concision, and audience awareness. Appearance acknowledges that people form rapid impressions based on dress, grooming, and attention to detail — often before competence has time to register.

The bias embedded in this model is well documented. Confidence and credibility are more readily granted to men and more frequently questioned in women. Direct communication earns men respect, while women expressing the same clarity may be judged as abrasive or lacking warmth. Standards of professionalism that appear neutral often disadvantage women, particularly when racial or cultural expression falls outside a narrow norm.

Despite these critiques, the framework continues to resonate in regards to how executive presence is experienced in practice.

In a recent Society of Women Engineers Academic Leadership for Women in Engineering workshop, participants were asked to describe someone with strong executive presence. Their responses aligned closely with Hewlett’s findings, but used language that felt more lived-in and less evaluative. Together, we reframed the model into three experiential forms of presence women engineers embody at their best: grounded presence, communicator presence, and visual presence. These provide a practical way to understand how executive presence shows up and how it can be strengthened.

Build Presence From the Inside Out

If executive presence is a practice rather than a destination, the question becomes how to reinforce it as the stakes rise. One useful lens is the AIM model: Authenticity, Integration, and Messaging.

• Authenticity is alignment between values, voice, and goals. Engineers understand that systems function best when components point in the same direction. Are your values clear, and do others know what you stand for?
• Integration is authenticity in action. Executive presence is cumulative, shaped by repeated interactions rather than isolated moments. How do others experience you over time? Are your actions and communication consistent while remaining responsive to context?
• Messaging is how you make your value legible. What matters in a classroom differs from what carries weight in a boardroom or committee meeting. Executive presence strengthens when contributions are visible, relevant, and clearly tied to shared goals.

When authenticity, integration, and messaging reinforce one another, executive presence becomes both felt and recognizable.

Presence in Practice

Executive presence develops through action. It grows by trying new behaviors, reflecting, adjusting, and trying again. Waiting to feel ready or perfectly confident only delays progress. Confidence is built through action, not before it.

• Grounded presence involves entering high-stakes situations with intention and using physical presence and eye contact to anchor authority.
• Communicator presence means owning expertise, reducing unnecessary hedging or apologies, choosing declarative language when appropriate, and managing pitch and pacing under pressure.
• Visual presence requires understanding environmental norms, making deliberate choices, limiting second-guessing in the moment, and being visible in spaces where influence resides.

Executive Presence as an Ongoing Practice

Executive presence is not a future version of yourself waiting to emerge. It already exists, unevenly expressed across contexts and strengthened through intentional practice. For women engineers, developing executive presence means extending existing authority into new arenas while navigating persistent bias. When presence is grounded in authenticity, integrated across situations, and communicated clearly, it becomes less about performance and more about alignment. The work is not to become someone else, but to practice showing up clearly, confidently, and visibly as the leader you already are.

Interested in participating in the Academic Leadership for Women in Engineering Program? Check out the program homepage to learn more.

Read more at All Together

Founders Day is more than a celebration of the Society’s history.

Thanks to the generosity of past SWE presidents and former board members, every gift you make can go even further with a 1:1 match. Together, we are amplifying the impact of your support and helping the Society reach new heights.

This collective effort is a powerful way to honor our founders while investing directly in the future of engineering and technology. Every contribution strengthens the Society and fuels initiatives that open doors for the next generation.

It’s a moment to recognize outstanding women like Patricia Brown, the first woman to graduate with a degree in engineering from Southwestern Louisiana Institute (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette) and SWE’s oldest living president.

Brown served as president of SWE from 1961-1963 after starting as a board member in 1953. During her term, the Society was readying for its move into its first office suite, which was located in the United Center for Engineering in New York City. While momentous in its own right, it also came with new challenges for her to navigate, including hiring the Society’s first ever employee, Winifred (Winnie) Gifford White.

This Founders Day recognizes the bold vision of Patricia Brown, who, in many ways, is directly responsible for the robust size of SWE HQ’s staff today.

This year, that opportunity to recognize visionaries like Brown is even more meaningful.

Your support helps create meaningful opportunities, from expanding STEM pathways to funding SWENext Clubs for precollege students. It assists in delivering hands-on engineering experiences to students who may not yet see themselves in this field. It ensures the continuation of high-quality events like WE26 and upcoming WE Local gatherings across the globe in 2027 — spaces where innovation thrives and the brightest minds come together.

To hear more about the impact of your support, watch this special message from Executive Director and CEO Karen Horting:

Make a Difference by Donating Today!

Read more at All Together

On March 24, Avio Aero Sand Casting, a GE Aerospace foundry site located on Borgaretto in Turin, hosted the second event of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Northwest Italy Affiliate.

The event was an engaging experience, bringing together colleagues from all four companies active in the affiliate: Avio Aero, Forgital, Micron, and Wabtec.

Led by affiliate leaders Anna Masia and Marinella Marconi, the session offered a valuable opportunity to meet three Avio Aero senior leaders who shared both their professional paths and personal reflections.

In the second part of the event, participants were invited to ask direct questions and explore challenging topics such as work-life balance, learning from mistakes, and how to refocus one’s career path. The discussion concluded with insights and advice on identifying mentors and sponsors to support career growth.

Around 15 people attended in person and 70 colleagues virtually, demonstrating strong engagement across the affiliate. The success of the event was made possible thanks to the incredible support of the SWE Northwest Italy Affiliate core team and the three leaders interviewed, who generously shared their time and experience with great openness and honesty.

Finally, a special thank you goes to the Avio Aero Sand Casting site management team for their excellent logistical and audio support. Stay tuned for future SWE Northwest Italy Affiliate events as we continue to build a strong, inclusive engineering community!

Read more at All Together

Register now for WE26 and attend the SWENext Innovation Expo for free. Expo-only registration available in August.

Welcome to the SWENext Innovation Expo

• STEM Stars Under 13: Learn about SWENext — our free program for precollege students, check out exciting STEM demos, bag some fun swag and other goodies, and learn about local STEM programs you can continue engaging with after the event.
• STEM Stars Over 13: Enjoy everything above and chat with SWE members and partners from around the world and explore how engineering is making a difference. Check out collegiate SWE sections and their engineering programs, scholarships, awards, tutoring programs, and more.
• Parents and STEM Advocates: Hear about programs and resources available to support your students’ STEM journey, including kits that enhance at-home learning, classroom curriculum tools, and other STEM engagement initiatives.

Don’t Miss the SWENext Celebration

Powered by Bechtel

Sponsors, sign up to grab the last sponsor spot for the celebration.

Relaunching Invent It. Build It.

• Join SWENext for FREE today at swenext.swe.org
• Adults supporting STEM stars can sign up for our adult advocate mailing list
• Follow @SWENext on Instagram and Facebook! Questions? Contact outreach@swe.org

Read more at All Together

At the Society of Women Engineers, we are delighted to share the achievements of women engineers who are inspiring role models for others in their STEM journey. 

Join SWE in celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month as we turn the spotlight on some of the women engineers in the community and their contributions across different industries. 

Sonita Lontoh

Sonita Lontoh is a public company board director who focuses on artificial intelligence, energy, innovation, and digital technology. She currently serves as an independent board director of solar-and-battery-as-a-service company Sunrun and workforce solutions company TrueBlue. Lontoh is also a partner at AI governance company Alpha and an advisor to Silicon Valley venture capital firm Sway Ventures. She has held leadership positions for almost 30 years within global Fortune 100 and Silicon Valley technology companies. Lontoh serves on the National Association of Corporate Directors Blue Ribbon Commission on board culture and on the NACD/World Economic Forum Climate Advisory Council. She holds a bachelor’s in industrial engineering and operations research from University of California, Berkeley; an MBA in marketing and strategy from Northwestern University; and a master’s in engineering, supply chain, and logistics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Read more about her inspiring engineering career in SWE Magazine’s Spring 2022 issue.

Heidi Shyu

Heidi Shyu was the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering during the Biden administration, where she served as the chief technology officer for the Department of Defense and oversaw the activities of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Missile Defense Agency, the DoD Laboratory and Engineering Center enterprise, and the Under Secretariat staff focused on developing advanced technology and capability for the U.S. military. She now serves as advisor and member of the board with several tech firms. Prior to her government service, Shyu was the vice president of technology strategy for Raytheon Company’s Space and Airborne Systems. She holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the University of Brunswick in Canada, a Master of Science in mathematics from the University of Toronto, and a Master of Science in electrical engineering with a focus on system sciences from University of California, Los Angeles.

Leena Nair

Leena Nair is the global chief executive officer at Chanel. She is the only woman of color leading a major luxury brand and was the first woman to lead Chanel when she was hired in 2022. Prior to this role, Nair worked at Unilever, in India and the United Kingdom, for close to three decades, starting as a management trainee and finally serving as chief human resources officer before she left. She was the first woman to hold that position in the company’s history. Nair is a member of the World Economic Forum’s future of education, gender, and work and global future council on new social contract steering committees. She is also a member of the leadership council at the International Center for Research on Women. Nair holds a bachelor’s in electronics and telecommunications engineering from Walchand College in Maharashtra, India, and an MBA in human resources from XLRI Jamshedpur, India, where she was a gold medalist.

Check out her keynote session from her time at Unilever in the Advance Learning Center.

Soyeon Yi, Ph.D.

Soyeon Yi, Ph.D., is South Korea’s first and only astronaut. She was one of two finalists from 36,000 applicants selected to train in Russia for a flight to the International Space Station. Dr. Yi completed an 11-day mission after launch in April 2008. She was an astronaut and senior researcher with Korea Aerospace Research Institute from 2007 to 2014. Dr. Yi has since held multiple positions in the corporate sector and in education. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering and a doctorate in biosystems from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. Dr. Yi earned an MBA with emphasis on technology and global leadership at the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley. She now resides in the United States and advocates for STEM education, speaking about her experience in space. She was inducted to the Asian Hall of Fame in 2025.

Fei-Fei Li, Ph.D.

Fei-Fei Li, Ph.D., is the co-founder and CEO of spatial intelligence company World Labs and the inaugural Sequoia professor of computer science at Stanford University, where she is also the founding co-director of Stanford’s human-centered AI institute. She presented alongside Dr. Lisa Su, CEO of Advanced Micro Devices, at CES 2026 — the tech conference showcasing the latest innovations — demonstrating how spatial intelligence is moving from research into practical, creative workflows. Dr. Li earned a bachelor’s in physics from Princeton University and Ph.D. in electrical and electronics engineering from California Institute of Technology. She is a researcher and technologist in AI, focusing on deep learning, robotic learning, spatial intelligence, and ambient intelligence. Dr. Li is the inventor of ImageNet and the ImageNet Challenge — a critical large-scale dataset and benchmarking effort regarded as one of the three driving forces of the birth of modern AI and deep learning revolution.

Read a review of her memoir The Worlds I See in SWE Magazine’s Summer 2024 issue.

Peggy Cherng, Ph.D.

Peggy Cherng, Ph.D., is cofounder and co-CEO of Chinese fast-food chain Panda Express. She earned a bachelor’s in applied mathematics from Oregon State University and a master’s in computer science and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Missouri. Dr. Cherng worked for Comtal-3M and McDonnell Douglas, where she helped design battlefield simulators for the U.S. Navy. She left in the 1980s to help her husband open the first Panda Express location in California. Dr. Cherng helped implement the company’s sales and analytics software, created the University of Panda people development strategy, and established the company’s philanthropic effort Panda Cares. She is included in several Forbes lists, including America’s and world’s richest self-made women and Forbes 400 and billionaires. In 2012, Dr. Cherng was elected to the board of directors at the California Institute of Technology, where the couple endowed the Andrew and Peggy Cherng Department of Medical Engineering in 2017.

Read about more women engineers from the AAPI Community and their inspirational journeys.

Read more at All Together

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is proud to introduce a new member benefit through our partnership with PPI, a Kaplan Company, a leading provider of engineering licensure exam preparation. As SWE’s exclusive licensure prep partner, PPI offers members valuable support as they prepare for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) and Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exams.

This partnership reflects SWE’s ongoing commitment to supporting members at every stage of their career, from college through professional advancement, providing access to resources that help SWE members reach their goals throughout.

Support for the Next Step Toward Licensure

Engineering licensure is a key milestone that can expand career opportunities, strengthen credibility, and open doors to leadership roles. Through this new benefit, SWE members receive exclusive savings of up to 25% off of PPI’s industry-leading licensure preparation courses.

These offerings are designed to fit any schedule and learning style, including structured instruction or flexible, self-paced study.

What SWE Members Get

With this partnership, SWE members have access to:

• Exclusive Savings: Save on live online and on-demand FE and PE prep courses
• Comprehensive Study Tools: Utilize review materials, realistic practice exams, and the PPI Learning Hub for personalized study plans
• Expert Instruction: Learn from experienced instructors who provide problem-solving demonstrations and exam strategies
• Pass Guarantee: Prepare with confidence knowing select courses include a passing guarantee

How to Access This Benefit

SWE members can access these exclusive offers by visiting the SWE member portal for PPI and selecting the course that aligns with their licensure goals. From there, explore available formats, review course details, and begin preparing for the exam.

Learn More and Access the Offer Online >>

More Ways SWE Supports Its Members

This partnership is one of many benefits available to SWE members. From professional development resources to exclusive discounts and career support, SWE is committed to providing meaningful value throughout your engineering journey.

Explore All SWE Member Benefits >>

We are proud to continue expanding our offerings to better serve our members and support your continued growth and success in engineering. For any questions about this SWE member discount, visit SWE’s member offers and discounts page.

Read more at All Together

A few years into leading a large-scale digital transformation program, I found myself in a design review where the team was ready to ship. The model performed well. The integration was clean. The timeline was intact.

I was the one who stopped the meeting.

“Can every customer actually use this?” I asked. “Not our median user — every customer.”

The room got quiet. We hadn’t built for the customers who might be navigating our platform during a financial or medical crisis, with trembling hands, maybe on a phone with a cracked screen. We hadn’t considered the visual accessibility needs that would make our interface unusable for a portion of the people we were supposed to serve. We had optimized for the ideal user and called that good enough.

After that conversation, we delayed the launch by almost 10 weeks. We built the accessibility features into the architecture from scratch rather than layering them on afterward. And when we finally shipped, the platform worked better for everyone, not just for the users we’d originally failed to design for.

That moment taught me something I’ve carried through every program since: the questions that protect a technology program from its own blind spots are not always technical questions. They are human ones. And creating space for those questions is a leadership decision.

AI is accelerating faster than most leadership pipelines are prepared for. The conversations in most boardrooms focus on technical capability, model performance, deployment speed, and automation rates.

What gets far less attention is the leadership quality underneath those decisions — who is asking whether users will trust this system, whether every stakeholder can access it, and whether the team has accounted for the humans on the other side of the interface.

In my experience, the AI programs that stall six to 12 months after launch almost always stall for the same reason: the technology worked, but the confidence didn’t. Employees route around automated workflows they don’t trust. Customers complete AI-assisted journeys and call a human agent to verify what they were just told.

These are not model problems. They are leadership design problems, and they are far more preventable than the postmortems suggest.

Women who have built careers in technical environments have often developed a particular fluency with these questions. Not because of any inherent difference, but because navigating technical spaces as a woman frequently means learning to hold two things simultaneously: the execution goal and the human impact. It means asking the accessibility question when the room wants to move on. It means naming the trust gap before it becomes a retention problem.

That combination of technical depth and human-centered judgment is not a soft skill. In the AI era, it is a strategic one.

If you’re a woman in a technical role who has ever slowed a meeting down to ask the harder question, who has pushed back on a design that didn’t account for every user, who has advocated for something that felt obvious to you but wasn’t on anyone else’s agenda —  that instinct is not a liability.

It is precisely what this moment in technology needs.

Read more at All Together

The “Her Stories: Adventures in STEM” blog series is a collection of stories about 20 women in science and engineering fields, written by members of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Pre-College Working Group.

These inspiring women have experienced a variety of life experiences and career paths, and these stories and accompanying artwork help to capture the vast diversity of our featured scientists and engineers.

We hope this series will show you how exciting engineering and science can be and help you realize that anyone can choose to become a scientist or an engineer.

Story by Leah Baker

“Improvise, adapt, and overcome” is a motto known to many military family members, including computer and systems engineer Stephanie Raeman.

Born in southern Georgia, Stephanie moved around to different coastal bases throughout her childhood due to her father’s U.S. Navy career. Though this posed challenges growing up, she learned to adjust from a young age and to put the “improvise, adapt, and overcome” philosophy into practice.

Stephanie recalls her first introduction to engineering during her fourth-grade year in South Carolina while participating in the Students Actively Involved in Learning (SAIL) program. The class created a water purification system and wrote simplified code directing a cartoon turtle to draw lines as it moved about the screen.

Stephanie enjoyed the challenge of these projects, but would not have another opportunity to take computer classes for several years.

The transition from elementary school to middle and high school was difficult for Stephanie. “Suddenly, it was not cool to be smart, and there were boundaries discouraging students from taking higher level courses,” she recollects.

Stephanie had to “adapt and overcome” by supplementing her education with library books and summer camps paid for by her grandmother. Luckily, after 10th grade, her family moved again, this time to Washington state. Moving allowed Stephanie to experience different communities and make many friends from all over the country. The dawn of the World Wide Web helped her to keep in contact with out-of-state friends, and as Stephanie entered 11th grade, she was reintroduced to computer science at her new high school. 

Stephanie’s school in Washington fostered learning, where she took two years of Advanced Placement (AP) classes in computer science, physics, and calculus. She remembers a particularly challenging computer science project where she chose to code a vending machine in C++, and there were many variables and actions to take into account. Vending machines are more complicated than you might think!

At her high school, Stephanie participated in outreach programs that encouraged students to learn how things worked by taking them apart. During one of her high school physics classes, an assembly of female engineers from MIT led a group problem-solving activity. The class was divided in two, and the goal for each team was to have all group members touch a ball in the smallest amount of time possible.

Stephanie’s crew won because of her idea for everyone to stack their hands in a vertical slant, with one person dropping the ball from the top. This way, the ball would touch everyone’s fingertips on its way to the ground. Earning praise from the MIT team, such experiences inspired Stephanie to lead outreach activities in college. “I wanted to be like those college girls when I got to college,” she reflected. “I wanted to spark excitement and self-confidence in others.”

Upon graduation, Stephanie attended Georgia Tech’s electrical and computer engineering program. She remembers the first year being difficult and lonely because she was now considered average amongst her classmates, and there were not many other women in her program to make friends with.

She called home, uncertain if she was able to complete the computer engineering program, but extracurricular activities and involvement kept her from leaving Georgia Tech.

For example, Stephanie found great joy helping found a local women’s sorority, Chi Omega Tau, by creating rules and governance. The experience built leadership skills that would prove important during future career interviews. She got involved volunteering with SWE, mentoring a LEGO league team, and participating in outreach events like those that had visited her high school years before.

After graduation from Georgia Tech, Stephanie worked for a Department of Defense contractor in Florida specializing in electronic airplane equipment. Though she enjoyed the coding work, her job included hands-on creation of the final product which sparked an interest in mechanical engineering. Stephanie earned her master’s degree in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Florida while continuing her full-time work with the defense contractor.

During this time, she continued to help with SWE and LEGO League, returning later as a head judge. She volunteered as a teacher for a “Introducing Girls to Engineering” workshop for upper elementary and middle school girls on how electrical circuits work. She implemented the same project-based learning from her days in SAIL, supporting the young girls as they built a flashlight. It was during these experiences that she found a sense of passion unmatched in her day job.

Searching for the same feeling of purpose, Stephanie went to work for a small company as a project manager tailoring web applications to individuals with disabilities. Though fulfilling, it wouldn’t be until Stephanie happened upon an article highlighting a robotics engineer who set up a robotics program at his local high school that she would realize her true calling to teach.

Fast-forward to today, Stephanie teaches two technology courses at Reedy Creek Magnet Middle School Center for the Digital Sciences in North Carolina. Her curriculum introduces sixth, seventh, and eighth graders to how computers work, including how graphics and sound are translated into numbers and how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and drone technologies are changing our lives.

She merges art and science in her lessons to make technology less intimidating and to tailor content to students in ways they can understand. She uses project-based learning and encourages her students to “improvise, adapt, and overcome,” as they design technical solutions to real-world problems.

Stephanie now runs the Future Cities program for the school, where several teams compete to design, build, and present a model of a city 100 years in the future around a theme. This year’s theme was “Farm to Table,” and her school’s team, Feathers Fielders, won third place in North Carolina!

As a leader in the field, Stephanie also enjoys sharing her expertise beyond the classroom. She was recently featured in this episode of The Friday Dive, a podcast by the Friday Institute, where she discusses cybersecurity, computer science, and AI in K-12 education.

Stephanie found her passion for teaching through enjoyable extracurricular activities, like volunteering with FIRST Robotics, that brought meaning into her life as she made them into her career. She says, “I love my job. My favorite part is when my students see that they can make a difference in the world.” Stephanie credits her success to her adaptability learned in childhood and not being afraid to jump in and try something new.

The “Her Stories: Adventures in STEM” series is a collection of stories about 20 women in science and engineering fields, written by members of the SWE Pre-College Working Group. Dive into the rest of the series here!

Know a precollege kid interested in STEM? Join SWENext, the Society’s free program that allows students ages 5 through 18 to join the SWE engineering and technology community.

SWENexters enjoy numerous opportunities throughout the year to learn, network, and connect with peers, role models, and industry professionals. Plus, this diverse, welcoming, precollege STEM community provides a safe place where kids can feel seen, heard, and validated. SWENext is open to all genders.

Read more at All Together

Before I started high school in a new country, my only real experiences with robotics included teaching myself to code using YouTube tutorials and modeling a rudimentary BB8 in Blender with an incredibly laggy computer.

Wandering into the robotics lab as a freshman, I had no clue that it would become my second home; a place where I made friends, lost friends, grew from losses, and celebrated victories. It wasn’t always a smooth ride, but it was definitely a memorable one. In this blog post, I will share some of my experiences for those who might be thinking about competing (spoiler: you should).

When I was starting out, the first obstacle before me was forming a team. This was difficult because it was frightening to interact with people I barely knew post-pandemic. I realized eventually, though, that I had to bite the bullet and reach out if I wanted to do robotics.

So, during the club’s first introductory meetings, I approached people and asked them which role they were interested in pursuing and what their schedules were like. Eventually, after a few polite rejections and a few “maybes,” I belonged to an actual competing team. That was the first step in learning to communicate and put myself out there. 

Another major obstacle was the skill gap. I felt constantly behind because I’d never connected code into a device to see it work in a physical space, and there were certain things that my team (consisting solely of freshmen new to robotics) did not understand. It felt as though we should’ve somehow known how to build a functioning intake and code motors.

There were veterans in the club who were helpful, if only we’d approached them… but we were too scared to. Because we chose the hard and time-consuming method of figuring it out by ourselves, we had to forfeit our place at our first nationals because we still didn’t have a steady drivetrain.

Some of my teammates grew so demotivated they stopped attending, but those of us who remained finally cast our pride aside and asked for help. 

Reflecting on the skill gap after two seasons and noticing younger students face the same problems I had as a freshman, I decided to demystify robotics for my club by joining the council and creating the resources that once would’ve benefited me.

I created a detailed build guide for the parts in our lab, including where to find them and what to use them for. I organized workshops and recorded walkthroughs on designing with Onshape and using C++ for those ready to transition out of block coding. Doing this taught me to lead and initiate the things I was passionate about.

Finally, there’s the thrill of the competition itself: the culmination of months of hard work and learning, and yes, it can be very stressful. It’s natural for arguments to break out during such high-pressure moments, but the true nature of a strong team is, above all, staying resilient and supportive through every frustration. 

Some of my most cherished memories include laughing and singing “Don’t Stop Believin’” with my friends when we ranked last in a competition. Another time, we forgot our radio (without which the robot wouldn’t even drive), and the team that we were competing against lent one to us.

Those are my four seasons and four reasons. Now that I’m “retired” from VEX V5 and graduating, I feel that robotics has been at the core of my high school experience. It was absolutely worth the panic-fueled 3 a.m. nights, though I would strongly advise having a healthier sleep schedule.

Read more at All Together

In the United States, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is celebrated every May, honoring members of the community and their contributions. SWE member Tuyet-Hanh Schnell shares more on the history and significance of the month.

At the Society of Women Engineers, we celebrate AAPI Heritage Month by highlighting the women professionals in science, technology, engineering and mathematics from the community and their many contributions to the field, inspiring the next generation of engineers.

View this compilation of some of the latest podcast episodes, blog posts, magazine articles, and online courses highlighting their work and impact, as well as a few resources for members and allies of the AAPI community. 

Diverse: A SWE Podcast

• Ep 366: The Power of Jugaad in Engineering: Turning Constraints Into Creative Solutions: Hear SWE Asian Connections Affinity Group members Riddhi Attarde, Vidhya Prabhu, and Uma Veeramani discuss the concept of jugaad, how it applies in STEM spaces, and how engineers can use that mindset to find solutions when time or resources are limited.
• Ep 349: How to Make the Boss-Employee Relationship Work for Everyone With Sabina Nawaz: Leadership coach Sabina Nawaz draws from her 14-year career at Microsoft in sharing how leaders can unlock better ideas from their teams, breaking down what causes leaders to struggle, and how managers and employees can build stronger working relationships. 
• Ep 319: Personal Finance for Engineers With Sandra Park: Sandra Park, a financial coach for women in STEM, speaks about how engineers can apply problem-solving skills to personal finance and gain more freedom in their careers. She shares steps for building a strong foundation at all career stages and a systems approach to paying student loans.

All Together Blog

• The Questions Rachel Carson Taught Me to Ask: SWENext Influencer Katelyn L. shares her thoughts on how we can contribute to a world where humans and nature coexist and carry forward the vision of American biologist and writer Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring, whose curiosity and advocacy transformed our view of the environment and industrial progress.
• How Madalyn Nguyen Built Confidence, Community, and a Future in Computer Science: From our Her Stories: Adventures in STEM series, read about Madalyn Nguyen, a second-generation Vietnamese American studying computer science. Her journey from robotics and SWENext to aerospace and technology internships shows that growth in STEM is rarely linear.
• From Reflection to Action: Senior Software Engineer Alisha Sharma Chapai shares how the SWE Ignite Leadership Program helped her rebuild confidence and grow. By leaning into discomfort and valuing emotional intelligence, she started taking the lead on advocating for her own growth and recognized that leadership is a journey shaped by continuous learning. 

SWE Magazine 

• Why Mentorship Is Not Enough — And Sponsorship Is Not Optional: Rosalind Chow, Ph.D., associate professor of organizational behavior and theory at Carnegie Mellon University and author of The Doors You Can Open: A New Way to Network, Build Trust, and Use Your Influence, shares her thoughts on finding a sponsor and showing up in a sponsorship. 
• Distinguished Engineering Educator: Tsu-Jae Liu, Ph.D., president of the National Academy of Engineering, was recognized for demonstrating the highest standards as an educator and scientist, for challenging students to pursue independent research, and for inspiring women engineers to shape the future of technology. 
• What’s in a Title?: Read the Spring 2025 feature comparing job titles and responsibilities for women engineers in different regions and what the similarities and differences are. Software engineer Stephanie Nhi Le from Chicago reflects on the path she took to get to where she is today, and her lessons learned from working in a startup environment. 

Advance Learning Center

• Authentic Influence: Using Your Story to Build Relationships & Opportunities: Executive Coach Marge Ang shares from 25 years of experience accelerating growth for global organizations and startups. In this course, learn to create a first draft of a personal brand story in an authentic way and adapt a personal brand story for different professional contexts.
• Bridging the Gap: Empowering First-Generation Professionals for Success: Learn how first-generation professionals can bring their unique perspectives and strengths to the workplace while navigating challenges such as unfamiliar corporate landscapes, particularly in engineering, which demands technical expertise and adaptability in professional environments. 
• The Art of Authentic Networking: Discover the importance of networking in the workplace, identifying the keys to networking, and recognizing techniques to improve collaboration with colleagues. Leave with insightful tips for large in-person networking events that will help introverts and extroverts alike thrive and form meaningful connections.

Asian Connections Affinity Group

For SWE members who identify as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, or who are allies of the community, the Asian Connections Affinity Group provides help and support while connecting you to members on Facebook. You can also subscribe to their newsletter by logging into your member portal and opting in under Communication Preferences or reach them on AsianConnections_AG@swe.org.

SWE Joint Member Organizations

Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) is free to join and is one of SWE’s joint member organizations where you can experience greater access to community, networking, and additional programming.

Read more at All Together

“Rome wasn’t built in a day” is a French proverb that originated over 1,000 years ago. Brick by brick, foundations were built, creating something greater than the sum of its parts. As an early-to-mid career professional, I’m still laying my bricks.

Prior to joining the fall 2025 cohort for the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Ignite Leadership Program, I had this perception that the height you could reach as a leader was deeply personal and tied to your networking skills, your degree of extroversion, and self-confidence. It felt finite.

SWE’s Ignite Leadership Program includes workshops, independent study, and peer-coaching. These components are intentional. The workshops are interactive, and experienced professionals provide their insights on key leadership competencies, offering practical advice to level-up your skills. They even engage with the cohort to answer your questions

Through independent study, you take a deeper dive into leadership topics and reflect at your own pace to identify your areas of interest and growth. Peer coaching groups create a space to reflect on your learnings and to pool insights from professionals at a similar point in their career. It’s powerful to reflect among a diverse group of ambitious peers just as motivated as you to grow as leaders.

My favorite part of the program? Kicking it all off with a self-assessment through the Leadership Competency Model (LCM). The LCM structures leadership competencies as a matrix with six competency focus areas and four competency levels. This structure helped make leadership feel more scalable and infinite — and really, what engineer doesn’t love a matrix?

Ignite created a space for me to see myself as a leader, and more importantly, to dream bigger. If you’re an early-career engineer looking to grow, reflect, and connect with an inspiring group of peers, I can’t recommend the SWE Ignite Leadership Program enough.

And who knows, maybe you’ll connect with a civil engineer you can nerd out with on ancient Roman engineering as you build your leadership empire brick by brick.

Applications open in July for the next Ignite cohort! Visit the Ignite Leadership Program website for more information.

Read more at All Together

Entrepreneurship within engineering takes many forms — from consulting and startups to technical services and product development. The SWE Entrepreneurs Affinity Group (AG) brings together members who are exploring or actively building businesses while leveraging their engineering expertise.

Behind the scenes, a dedicated leadership team helps guide the group’s programming, community building, and outreach efforts. Their backgrounds span industries, technical disciplines, and entrepreneurial journeys, but they share a common goal: supporting SWE members interested in entrepreneurship.

Meet the leaders helping drive the SWE Entrepreneurs AG forward.

In Part 1, we introduced members of the SWE Entrepreneurs AG leadership team who support programming, content development, and professional development opportunities. In Part 2, we highlight leaders focused on community engagement, advocacy, and the continued growth of the group.

Brianna Correnti
SWE Entrepreneurs AG Lead-Elect

Professional Background:
Brianna is a sustainability-focused consultant for Fortune 1000 companies. Currently, she is employed as a consultant engineer at FM, where she helps clients understand and reduce complex risks across industrial facilities and critical infrastructure, including climate resilience such as flood, wildfire, and freeze threats. Her background spans small modular nuclear reactor manufacturing, rocket science, and industrial engineering.

Entrepreneurial Work:
Brianna focuses her entrepreneurial work in projects outside of her full-time role. Some examples include a safety navigation app for urban settings and investigating the feasibility of new businesses.

Role in the SWE Entrepreneurs AG:
Brianna serves as the lead-elect, focused on learning the current structure of the SWE Entrepreneurs AG. She hosts events collaborating with professional female-empowerment organizations.

Advice:
Ensure there is a genuine need and cashflow prospect to starting your own business. Talk to leaders who have more experience and learn from them directly. A business does not need to be a full-time role, but another avenue to career aspirations, learning new skills, helping change the world and increasing personal wealth.

Joyann Hernandez
SWE Entrepreneurs AG Advocacy Chair

Professional Background:
Joyann has 16+ years of engineering experience across companies, including Intel, Freeport-McMoRan, and Raytheon, working in environmental compliance, industrial hygiene, and EHSS programs. She now owns and operates Sunflower Environmental, where she provides consulting and regulatory training services.

Entrepreneurial Work:
Joyann founded Sunflower Environmental in 2020 and has led the company for the past five years, providing environmental compliance and training services to industrial and public-sector clients.

Role in the SWE Entrepreneurs AG:
Joyann serves as an advocacy manager and board member for the SWE Entrepreneurs AG, supporting initiatives that promote women in business and leadership. She contributes to advocacy efforts, community engagement, and organizational strategy.

Advice:
I truly believe that starting my own company was the best career path for me and my family, and that, as long as you set SMART goals, define what success looks like for the company you want, and execute, anyone can achieve their own success. It is hard to not compare to others in corporate jobs, but having flexibility and true working for projects you love gives a sense of freedom that is not easily achieved otherwise.

Melissa Branch
SWE Entrepreneurs AG Facebook Coordinator

Professional Background:
Melissa is a civil engineer specializing in site development. She began her career at a large local, multidisciplinary engineering firm, where she had the opportunity to explore a variety of civil sectors. It was there that she discovered her passion for site design. She enjoys collaborating with architects and fellow engineers to create sites that not only support the intended building use, but also connect thoughtfully with the surrounding community.

Entrepreneurial Work:
Melissa is the owner and principal engineer of Big City Engineers, LLC, a civil engineering firm focused on site development. Her work includes research, planning, grading and drainage design, water and wastewater systems, and permitting assistance. With a strong understanding of the many steps required to bring a project to construction, Melissa supports her clients beyond design — helping guide projects from concept to completion. Her work spans communities across Alaska — from large cities to smaller, rural areas.

Role in the SWE Entrepreneurs AG:
As the facebook coordinator for the SWE Entrepreneurs AG, Melissa stays actively connected with the group and shares valuable information and opportunities with its online community. This includes promoting newsletters and blog posts developed by Victoria (communications and resource chair), as well as fostering engagement by initiating discussions. She encourages collaboration by openly sharing her own challenges and successes so others can learn and grow alongside her.

Advice:
You’re an engineer — use those skills. Do your homework. Define the services you want to offer and determine whether there is a market for them. Identify what you truly need to get started, such as equipment, resources, and licensing, and what can be scaled over time. Take advantage of available resources, including your local small business center, your professional network, and groups like this one. People want to see you succeed, and many are willing to help — if you just ask. Starting a business can feel intimidating, but it’s also an exciting opportunity. Be brave — the rewards are worth it!

Veronica Schlegel
SWE Entrepreneurs AG LinkedIn Coordinator

Professional Background:
Veronica first started her career in packaging engineering at Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and then successfully transitioned to many different functions, including finance, marketing, strategy, and global development. After gaining more than two decades of leadership experience at J&J, she took the leap to become an entrepreneur and started her own business.

Entrepreneurial Work:
Veronica is the founder and president of Strategic Impact Consultants LLC, an SBA-certified Women-Owned Small Business dedicated to empowering mission-driven organizations with strategic insights and sustainable growth solutions. As a business and strategy consultant, she leverages her diverse expertise to serve a mix of for-profit and nonprofit clients with projects in business development and strategic partnerships, marketing and communications, and new product development and commercialization.

Role in the SWE Entrepreneurs AG:
As the LinkedIn program coordinator for the SWE Entrepreneurs AG, Veronica manages the LinkedIn group where members can check out monthly newsletters, hear about different events, and share relevant news/updates for the group. Be sure to join the group if you haven’t yet!

Advice:
Don’t be afraid to try something new and ask for help along the way. Connecting with others is one of the best things you can do as an entrepreneur. There are so many resources available — locally, nationally, and globally. You just need to start connecting with others and ask questions to find them. The SWE Entrepreneurs AG is one of those resources that you can leverage — whether you’re just thinking about going out on your own or have already made the leap. Making new connections is a great way to learn and also give back to others.

Cassie Leonard
SWE Entrepreneurs AG Special Program Coordinator

Professional Background:
Cassie is an aerospace engineer with 16 years of experience at Boeing, growing from structural analysis into senior integration leadership on commercial derivative aircraft programs. Her work focused on connecting complex technical teams and delivering large-scale systems in high-stakes environments.

Entrepreneurial Work:
Cassie is the founder of ELMM, LLC, where she coaches mid-career professionals in STEMM and leads ELMM Press, a publishing imprint supporting women’s voices in leadership, engineering, and career transitions. She is also the author of STEM Moms and lead author and editor of Beyond the Pipeline.

Role in the SWE Entrepreneurs AG:
Cassie supports special projects and initiatives across the group. She co-authored last year’s Spotlight Month blog on being an author and has served as a speaker and moderator for the Engineers to Entrepreneurs panel at multiple SWE conferences.

Advice:
Start before you feel ready, but start intentionally. Test ideas in public, pay attention to what resonates, and let the business grow alongside your clarity and confidence. Like modifying a 747, it’s valuable to have a vision and goals, but you don’t need every part yet. Just-in-time progress is powerful.

Supporting SWE Entrepreneurs

The SWE Entrepreneurs AG leadership team works together to:

• organize events and discussions focused on entrepreneurship
• highlight SWE member founders and business leaders
• provide resources and tools for starting and growing a business
• create opportunities for members to connect and learn from one another

Ways to Get Involved

• Join the SWE Entrepreneurs AG Facebook group and LinkedIn group
• Opt-in to the SWE Entrepreneurs AG email list. This can be found in the membership portal under communication preferences.
• Volunteer with the SWE Entrepreneurs AG
• Join the SWE Mentor Network and choose SWE Entrepreneurs AG

More Information

Connect with us on our various platforms! Membership in any SWE Affinity Group is open to all SWE members interested in participating.

Check out our AG resources! This folder hosts the AG’s business directory, past entrepreneur/member highlights, notes/references from programming activities, and other information that may be helpful to support members’ entrepreneurial journeys.

If you would like more information about the SWE Entrepreneurs AG, please email Tricia Drake at entrepreneursag@swe.org.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we highlight additional leaders supporting community engagement, advocacy, and the continued growth of the SWE Entrepreneurs Affinity Group.

Read more at All Together

When it comes to AI: if you feel behind, you’re not imagining it.

The external environment is objectively accelerating. Organizational AI adoption has surged rapidly, yet only a small fraction of companies consider themselves AI-mature. Skill demand is shifting just as fast, while digital overload is widespread and increasingly linked to stress and reduced well-being.

When an entire industry is simultaneously adopting AI, struggling to implement it well, and demanding new skills, cognitive strain is inevitable. The surface area of what could be learned is effectively infinite. Human attention is not. The problem is not a lack of talent; it is structural overload.

Many engineers wake up to new large language models (LLMs), benchmarks, or “AI replacing X” headlines. Even those actively learning and building projects often feel anxiety rather than excitement. This response is normal. AI innovation is accelerating faster than organizations — and humans — can consolidate learning. Feeling overwhelmed is a rational cognitive response to an abnormal pace of change.

The Hidden Trap: Awareness ≠ Mastery

AI media rewards novelty and visibility; careers reward outcomes. Consuming headlines feels like progress, but value comes from launching solutions, improving metrics, and enabling teams. If we measure ourselves by “How much did I hear about this week?” we will always lose. A better metric is: How consistently can I learn, apply, and communicate value?

Frequent announcements trigger social comparison, leading learners to start using too many resources at once. Fragmentation prevents depth and visible progress, increasing anxiety, and driving even more consumption. Effort alone worsens the loop; structure breaks it.

Am I Really Behind — or Is the Finish Line Moving?

Technostress research shows that constant exposure to changing tools increases cognitive load and anxiety, even for experienced professionals. The “behind” feeling often reflects comparison to visibility, not competence. Overwhelm isn’t caused by lack of effort; it’s caused by fragmented effort. The cure is not “working harder”; it’s building a system.

A Practical Coping System: CALM Framework

CALM turns learning into repeatable outcomes:

C – Curate (Reduce Noise)
Pick one to two trusted AI sources and stop doom-scrolling AI announcements in the news. Maintain a “Not Now” list for tools and papers you’ll intentionally ignore for 30–90 days.

A – Anchor (Choose an AI “Spine”)
AI is too broad to learn horizontally. Instead, strengthen a stable vertical spine: fundamentals, core machine learning (ML) concepts, LLM system design, deployment realities, and domain context. Trends change; fundamentals compound.

L – Learn (Use Evidence-Based Mechanics)
Learning sticks through retrieval, spacing, and application — not rereading. Implement a simple weekly routine such as reading one targeted piece, writing a recall summary from memory, implementing one small experiment, and writing a short teach-back note.

M – Make (Ship Outcomes)
Confidence comes from proof. Reproduce a baseline, add one improvement, package a small demo, and publish your lessons learned. Output reduces anxiety. Proof creates calm.

Experienced Women Engineers & the AI Overwhelm Loop

Women who entered engineering years ago often navigated gender bias and limited mentorship. Today, age stereotypes layer on top.

Research shows that stereotype threat, an individual’s fear of confirming negative stereotypes about their social group, can reduce confidence and technology use despite capability, while “young-coded” norms signal exclusion. Adaptation to AI depends on systems such as training, job design, and psychological safety — not age itself.

Cross-generational learning can have a major impact in this area. Reverse mentoring combines speed with judgment and supports innovation when designed intentionally.

The Emotional Layer

Impostor feelings arise when your identity is tied to “being the one who knows.”

But durable confidence combines skill (learning), proof (artifacts and outcomes), and support (mentors, peers, and boundaries). Most people chase skill alone, but confidence stabilizes when all three are present.

You are not behind, and AI isn’t a subject to finish; it’s a landscape to navigate. Calm, repeatable systems beat panic-learning. And for senior women engineers, your judgment and systems thinking are not obsolete; they are essential to responsible AI adoption.

Read more at All Together

Get to know the new affinity group lead, Nabimie Ducas! Learn more about Nabimie (who goes by Nabie) and consider joining the SWE Community Colleges Affinity Group (AG) leadership team to help further the impact of SWE on community colleges.

What degrees do you have, and what colleges/universities did you attend?
I hold a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and a master’s degree in forensic chemistry, both from Temple University.

What is your profession?
I am currently a pre-clinical development scientist at Merck.

How did a community college education help you achieve your goals?
Attending the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) allowed me to complete foundational coursework that later became the basis for more advanced and rigorous classes at Temple University. Beyond academics, the supportive community and access to teaching assistants, especially in my introductory chemistry courses, played a significant role in shaping my confidence and interest in chemistry. That experience ultimately influenced my decision to major in chemistry after transferring.

Are you still involved with the community college you attended?
At the time I attended CCP, I was not actively involved, largely because I was unaware of available resources and still navigating my path in higher education. However, as now a SWE Community College AG chair-elect, I hope to reconnect and serve community colleges through outreach and engagement, both at my former institution and beyond.

What do you want people to know about community colleges?
Community colleges offer incredible resources, but many students are unaware of them due to limited outreach. Students are often focused on identifying their major or next steps, which can make it difficult to seek out support systems. In my experience, community colleges provide accessible education, lower costs, and strong academic support, sometimes including free textbooks and closer guidance, which can be transformative for students.

What motivated you to pursue becoming the chair for the SWE Community Colleges AG?
My passion for serving community colleges is deeply personal. I began my academic journey at a community college, which laid the foundation for my career in chemistry. At one point, I even applied to be an adjunct professor because I wanted to give back in a meaningful way.

As a SWE member, I knew I wanted to volunteer where the help was most needed. When I learned about the SWE Community Colleges AG, it immediately resonated with me. During my time at a community college, I was not aware of SWE or whether it was even accessible, and I now recognize how powerful SWE can be in supporting students in STEM, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds.

Today, through my involvement in SWE and interactions with college students, I have seen firsthand how mentorship, representation, and community can influence success and confidence. I originally aspired to pursue chemical engineering, but felt discouraged at the time because I did not see women represented in that space. I do not want other students, women or men, who start at a community college to feel lost or limited in the same way. If given the opportunity and the right resources, I want to help ensure they feel supported, informed, and confident in pursuing their goals.

Join the SWE Community Colleges Affinity Group on LinkedIn, follow us on Instagram, or contact us via email!

Read more at All Together

Entrepreneurship within engineering takes many forms — from consulting and startups to technical services and product development. The SWE Entrepreneurs Affinity Group (AG) brings together members who are exploring or actively building businesses while leveraging their engineering expertise.

Behind the scenes, a dedicated leadership team helps guide the group’s programming, community building, and outreach efforts. Their backgrounds span industries, technical disciplines, and entrepreneurial journeys, but they share a common goal: supporting SWE members interested in entrepreneurship.

Meet the leaders helping drive the SWE Entrepreneurs AG forward.

In this first post, we highlight members of the leadership team who support programming, content development, and professional development opportunities within the group.

Tricia Drake
SWE Entrepreneurs AG Lead

Professional Background:
Tricia Drake is a licensed professional engineer with over a decade of experience in mechanical engineering and HVAC system design. She has supported hundreds of projects across health care, commercial tenant improvement, retail, and hospitality sectors, working closely with architects, contractors, and project teams to design effective mechanical systems.

Entrepreneurial Work:
Tricia is the founder and owner of HVAC Double Check, where she provides independent mechanical design review and consulting services. Her work helps project teams identify coordination issues early, improve system performance, and strengthen project outcomes.

Role in the SWE Entrepreneurs AG:
Tricia serves as the lead for the SWE Entrepreneurs AG, helping create space for engineers who are interested in entrepreneurship to connect, share experiences, and learn from one another.

Advice:
Don’t wait until you feel completely ready. Start by building relationships, learning how the business side of your industry works, and being open to opportunities that help you grow. Engineering gives you strong problem-solving skills and those translate well into entrepreneurship.

Victoria Png
SWE Entrepreneurs AG Communications and Resource Chair

Professional Background:
Victoria is a mechanical engineer and project management professional (PMP) with experience leading complex capital projects in industrial manufacturing and regulated biotech and pharmaceutical environments. She has managed multimillion-dollar initiatives, including manufacturing facility expansions, equipment installations, and operational improvement projects while coordinating cross-functional teams across engineering, quality, operations, and contractors.

Entrepreneurial Work:
Victoria is the founder of Zhen Project Services, where she provides project engineering and project management support for clients in manufacturing, biotech, and industrial sectors. Through her business, she supports capital investment (CapEx) projects by helping organizations plan, coordinate, and execute complex equipment installations and facility improvements while building structured systems for asset management, documentation, and operational readiness.

Role in the SWE Entrepreneurs AG:
As the communications and resource chair for the SWE Entrepreneurs AG, Victoria leads the development and publication of content that supports members interested in entrepreneurship. She manages the creation of newsletters, blog posts, and resource materials, coordinating with contributors and working with SWE to ensure content is published and delivered on schedule. Her work helps highlight SWE entrepreneurs while providing practical tools and insights for members exploring entrepreneurial paths.

Advice:
Don’t be afraid to explore entrepreneurship. While corporate roles can feel like the most stable path, building your own business can offer a different kind of stability — one where you have greater control over the work you do and the direction of your career. Starting a business doesn’t always require an immediate leap. Often, it begins by solving a problem you understand well, testing ideas, and building experience over time. Engineers are trained to analyze systems and identify opportunities for improvement, and those same skills translate naturally to entrepreneurship.

Robyn Broniewski
SWE Entrepreneurs AG Development Chair

Professional Background:
Robyn is a mechanical engineer with over a decade of experience in R&D, engineering leadership, and new product introduction (NPI) across highly regulated industries. She currently serves as a sr. NPI engineer at Johnson & Johnson MedTech – Heart Recovery, where she leads cross-functional teams to bring life-saving cardiac technologies from development through commercialization. Robyn’s work focuses on aligning engineering, quality, supply chain, and manufacturing to deliver innovative, compliant, and impactful solutions.

Entrepreneurial Work:
Robyn’s entrepreneurial interests are centered around building initiatives that create impact through community, leadership development, and innovation. She has led and contributed to programs that empower professionals to grow their careers, expand their influence, and explore nontraditional career paths. She is particularly interested in how engineers can leverage their technical background to create new opportunities — whether through startups, consulting, or thought leadership.

Role in the SWE Entrepreneurs AG:
As development chair, Robyn supports the growth and engagement of the SWE Entrepreneurs AG by designing programming, fostering connections, and creating opportunities for members to learn from one another. She is passionate about building a space where engineers feel empowered to explore entrepreneurship, share their experiences, and gain practical insights to take the next step.

Advice:
Start before you feel fully ready — confidence comes through action, not waiting. Engineers already have a strong foundation in problem-solving, critical thinking, and resilience, which are essential in entrepreneurship. Focus on learning quickly, testing ideas, and building relationships with people who challenge and support you. You don’t need to have everything figured out — just the willingness to take the first step and keep moving forward.

Wendy Cocke
SWE Entrepreneurs AG Monthly Topics Coordinator

Professional Background:
Wendy grew up being told she could be anything and learned firsthand that through hard work and perseverance, a small business can become the lifeblood that fuels a family. A chemical engineer by training, Wendy spent over 20 years leading technical teams in Fortune 500 companies before changing the trajectory of her career in her 40s to open her own business and join the faculty at her alma mater.

Entrepreneurial Work:
Wendy, best-selling author and the founder of Engineering Leadership Solutions, is passionate about redefining the working world. As a working mother and engineer who moved up the corporate ladder in Fortune 500 companies on a part-time schedule, Wendy is an expert on thinking about work differently and loves to work with people and organizations who want to do the same.

Role in the SWE Entrepreneurs AG:
Wendy works with the AG members to identify speakers and topics that would move our businesses forward. To achieve this, she coordinates virtual sessions throughout the year where members can log in and learn.

Advice:
Running a business involves so much more than your technical competency. You will need to identify or learn skills beyond engineering like sales, finances, social media/marketing, strategy, and more. There is always something else that could be done, so being really clear about what you should be doing is critical.

Supporting SWE Entrepreneurs

The SWE Entrepreneurs AG leadership team works together to:

• organize events and discussions focused on entrepreneurship
• highlight SWE member founders and business leaders
• provide resources and tools for starting and growing a business
• create opportunities for members to connect and learn from one another

Ways to Get Involved

• Join the SWE Entrepreneurs AG Facebook group and LinkedIn group
• Opt-in to the SWE Entrepreneurs AG email list. This can be found in the membership portal under communication preferences.
• Volunteer with the SWE Entrepreneurs AG
• Join the SWE Mentor Network and choose SWE Entrepreneurs AG

More Information

Connect with us on our various platforms! Membership in any SWE Affinity Group is open to all SWE members interested in participating.

Check out our AG resources! This folder hosts the AG’s business directory, past entrepreneur/member highlights, notes/references from programming activities, and other information that may be helpful to support members’ entrepreneurial journeys.

If you would like more information about the SWE Entrepreneurs AG, please email Tricia Drake at entrepreneursag@swe.org.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we highlight additional leaders supporting community engagement, advocacy, and the continued growth of the SWE Entrepreneurs Affinity Group.

Read more at All Together

At the Society of Women Engineers, we are delighted to share the achievements of accomplished Arab women engineers from around the world who are inspiring others in their STEM journey. 

Join SWE in celebrating National Arab American Heritage Month and cheering on the Arab community and their contributions worldwide.

Sarah Bint Yousif Al Amiri

Sarah Bint Yousif Al Amiri is the minister of education for the United Arab Emirates. She was previously the minister of state for public education and advanced technology and minister of state for advanced sciences. Al Amiri is former chairperson of the UAE space agency, where she played an important role in the Emirates Mars Mission called Hope, the Arab world’s first mission to Mars. She worked on DubaiSat-1 (the first Emirati Earth observation satellite) and DubaiSat-2, and KhalifaSat — the first completely Emirati-made satellite. Al Amiri has a bachelor’s and master’s in computer engineering from American University of Sharjah. Gulf Business named her among the 100 most powerful Arabs in 2025, BBC listed her as one of the 100 most inspiring and influential women of 2020, and the World Economic Forum recognized her as one of 50 Young Scientists in 2015.

Dr. Rana el Kaliouby

Rana el Kaliouby, Ph.D., is co-founder and managing partner at Blue Tulip Ventures, which invests in pre-seed and seed founders building human-centric AI at the intersection of AI and health and wellness, future of work, and sustainable living. She is the host of the Pioneers of AI weekly podcast and author of the book, Girl Decoded. Dr. el Kaliouby was previously the co-founder of Affectiva, an MIT Media Lab spinoff specializing in bringing emotional intelligence to digital experiences, which she later sold. She frequently speaks about innovation, women in technology, ethics in AI, diversity and leadership, and presented a keynote on human-centric AI at SXSW 2026. She has been recognized on Fortune’s 40 Under 40 list and Forbes’ Top 50 Women in Tech. Dr. el Kaliouby earned a bachelor’s and master’s at the American University in Cairo, a Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge, and a post doctorate at MIT, all in computer science.

Sara Sabry

Sara Sabry is the first Egyptian astronaut, the first Arab woman in space, and the first woman from the African continent to go to space. She is the founder and executive director of Deep Space Initiative — a nonprofit organization aimed at increasing accessibility and opportunity to space for all. Sabry earned a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering, master’s in biomedical engineering, and is now pursuing a Ph.D. in aerospace sciences at the University of North Dakota, where she is conducting research at the NASA-funded Human Spaceflight Lab. She is also Egypt’s first woman analog astronaut and the recipient of an International Astronautical Federation Emerging Space Leader award. Sabry was a New Shepard (NS-22) astronaut on Blue Origin’s suborbital space flight in 2022 and only the second citizen astronaut through the Space for Humanity program, selected from more than 4,000 qualified applicants. 

Nora Al Matrooshi

Nora Al Matrooshi is an astronaut and engineer from the second cohort of the UAE astronauts program at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai. She is the first Emirati and Arab woman astronaut and one of only four representing the UAE. Al Matrooshi graduated from NASA’s astronaut candidate class in 2024, making her a fully qualified astronaut available for future space missions. She has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and worked as a piping engineer and a technical specialist before undergoing training to become an astronaut. In 2025, she was named in Entrepreneur Middle East’s Special Edition of 50 Visionary Women and Gulf Business named her among the 100 most powerful Arabs. Al Matrooshi was on the cover of Technology Magazine’s July 2025 edition, and her professional journey inspired the production of an upcoming Emirati feature film.

Dr. Tahani Amer

Tahani Amer, Ph.D., is the acting astrophysics associate director for flight programs at NASA’s science mission directorate. She has held several roles at NASA prior to her current position, including deputy director of the joint agency satellite division, program executive for the Mars samples receiving project, and senior technologist, among others. Dr. Amer hails from Cairo and was inspired to pursue engineering by her father, also an engineer. As a child, she discovered a love for math, which translated to success in the engineering space. She earned a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering, a master’s in aerospace engineering, and a Ph.D. in engineering management at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Dr. Amer has overseen several missions for NASA, including the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite, Geostationary Carbon Cycle Observatory (GeoCarb), and CLARREO Pathfinder (CPF).⁠ 

Dr. Noor Shaker

Noor Shaker, Ph.D., is the founder and CEO of SpatialX.ai, an AI-driven health tech company focused on cancer management through artificial intelligence. She previously founded two other AI-focused companies, GTN and Glamorous AI; the latter was acquired by American firm X-Chem, where she also served as senior vice president and general manager. Dr. Shaker has received multiple recognitions for her work in AI, including BBC 100 Women 2019, MIT Innovator Under 35 Europe in 2018, and the 2018 UK Rising Star Award. She has a bachelor’s degree in computer science engineering, master’s in artificial intelligence, and a Ph.D. in machine learning, affective computing, and computer games. Dr. Shaker is co-author of the book, AI in Digital Pathology: From Implementation to Impact, available later in 2026.

Read about more Arab women engineers and their inspirational journeys.

Read more at All Together

I recently had the opportunity to participate in the SWE Ignite Leadership Program this past fall. I applied and was accepted into the program, and what followed was weeks of immersive learning experiences that challenged me to define what leadership meant for me, and more importantly, how I wanted to grow into it. 

Through interactive workshops, candid discussions with fellow early-career professionals across different industries, and structured peer coaching sessions, I began to craft a new definition of leadership. In my first peer group discussion, it became clear that leadership meant way more than “good qualities.” It means showing up intentionally, embracing influence, and making deliberate choices that shape not just your growth, but the growth of those you lead or work with. 

The lessons that have stayed with me reflect the six leadership competencies emphasized throughout the program, and here is how they have shaped my thinking. 

Leading Self

At the start of the program, I completed the SWE Leadership Competency Model self-assessment that allowed me to evaluate my current skills across six competency areas. The Leading Self category challenged me to reflect on how intentional I need to be in my daily communication, how I respond to situations, and how I make decisions even in ambiguous moments. Understanding my strength, values, and interests has helped me to define the kind of leader I want to become. 

Communication and Developing Others

The two lessons that stood out to me in these categories were: knowing the difference between constructive and destructive conflict, and creating psychological safe spaces. My new knowledge reaffirmed that leadership is not just about wielding the wand of authority, but ensuring I am creating a space where people feel supported, heard, and empowered to grow and succeed. Even small actions like asking better questions can make a difference in how people perform. 

Leading Change and DEI&B

Through Ignite, I have begun to understand the importance of embracing purposeful actions. Seeing change as an opportunity to shape direction and make an impact. I learned tools for thoughtful decision‑making, aligning actions with vision, and motivating others to see possibilities rather than obstacles. I have now learned to notice whose voices are heard, who feels included, and how and where I can actively advocate for equity. 

Business Acumen

I have learned to connect the work I do to broader organizational goals, long-term planning, and resource considerations, because to lead also means to understand the impact individual contributions make to the wider ecosystem. Through the Ignite program, I have realized that the level of intentionality we put in leadership equals the quality of our impact. In addition to doing all the internal work to become a leader, we must also actively seek opportunities to lead thoughtfully — in conversations, collaboration, or everyday moments where influence may already exist. That, to me, is the true definition of leadership. 

Interested in participating in the Ignite Leadership Program? Check out the program homepage to learn more.

Read more at All Together

Did you know that there are 1,026 community colleges in the United States alone that educate 1.6 million STEM students each semester, according to 2023 data compiled in a report by the Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University? What’s more, this population represents more than one-quarter of all U.S. STEM students. Yet community college students are often excluded from conversations around broadening participation in STEM, particularly in the fields of engineering and computer science (ECS).

To better understand this issue and provide a solution, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) conducted a phased research study of ECS transfer students to understand the success of women and minority students on this pathway towards a baccalaureate degree.

Findings from this research led to the development of SWE’s Community College Affiliate Support and Expansion (CCASE) Program. CCASE aims to increase support for SWE Community College Affiliates across the United States by providing direct financial and membership incentives to facilitate professional development and outreach activities.

One of those SWE affiliates is the SWE San Diego Mesa College Affiliate in California. Learn more about this upstart affiliate and their on-campus work!

Please Share a Brief History of Your SWE Affiliate. When Was It Founded? How Many Members Do You Have?

SWE San Diego Mesa College Affiliate (SWE Mesa) was founded in 2024 by a small, but mighty and passionate, group of four women. The group quickly blossomed into a supportive community of 15 official members, dedicated to empowering women in engineering. Throughout the past two years, SWE Mesa has reached over 90 San Diego Mesa College students, with the mission to reach much more.

How Often Do You Meet? Can You Describe a Typical Meeting?

SWE Mesa has official general body meetings bimonthly with additional events throughout the year to further foster connections. The purpose of our official meetings is to build community and share transformative opportunities. We discuss how we can continue to reflect SWE’s mission and values with our club. SWE Mesa’s events are typically themed and focus on empowerment. Our mission is to guide members through their journey as students and aspiring engineers. With our LinkedIn workshops, for instance, our members can interact directly with experts and jumpstart their professional brands. Women in STEM panels also provide additional opportunities to connect with professionals and learn more about members’ intended fields. Moreover, engineering workshops (e.g., SolidWorks) allow us to sponsor talented members and further uplift women in engineering. It is our duty to equip our members with the skills necessary for their future internships and, ultimately, engineering careers.

How Do You Attract New Members and Keep Them Engaged Throughout the Year?

SWE Mesa works endlessly to attract new members and keep them engaged. We participate in San Diego Mesa College’s yearly club rush, bringing interactive experiences and goodies to Mesa students. To build an inclusive and diverse space, we collaborate with different Mesa clubs and host fun social mixers. Members are also encouraged to be active within the community, through volunteering and outreach. So, SWE Mesa advertises countless opportunities for members to explore, from SWE San Diego and other nonprofits. Finally, SWE conferences are amazing at attracting new members; travelling and attending engineering conferences are incredibly exciting!

What Are Your Community College Affiliate Goals for the Remainder of the School Year?

Our goal for the remainder of the school year is to build strong connections with more organizations, such as the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and our sister clubs (e.g., SWE UCSD, SWE SDSU). We are also focused on attracting new members and leading more engineering workshops.

How Does the CCASE Program Help Your SWE Affiliate Accomplish These Goals?

The CCASE Program has significantly impacted SWE Mesa by expanding financial and professional opportunities. Through its support, our members were able to attend WE Local in Portland, Oregon, gaining valuable exposure to professionals and engineering careers. Moreover, the program has enabled us to relaunch our remote-controlled boat project, providing us with hands-on engineering experience to include on our resume. Overall, the financial support has brought countless opportunities that we, community college students, are deeply thankful for.

Is There Anything Else About the SWE San Diego Mesa College Affiliate You Would Like to Share With the SWE Community?

We are so grateful for the supportive community that SWE fosters. It never fails to inspire us to boldly strive for our goals as women engineers. SWE Mesa is proud to be SWE-affiliated!

Read more at All Together

Where is your affiliate located?

Koç University in Istanbul, Turkey.

When was your affiliate started and why?

The Koç University Society of Women Engineers Affiliate (KUSWE) was founded in 2010 to support and empower women pursuing careers in engineering and technology. KUSWE is particularly significant as it was the first SWE affiliate established outside of the United States.

Our affiliate was established to address the need for stronger mentorship, professional development opportunities, and a supportive community for women in STEM at Koç University. Through events, workshops, and collaborations with the global SWE network, the affiliate aims to encourage more women to pursue and thrive in engineering fields.

Do you have signature activities, outreach, or engagement efforts, or ones you’re thinking about starting?

As the KUSWE Affiliate, here’s the list of our signature activities.

• Networking Event: Approximately 10 companies and 100 students were reached with this event. Our participants had the opportunity to communicate with successful engineers and business people from well-known companies and follow the companies’ policy and recruitment processes.
• Girls Who Code: Girls Who Code was held with the participation of 24 students (14 girls and 10 boys). The event aimed to teach the Python programming language to high school students over eight weeks. Apart from the educational activity on April 21, the students who participated in our event were invited to our university for a campus tour.
• Career Station: This year-long event is organized with the collaboration of different companies. For each company, a panel and a follow-up event such as a mock interview, workshop, and presentation are organized. Through these events, students had the chance to get to know the sector better and make decisions on their career paths.
• SWENext: Our SWENext event aims to introduce engineering to high-school students , encourage them to become engineers, and show the importance of STEM. Furthermore, it helps them in career planning and job selection. Within the scope of the event, high-school students become university students in Koç University for a day. Nine businesses sponsored SWENext and showed their support of students.
• Other Social Awareness Projects: We are planning to organize a large-scale event called the SWE Conference. We would like to host the SWE Conference in Istanbul and bring together successful women from STEM fields, other SWE affiliates, and leaders with students from both our university and other universities.

What is one of your favorite memories with the SWE community?

One of my favorite memories with the SWE community is our annual “PinkOctober” event during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. Every year, our members come together to raise awareness by wearing pink throughout the day and distributing pink ribbons and informational brochures around campus.

This past year, KUSWE shared informative posts about breast cancer on its official Instagram account. Additionally, the board members of KUSWE prepared a series of videos in which they highlighted the importance of early diagnosis with the hashtag #followthepinkribbon and successfully created an effective social media movement. It is a meaningful way for us to engage the university community around an important social cause while strengthening our own sense of solidarity as a group.

At the end of the day, one of the most special moments each year is when the clock tower on our campus is illuminated in pink. Our members gather in front of it and take a group photo together, which has become a cherished tradition for our affiliate. It is always a powerful and memorable moment that reminds us of the impact a community can create when people come together for a shared purpose.

What milestones or recent achievements has your affiliate accomplished that you would like to highlight?

One of the milestones our affiliate is particularly proud of is successfully organizing a large-scale networking event this past December.

The event brought together students, professionals, and members of the Koç University community, creating valuable opportunities for students to connect with industry representatives and learn more about potential career paths in engineering and technology.

Through the events we have organized and participated in, our affiliate has also gained greater recognition and respect within the university community.

Collaborations with other student clubs and engagement with faculty members have helped strengthen our presence on campus and expand the reach of our initiatives. Beyond campus, we have also had the opportunity to represent SWE in various social responsibility projects, meetings, and symposiums focused on the role of women in STEM and in the professional world.

Participating in these initiatives has allowed us to promote SWE’s mission in broader communities and contribute to important conversations about women’s representation and leadership in engineering and technology.

What are your affiliate’s goals for next year?

Next year, we will expand the scope of our activities to reach more people. Another important goal we would like to achieve is to hold the SWE Conference in Istanbul.

Do you have a best practice or advice you would like to share with other affiliates and sections?

One of the best practices we value as an affiliate is maintaining clear and supportive communication within the team.

Regular check-ins, open discussions, and creating an environment where members feel comfortable sharing ideas help us stay organized and motivated. Strong communication not only makes teamwork more effective, but also helps build a sense of community and trust among members.

Share a favorite quote to inspire.

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”
– Marie Curie

Where can others find or connect with your affiliate?

You can connect with us on our Linktree.

Read more at All Together

(Pictured: Personal branding images from seven participants created during the SWE Geneva Affiliate Copilot workshop.)

On Nov. 28, the SWE Geneva Affiliate successfully hosted its final virtual networking session of 2025, titled “From Voice to Vision: Building Your Brand With AI.”

The session brought together nine participants from across Switzerland (Geneva, Zurich, and Lucerne), Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Attendees represented a diverse mix of industries and companies, including Caterpillar, Cummins, Keysight Technologies, Pratt & Whitney, and Takeda, highlighting the strong cross-functional interest in professional development within the engineering community.

The session focused on empowering participants to understand and shape their own professional brand. Our keynote speaker, Rafaële Gauche, SWE Geneva Affiliate vice president, delivered an inspiring talk on the importance of self‑branding and the role it plays in career progression. She guided attendees through practical strategies to advocate for themselves effectively in the workplace and beyond.

A highlight of the event was the hands-on Copilot workshop, where participants experimented with AI tools to create elements of their personal brand. From drafting value statements to refining professional narratives, this interactive segment brought the theme to life.

Participants left energized, with several sharing reflections on the experience:

• “I loved building our own brand together. I think we can join and do the European network once a month, too.”
• “There seems to be a wide range of disciplines between members. This is great, and hopefully we can leverage it through cross-functional lunch-and-learns where we learn about different roles (e.g., marketing).”

The session reaffirmed the value of community learning and collaboration — one of the core strengths of the SWE Geneva Affiliate.

We look forward to continuing this momentum in 2026. The SWE Geneva Affiliate hosts quarterly virtual networking sessions, and we warmly invite you to join us for the next one! To learn more and stay in touch, connect with the SWE Geneva Affiliate at geneva_affiliate@swe.org.

Read more at All Together

We’re thrilled to officially announce the 2027 WE Local conference locations:

• Raleigh, North Carolina | February 19-20

• Boise, Idaho | February 26-27

• St. Louis, Missouri | March 12-13

Whether you’re a returning attendee or thinking about joining us for the first time, these cities each bring something unique — and we can’t wait to see how our SWE community shows up in each location.

Why WE Local?

WE Local conferences are where community meets opportunity. Designed to bring the power of SWE’s Annual Conference to a more local level, these events create space for meaningful networking, targeted professional development, and authentic connection — whether you’re a collegian, early career professional, or seasoned leader.

A Sneak Peek at Our 2027 Cities

• Boise offers a fast-growing tech scene, stunning natural surroundings, and a tight-knit innovation community that’s perfect for building new connections.
• St. Louis brings deep engineering roots, major industry presence, and a vibrant cultural backdrop that blends history with forward-thinking energy.
• Raleigh, part of the renowned Research Triangle, is a hub of technology, academia, and innovation, making it an ideal setting for collaboration and career growth.

Each location will deliver the high-quality relevant programming, inspiring speakers, and impactful networking opportunities you’ve come to expect from SWE — with an exciting local twist. Check out photos from this year’s WE Local U.S. events in Austin, Texas; Portland, Oregon; and Columbus, Ohio, to see what you can expect in 2027!

Get Involved: Become a WE Local Host Committee Chair

Want to take your SWE leadership to the next level? Here’s your chance.

We are currently seeking Host Committee Chairs for each of our 2027 WE Local conferences. This is a unique opportunity to:

• Shape the attendee experience in your city
• Build and lead a dynamic volunteer team
• Strengthen your leadership and project management skills
• Expand your network across industry and academia
• Play a direct role in advancing SWE’s mission

Host Committee Chairs are instrumental in bringing WE Local to life — from local engagement and partnerships to creating an unforgettable conference atmosphere.

Learn More          Apply Today

We’ll See You in 2027!

No matter which city you join us in, 2027 WE Local is shaping up to be an unforgettable experience. 

Let’s make 2027 our most impactful year yet.

Read more at All Together

On March 19, 2026, SWE member Joyce Lewis traveled from California to Washington, D.C., to participate in SWE’s Congressional Outreach Days, carrying a unified message to the offices of three California legislators — the time to invest in women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is now.

The day began with a visit to the office of Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, (D-CA-12), where Joyce and fellow SWE member Belle Heish met with Legislative Assistant Sydney Dahiyat. The conversation centered on two of SWE’s key policy priorities: the STEM RESTART Act (HR 4452/S 2306), bipartisan legislation designed to fund workforce reentry programs for experienced STEM professionals who have stepped away due to caregiving responsibilities, workplace bias, or structural barriers; and sustained federal investment in K–12 STEM education, particularly for students from underserved and underrepresented communities. Sydney received the group warmly, acknowledged the importance of elevating STEM to the next level, and committed to passing the team’s priorities along to Congresswoman Simon.

The delegation then had the privilege of joining the broader SWE California team for visits to two additional offices. In the office of Senator Adam B. Schiff of California (D-Calif.), the team met with Aide Colin M. Kruse to discuss the same pressing priorities — workforce reentry, K–12 STEM investment, and the critical role of federal research funding in driving innovation and expanding opportunity for women in engineering. The day concluded with a visit to the office of Congressman Eric Swalwell, (D-CA-12), where Legislative Fellow Alexis Kerrane engaged the group in a thoughtful conversation about how federal policy can be designed to address equity gaps in STEM and keep talented women in the pipeline.

Across all three meetings, the team shared the latest issue of SWE Magazine — featuring the cover story, “Chaos in American Research Funding,” and the Society’s annual State of Women in Engineering, a timely and powerful resource that brought the stakes of the conversation to life. They also highlighted the impact of the SWE Mentor Network, advocating for policies that sustain community-level programs proven to keep women engaged in STEM careers. The team further urged federal agencies to collect and publish disaggregated STEM workforce data, emphasizing that evidence-based policymaking begins with knowing exactly where women are being lost from the field.

For Joyce, the day carried deep personal meaning. As a STEM coach, leader, and mentor, she has seen firsthand how policy gaps, weak institutional protections, and limited access to opportunity push women out of STEM — regardless of geography. “Where protections and support systems are strong, women thrive; where they are not, talent is lost,” she reflected. “That is why I flew from California to be in those rooms.”

Three offices. Three conversations. One clear message — the engineering community is here, it is organized, and it will not stop advocating until every woman in STEM has the support she needs to enter, stay, and lead. SWE’s Congressional Outreach Days make that possible, and this year’s California delegation proved just how powerful member voices can be when they show up on Capitol Hill.

Read more at All Together

The “Her Stories: Adventures in STEM” blog series is a collection of stories about 20 women in science and engineering fields, written by members of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Pre-College Working Group.

These inspiring women have experienced a variety of life experiences and career paths, and these stories and accompanying artwork help to capture the vast diversity of our featured scientists and engineers.

We hope this series will show you how exciting engineering and science can be and help you realize that anyone can choose to become a scientist or an engineer.

Story by Meagan Olsen

From an early age, Eshé Pickett understood the importance of community. She grew up with two sisters, two brothers, and a variety of foster siblings.

Although they had many different interests, the siblings made sure each person felt included and knew that they were appreciated. Eshé relied on the community she built with her family and outside of her home as she explored her interests and journeyed through her career.

In childhood, Eshé’s family valued curiosity, education, and humility. She was encouraged to explore her love of drawing, animation, and puzzles. As she got older, this love of puzzles drew her towards computer science.

During her sophomore year of high school, a computer teacher asked Eshé to join a pilot class in coding. Her coding teacher created a game where by providing correct instructions, much like writing lines of code, they would move them from the back of the classroom to the front.

From this moment on, Eshé was excited by the idea of computer science. The high expectations of her teachers motivated Eshé to work hard and succeed in academics.

College was challenging for Eshé. Although she was excited to leave New Mexico and see what the world had to offer, Northwestern University was far away from her family. She cried every time she left home for the first two years and would regularly call and write to her sisters and mother while in Illinois.

The summer engineering program Northwestern provided before her freshman year helped her build relationships with other students of color. Eshé was able to shape a new community of friends and mentors, helping her to feel less lonely and overwhelmed.

Eshé was one of the few computer science students who did not own a personal computer. At home, she typically used the computers at the local library. In college, she either went to the computer labs or asked to borrow her friends’ computers in between her various jobs. She saved money over the course of a work-study program and internship. This allowed her to buy her own personal computer.

Eshé was then able to support her friends as they had supported her, recognizing that they had to overcome difficulties many of their peers did not. The friends learned to depend on one another and their community to succeed.

These were not the only challenges Eshé faced at college. Eshé had excelled at math in elementary school, but in college, math became less intuitive. She received Ds in both Calculus I and Calculus II, was placed on academic probation, and nearly failed out of school.

These events forced her to unlearn the idea that being good at math and science was a natural ability. Much like a marathon runner is not born with the ability to run 26.2 miles, Eshé realized she had to practice and work hard to understand math. By attending tutoring, asking questions in office hours, and working through hundreds of practice problems, she passed Calculus III with a high grade and earned her undergraduate degree.

Eshé then went on to receive her master’s degree in computer science from the University of Chicago. After graduation, she sold the contents of her apartment and moved across the country to start her new job with nothing more than a chair and folding table.

Starting a professional engineering career was life-changing for Eshé. She was able to pay off her student loans, buy a home, and help her family whenever necessary. Being the first person in her family to hold a corporate job, Eshé credits her success to her mentors who helped her learn to survive in an unfamiliar environment.

Today, Eshé identifies how to apply technology in health, education, and consumer industries for the Network and Edge Group at Intel. She identifies the pieces a machine or software package needs to function, creating blueprints to incorporate technology throughout society. She is also involved with public education to encourage broader technology use.

Serving her community remains important to Eshé. She volunteers her time with local government, a regional nonprofit radio affiliate, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and SWE. She loves helping people achieve their goals by opening doors that might otherwise be inaccessible. Eshé particularly enjoys mentoring other women in computer science, sharing her mistakes, and helping them discover new parts of themselves.

With all of her involvement, Eshé tries to show the impact that a strong community can have in overcoming personal struggles. She was not born an expert in calculus or coding, nor was her path to her current position easy. Her experiences have taught her not to shy away from failure, but to embrace it and grow from it. By standing on the shoulders of other strong women, Eshé has found success.

The “Her Stories: Adventures in STEM” series is a collection of stories about 20 women in science and engineering fields, written by members of the SWE Pre-College Working Group. Dive into the rest of the series here!

Know a precollege kid interested in STEM? Join SWENext, the Society’s free program that allows students ages 5 through 18 to join the SWE engineering and technology community.

SWENexters enjoy numerous opportunities throughout the year to learn, network, and connect with peers, role models, and industry professionals. Plus, this diverse, welcoming, precollege STEM community provides a safe place where kids can feel seen, heard, and validated. SWENext is open to all genders.

Read more at All Together

National Arab American Heritage Month is celebrated in the United States every April, highlighting the many contributions of the Arab American community in the country. 

Read about the history of National Arab American Heritage Month penned by SWE member Amar Dabaja and join the Society of Women Engineers this month in recognizing the achievements of the Arab American community, especially those in STEM. 

Check out this collection of some of SWE’s podcast episodes, blog posts, and magazine articles to learn about the work and impact of the Arab and Arab American community as we observe National Arab American Heritage Month together.

Diverse: A SWE Podcast

• Ep 364: Career Pivots, Culture, and Community: Stories From Arab American Women Engineers: Hear civil engineer and construction manager Ashwaq Alhammami and transportation project engineer Farrah Rawashdeh share their personal experiences as Arab American women in engineering, how their identities shape the way they approach their STEM careers, and the career pivots that led them to the creation of the American Arab Engineering Society.
• Ep 255: Celebrating Arab American Voices in STEM With Inaas Darrat of Trinity Consultants: FY26 SWE President Inaas Darrat shares her journey as a chemical engineer in her role as director of chemical sector services at Trinity Consultants, her insights on how to make STEM fields more welcoming to all, and her experiences as an Arab American woman in engineering.
• Darrat has also hosted several Diverse podcast episodes addressing crucial topics for women engineers, including how engineers and leaders can adapt their communication styles, navigating hidden curriculums in STEM, and understanding weathering and its impact on women of color. 

All Together Blog

• Arab American Women in Engineering: Meet Amar Dabaja: Get to know a SWE member who designs automotive crash detection and airbag control modules, and hear her journey as an electrical hardware engineer and her experience with SWE over the years. You can also learn how her passion for reading led her to electrical engineering.
• Celebrating Women in Engineering in the Arab World: Read about some of the trailblazing women engineers hailing from different parts of the Arab region, making their mark in STEM and providing inspiration for women students and professionals considering careers in structural engineering, biomedical engineering, aerospace engineering, and more.
• Arab Women in Engineering Spotlight: Global STEM Leaders: Three incredible Arab women — Dr. Marwa El Hefnawy, Sara Ibrahim, and Dr. Ghada Salama — share how they are living life without limits, advancing SWE across the globe, inspiring others, and making a positive impact in their respective STEM fields.

SWE Magazine

• Read Darrat’s thoughts on embracing your story and SWE’s and how successes in 2025 fuel optimism for the future. Don’t want to miss out on the President’s Notes in upcoming issues? Sign up to receive the latest SWE content updates!
• Mariette Awad Receives Shoman Award for Arab Researchers: Learn about Mariette Awad, Ph.D., at American University of Beirut, the recipient of the 2024 Abdul Hameed Shoman Award for Arab Researchers in Engineering and Technological Sciences.
• Dina Katabi Elected to National Academy of Sciences: Dina Katabi, Ph.D., is the Andrew & Erna Viterbi Professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT and the director of MIT’s Center for Wireless Networks and Mobile Computing. 

Read about more women in engineering in the Arab world.

Read more at All Together

Not every professional conference attendance turns into a successful job offer, but for Mackenzie Tobertga, a fourth-year bioengineering major at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, her interest in interviewing with a global health care firm at the 2025 WE conference in New Orleans resulted in just that. She accepted an offer to join Abbott as a clinical research scientist upon graduation.

Tobertga recently completed her systems engineer cooperative education (co-op) experience with Abbott Heart Failure and returned to university for her final semester. She shares more on her SWE membership journey, conference highlights, engineering interests, and encouragement from her collegiate experiences.

SWE Connections

“I’d applied to interview with Abbott for a full-time clinical research position before the WE conference in NOLA and was offered an interview on my first day there,” says Tobertga, who was actively working as a co-op systems engineer for Abbott at the time. The conference in New Orleans was her second annual conference experience, with her first being in Los Angeles in 2023.

“I knew since my first WE conference that Abbott was a company I’d like to work for one day. I admired how every employee and product was patient focused,” she says. “When I got my co-op at Abbott, I was excited and grateful. I still am today. Returning to Abbott wasn’t an expected outcome, but something I was interested in, hence why I wanted to apply full-time.”

Tobertga learned about SWE before she joined college and learned more about the organization on campus. She has always been drawn to organizations that focus on professional development and networking, particularly within engineering. Attracted by the supportive group of women also pursuing careers in STEM, SWE membership soon followed.

“As a SWE member at my university, I was fortunate to be chosen to attend the conference in NOLA. The chapter helped support not just me, but also four other girls to attend the conference,” Tobertga shares. “My favorite part about the conference was the environment and workshops available to learn new skills and perspectives.” It was at one of these workshops in 2023 that she first learned about Abbott and career paths available with a bioengineering degree.

“I’ve found WE conferences helpful, especially for learning more about a particular career path, company, or how to better yourself as a professional woman in STEM. I also find the networking aspect of SWE super helpful, especially as graduation looms,” she says. “I’ve met many wonderful women at other universities also in SWE who I’m still connected to on platforms such as LinkedIn. Seeing their success always makes me so happy and motivated.”

Childhood Interests

Tobertga says her interest in STEM began when she was in Girl Scouts and attended an event where women engineers from multiple disciplines described what they did and demonstrated it with interactive activities. She has been fascinated with engineering as a profession ever since. 

“I started Girl Scouts in kindergarten and ended as a senior in high school. That event happened when I was in my third or fourth year as a Girl Scout,” she shares. Activities she remembers vividly were related to civil engineering — one involved building bridges from Dots candy and toothpicks and another making water filters to learn about water quality.  

“What stuck with me the most was the way activities such as these were used to model real-world problems that these women were solving. The concept of problem-solving these big issues as a profession was cool,” she says. “Since then, I’ve always gravitated toward organizations or activities that focus on solving and understanding problems. That’s one of the reasons why I started to love science and math.”

In high school, Tobertga joined her school’s FIRST Robotics team, EagleForce 2073, where the focus was on designing a robot to solve multiple challenges every year. She took engineering classes such as CAD (AutoCad, Inventor), engineering design, and mechatronics in high school to gain hands-on experience, which helped provide a foundation to pursue engineering in college. That theme of problem-solving is consistent with the efforts of organizations she’s joined in college such as SWE, National Society of Black Engineers, professional collegiate engineering fraternity Theta Tau, and the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement program.          

“I’ve had some memorable educators in my life, in elementary, middle, and high school who would challenge me to think about things differently or teach me new ways to learn, especially my fourth-grade teacher, my AP biology teacher, and my AP calculus teacher,” she says about her role models. “I have a lot of family that have been supportive. My parents the most — they would always support me for robotics competitions, sometimes joining me if it was out-of-state or even volunteering at events. It’s something special that we share now.” 

Engineering Plans

For anyone contemplating a career in STEM, she encourages them to keep pushing forward and finding a good support system. “It can be hard to pursue a career in STEM, so surrounding yourself with others equally as grounded can be benefiting, especially if they are able to challenge you.” 

She admits that imposter syndrome has crept in along her journey. “When I began my major, I felt out of place at times and even questioned if bioengineering was the right thing for me. However, what kept me grounded was the fellow women in STEM and bioengineering, whether they were students or faculty. I always felt so motivated by them and seeing all the wonderful things that could be accomplished.” 

Tobertga is excited about the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of patients worldwide through cardiovascular medical devices. She looks forward to learning more about the clinical side of medical devices and bioengineering.

“I’m interested in medicine as a field that everyone interacts with at some point of their life. The cool part about medtech is that these devices help save and prolong the lives of so many people every day, and I find that fascinating and such a special process to be a part of,” she says.  

“One of the things I’ve loved about bioengineering is that piece of being able to solve technical problems related to health care. The clinical side is really fascinating because it’s an area where people meet a product/process. I’m interested in that clinical research, clinical engineering, systems engineering, or really any research and/or development type of role. If I’m able to be a little part of helping to solve a problem that can positively impact someone’s life, I’m all in.”

Read more at All Together

Early in my engineering career, success meant technical competence — mastering calculations, supervising installations, delivering infrastructure that worked. As a principal electrical engineer with Nigeria’s Federal Housing Authority, I oversee complex systems that power communities. In engineering, we are trained to design structures that are efficient, resilient, and sustainable.

But over time, I began to ask a different question: “If we can design reliable power systems, why can’t we design reliable pathways for women to thrive in STEM?”

That question changed everything.

Engineering is not only about physical infrastructure. It is also about the invisible systems that determine who gets access to opportunity, who is mentored, who is sponsored, and who advances into leadership. When those systems are weak or inconsistent, talent is underutilized. When they are intentionally designed, entire generations benefit.

Across many regions — whether in emerging or established economies — women engineers continue to navigate uneven terrain. Technical competence is necessary, but it is not always sufficient. Access to decision-making rooms, global visibility, structured mentorship, and policy-level support often determine long-term advancement.

Through my engagement with the Society of Women Engineers, I have witnessed the power of intentional ecosystem building. SWE does more than connect professionals; it creates a framework where mentorship, leadership development, technical growth, and advocacy intersect. Within its global community, I have seen how cross-border collaboration reshapes perspective and expands ambition.

A global lens sharpens accountability. It challenges us to benchmark not just against local expectations, but against international standards of excellence and inclusion. It reveals that while contexts differ, systemic barriers share similarities. And it reinforces that solutions must be structural — not incidental.

Mentorship is often celebrated as the cornerstone of advancement. And it is essential. Guidance builds confidence; shared experience reduces isolation. But mentorship without sponsorship limits impact. Sponsorship — the deliberate act of advocating for women in rooms where decisions are made — shifts power dynamics. It influences promotions, project allocations, research visibility, and leadership trajectories.

In this episode of SWE’s Diverse podcast, hear more from Abosede and Stella Uzochukwu, country director of the Odyssey Educational Foundation, on the differences between mentorship and sponsorship, as well as their personal journeys navigating gender bias in Nigeria’s engineering and technology sectors.

Beyond both lies policy.

If organizations and institutions are serious about advancing women in STEM, ecosystem thinking must extend into governance frameworks, talent pathways , funding access, and leadership succession planning. Individual resilience should not be the primary strategy for overcoming structural gaps. Systems must be redesigned.

This is where engineering thinking becomes transformative.

Engineers diagnose inefficiencies. We analyze root causes. We optimize systems. Applying that same discipline to gender equity in STEM demands data-informed strategies, measurable accountability, and long-term commitment. It requires leaders who recognize that inclusion is not a side initiative — it is a performance strategy.

In my own journey, balancing infrastructure leadership with advocacy has deepened my understanding of responsibility. Supervising electrical systems ensures that communities function. Contributing to global conversations ensures that women engineers are not invisible within those communities. Both responsibilities matter.

The future of STEM leadership must be borderless. Digital connectivity now allows mentorship across continents, collaborative research across time zones, and shared learning at unprecedented scale. Emerging economies bring innovation born of constraint; established economies contribute institutional experience. When these perspectives intersect, progress accelerates.

Moving from engineer to ecosystem builder is not about stepping away from technical work. It is about expanding its impact. It is recognizing that advancing women in STEM is itself a design challenge — one that requires intentional architecture, resource alignment, and global collaboration.

Across LinkedIn feeds, boardrooms, universities, and construction sites, the conversation around women in STEM is growing. But conversation alone is insufficient. We must design pathways as carefully as we design infrastructure. We must sponsor as deliberately as we mentor. We must measure inclusion as rigorously as we measure performance.

Because when women engineers rise, innovation rises with them.

And when ecosystems are built intentionally — across borders, across disciplines, across economies — the impact extends far beyond individual careers. It shapes industries. It influences policy. It strengthens societies.

Engineering builds power grids, bridges, and networks.

Ecosystem building ensures that the minds capable of designing them are fully empowered to lead.

Opt into the Global Women Engineers Affinity Group email list by logging into your member portal and updating your Communication Preferences. Membership in any SWE Affinity Group is open to all SWE members interested in participating.

Read more at All Together

Picture waking up one morning to no birdsong outside, no rustling in the trees, just silence. That’s the future Rachel Carson warned us about in her book Silent Spring, and for saying so, she was called hysterical. 

Growing up, Carson’s mother encouraged her to explore the outdoors, where she noticed the things most people walk past, like the shimmer of sunlight on water or the distant rustle of squirrels scurrying through brush. That attentiveness eventually became a job. 

After studying zoology, she became the second woman ever employed by the United States Bureau of Fisheries (now the Fish and Wildlife Service), translating complex science to be accessible to the public. In her personal life, she also shared a meaningful bond with writer Dorothy Freeman, a relationship many now view as an important, though often neglected, part of queer scientific history. 

But Carson went beyond explaining science and applied it. In the mid-20th century, synthetic pesticides were widely celebrated. They were sprayed across farms and suburban lawns and presented as proof of what technology could do: control nature and increase efficiency at scale. At a time when few people questioned what those chemicals might do to ecosystems over time, Carson did. She followed the evidence through food webs, discovering how pesticides like DDT build up and grow more concentrated at each step of the food chain. When DDT enters the water, it accumulates in small marine organisms and fish. Birds who eat many of those fish receive even higher doses, which weaken their eggshells and cause them to break. As a result, bird populations decline sharply. 

Not only do these disruptions harm wildlife, but they also ripple through ecosystems and affect the stability of human food systems. Carson wrote about these findings in language that was both scientifically rigorous and evocative. The chemical industry did not take this well. Companies accused her of being unscientific and sympathetic to communism during the height of the Cold War. Critics also relied heavily on sexist stereotypes, dismissing her as overly emotional and suggesting that a spinster had no authority to question pesticide science. Because Carson worked as an independent writer and not in a university or government laboratory, opponents labeled her an amateur and portrayed her concerns about ecological balance as sentimental rather than scientific. If you’re a woman in STEM challenging systems that have a financial interest in being unchallenged, this may feel all too familiar. 

But her evidence held. By changing how we think about the relationship between progress and environmental responsibility, Silent Spring catalyzed the modern environmental movement. In the years after Silent Spring, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was founded, and domestic DDT use was banned in 1972. 

My own interests live at the intersection of ecology and computer science. We’re watching artificial intelligence and other technologies develop at a pace that outruns our understanding of their environmental and social consequences. The questions Carson asked about pesticides — What happens downstream? Who bears the cost? What are we choosing not to see? — also apply urgently to the systems we’re building now. Responsible tech isn’t a constraint on innovation; it makes it meaningful. 

What stays with me about Carson isn’t just the science, but the belief that curiosity about the living world is a form of knowledge and that paying attention can reveal truths that industries would rather ignore. Science should connect people to the natural world, not just manage it from a distance. 

Through my STEM education organization, I’ve taught environmental science and conservation lessons to youth, organized BioBlitzes to document local species, and helped run habitat restoration activities that connect people to ecosystems. I’ve seen repeatedly that the entry point for caring about ecosystems is just noticing them — slowing down to see the insects on a flower or learning the birds in your neighborhood. Once people start paying attention, they start to care. 

Carson’s legacy isn’t just in the policies or movement she helped spark. It lies in the permission she gave — to scientists and anyone working at the edge of what’s considered acceptable — to ask hard questions, even when powerful interests would rather keep them silent. Because she paved the way, we’re learning how to listen to science, our communities, and the quiet signals ecosystems send long before everything goes silent. 

Read more at All Together

I am a final-year mechanical engineering student at the University of Uyo in Nigeria, a Society of Women Engineers (SWE) FY26 global ambassador, and a student leader passionate about empowering young women in STEM through mentorship, leadership, and community-driven initiatives.

How did you first get involved with SWE?

I first got involved with SWE through the Association of Professional Women Engineers in Nigeria (APWEN). I felt a desire to create more opportunities, visibility, and support systems for female engineering students in my community.

While searching for global platforms that aligned with my passion for women empowerment in STEM, I researched more about SWE and immediately resonated with its mission. Joining SWE felt like finding a global family that shared my values.

What inspired you to become a global ambassador?

I was inspired to become a global ambassador because I wanted to bridge the gap between global opportunities and female engineering students in my local community. Many talented young women lack access to mentorship, professional networks, and leadership exposure. Becoming a global ambassador gave me a platform to advocate, build systems, and create pathways that help women engineers grow with confidence and clarity.

What’s one highlight or meaningful moment from your SWE journey so far?

One of the most meaningful moments of my SWE journey was successfully leading the creation and approval of the SWE University of Uyo Affiliate. From building a founding team to securing faculty and sponsor support and completing the application process, seeing the affiliate officially approved and accredited was deeply fulfilling. It confirmed that student-led initiatives can create lasting institutional impact.

How has being part of the SWE Global Ambassador Program contributed to your personal or professional growth?

The Global Ambassador Program has strengthened my leadership, communication, and project management skills. It has taught me how to navigate institutional systems, build partnerships, and lead initiatives with clarity and purpose.

Professionally, it has expanded my global network, boosted my confidence, and shaped my vision for long-term impact in engineering leadership and social innovation.

A favorite inspiring quote:

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” — Arthur Ashe

Outside of SWE and work, what brings you joy or fulfillment?

Outside of SWE, I find joy in mentoring students, volunteering, content creation, and engaging in community development projects. I also enjoy singing, meaningful conversations, writing, and spending time reflecting and planning impactful ideas.

Helping people grow and discover their potential truly fulfills me. I believe the future of engineering is more inclusive, collaborative, and driven by women who are bold enough to lead and build.

Read more at All Together

Navigating the scholarship application process can be daunting, but we’re here to help! The tips below will help you understand eligibility requirements and prepare a strong application for SWE scholarships.

Are You Eligible?

You may be eligible to apply for the SWE Emerging First Year Scholarship if you:

• Plan to be a full-time engineering or computer science student during the 2026–2027 academic year
• Are an incoming college freshman with at least a 3.5 unweighted high school GPA
• Plan to enroll in an ABET-accredited engineering or computer science program (check if your program is ABET-accredited here).

If you answered yes to all of the three statements above, we encourage you to apply!

Application Deadline: March 31, 2026

Visit SWE’s Scholarship Program page to learn more and start your application. Plus, with just one application, you are considered for all SWE scholarships for which you are eligible.

For quick answers about scholarships, chat with Enginuity, SWE’s 24/7 virtual assistant. Additional guidance is available through the Scholarship Knowledge Base or by emailing scholarships@swe.org.

Tips for Preparing Strong Written Responses

Your written responses are an important part of your application. Use them to clearly explain your interests, experiences, and goals.

Avoid these common mistakes:

• Don’t only describe engineering in general terms.
  • Do explain why you personally want to become an engineer and what excites you about the field.
• Don’t focus only on activities that are unrelated to engineering.
  • Do highlight experiences that show your interest in STEM, leadership, and problem-solving.
• Don’t jump from topic to topic without structure.
  • Do organize your ideas clearly and connect your experiences to your future goals.
• Don’t submit essays with grammar or spelling errors.
  • Do ask a teacher, counselor, or trusted adult to review your responses before submitting.
• Don’t rely on AI to write your full responses.
  • Do let your own voice and experiences shine through.

Additional Tips for Your Application

Read this example of a bad essay to avoid common pitfalls, and check out these additional tips to make your application shine:

• Include your SWENext involvement on your application so reviewers understand your participation and commitment.
• Mention if you helped start a club, team, or organization, and describe the role you played.
• Share your STEM experiences, such as clubs, competitions, community events, research, outreach, or leadership roles. If you organized activities or led a project, highlight that impact.

More Resources and Advice

There are many scholarships available to students pursuing STEM degrees, so it is helpful to explore multiple opportunities. The U.S. Department of Labor has a free scholarship search tool, and school guidance counselors may be aware of additional scholarship opportunities in your local area.

You may also find scholarships through religious organizations, community groups, professional associations, or your parents’ employers. Even if applications are not open yet, it is helpful to start gathering materials early.

Be sure to check out the SWENext YouTube channel for videos about scholarships, financial aid, and the experiences of university students. SWENexters can also join sessions live through the SWENext High School Leadership Academy (SHLA) to hear directly from SWE members who have been in your shoes.

Read more at All Together

The Society of Women Engineers’ (SWE) mission is to empower women to achieve their full potential in careers as engineers and leaders; expand the image of the engineering and technology professions as a positive force in improving the quality of life; and demonstrate the value of diversity and inclusion.

SWE affinity groups (AGs) were established in SWE to bring together communities that share similar interests and backgrounds.

The Global Women Engineers Affinity Group (GWE AG) is a space born from the desire to bring together SWE’s global engineers to share their experiences, offer leadership opportunities and networking, organize webinars and workshops to support professional development, and celebrate their accomplishments and amplify their impact. We are here to inspire women and young girls to break barriers and pursue their engineering dreams.

After 10 years of its establishment, the most powerful part of GWE AG’s story is not just its programs or events, it’s its people. This team puts their energy, enthusiasm, and dedication into turning all ideas into action.

Today, members around the world could not agree more that GWE AG gave them not just a network, but also confidence to grow. Many found opportunities that pushed them out of their comfort zone and into leadership roles. Through this community, members gained the visibility, support, and encouragement they needed to bring their vision to life.

And that’s where the story connects to every current member — their contributions, including participation in events, shared stories, mentorship, leadership, continue to shape the global engineering community.

From vision to visibility to impact, global women engineers keep the community moving forward.

We asked our FY26 GWE AG members the same three questions, and here are their responses.

Abosede Adewole — Collegiate Lead

1. In your view, how has having a global perspective helped in shaping your career journey?
Seeing engineering through a global lens has shown me that, despite our different contexts, many of our challenges and ambitions are the same. Working in Nigeria while connecting with peers worldwide has pushed me to grow, aim for international standards, and think more broadly about leadership. Most of all, it has reminded me that innovation thrives on diverse voices — and that my perspective as an African woman engineer truly matters in global conversations.

2. How has being part of the SWE Global Women Engineers Affinity Group influenced your professional growth or sense of community within SWE?
Being part of the SWE Global Women Engineers AG has given me a stronger sense of belonging and a space where global experiences truly matter. My interactions with the fellow GWE members have broadened my view of leadership, growth, and career transitions for women engineers across regions. Personally, it has also provided me with a global sisterhood that values visibility, mentorship, and collective development.

3. What encouraged you to join the SWE Global Women Engineers AG, and how do you plan to impact the community as a GWE member?
I joined the SWE Global Women Engineers AG because cross-regional learning is important for advancing women in engineering in a truly impactful way. I hope to contribute to this community by sharing my experience, encouraging cross-cultural mentorship, and supporting early‑ and mid-career engineers as they grow and lead. For me, this isn’t just about being part of the community — it’s about helping strengthen it through collaboration and shared learning.

Eshika Mahajan — Professional Development Lead

1. In your view, how has having a global perspective helped in shaping your career journey?
A global perspective has played a significant role in shaping my career journey. A year ago, while upskilling, I found myself at a crossroads: whether to continue learning hands-on in the industry or pursue a full-time curriculum in the GenAI space. Through the SWE Affinity Group and Mentor Network, I connected with professors and professionals worldwide, which helped me make an informed decision that ultimately worked in my favour.

2. How has being part of the SWE Global Women Engineers Affinity Group influenced your professional growth or sense of community within SWE?
Cross Collaboration! Cross Collaboration! Cross Collaboration! The SWE Global Women Engineers Affinity Group involves members from different regions, time zones, and languages. The AG has taught me how to truly come together, understand each other, communicate, and collaborate effectively across boundaries, while at the same time, being cognizant of the receiver’s ecosystem, who might not share the same first language, cultural context, festivals, or ways of living. The experience has significantly widened my perspective and made me more inclusive.

3. What encouraged you to join the SWE Global Women Engineers AG, and how do you plan to impact the community as a GWE member?
I think I have always been curious to learn from others. How are they doing things differently? What can I contribute to their journey? Brainstorming on a wide range of topics, while respectfully agreeing to disagree, I saw the potential to tick most of my boxes in the AG. I would really encourage the community to voice their ideas, reach out, and brainstorm what they want to learn, and our AG will support them.

Banisha Prinja — GWE AG Lead-Elect

1. In your view, how has having a global perspective helped in shaping your career journey?
Seeing how professionals around the world pushed through similar challenges helped me let go of self-doubt, build confidence in what I can do, and strengthen the conviction to stay true to my goals.

2. How has being part of the SWE Global Women Engineers Affinity Group influenced your professional growth or sense of community within SWE?
The SWE Global Women Engineers Affinity Group has continually encouraged me to step up — starting with creating LinkedIn and social media content and eventually becoming a co-lead—and it’s truly become a space where I can genuinely grow, contribute with my whole heart, and meaningfully support others.

3. What encouraged you to join the SWE Global Women Engineers AG, and how do you plan to impact the community as a GWE member?
I joined the SWE Global Women Engineers Affinity Group to learn from engineers worldwide and thrive on a single unified platform. I’m excited to give back with an open heart and mind by sharing what I learn and staying actively involved in the community’s growth.

Robyn Broniewski — Empowerment Lead

1. How has having a global perspective helped shape your career journey?
Having a global perspective has shown me that engineering is more than solving technical problems — it’s about connecting people and creating an impact that is well beyond ourselves. Collaborating and interacting with individuals from different countries and cultures has strengthened my ability to listen, adapt, and lead with empathy. Today, in my role at Johnson & Johnson MedTech, I carry that mindset forward, knowing that the work we do contributes to improving and saving lives around the world.

2. How has being part of the SWE Global Women Engineers Affinity Group influenced your professional growth or sense of community?
The Global Women Engineers Affinity Group has been one of the most meaningful parts of my SWE journey. It connected me to women across the world who inspire me with their courage, resilience, and ambition. Serving as an empowerment lead allowed me to help create spaces where women could share their stories and support one another. It reminds me that we cannot succeed alone — our strength comes from lifting each other and building a space where every woman feels seen, valued, and empowered.

3. What encouraged you to join the SWE Global Women Engineers AG, and how do you hope to impact the community as a GWE member?
I joined the Global Women Engineers Affinity Group because I believe deeply in the power of community and representation. Receiving the SWE Pathfinder Award reinforced my responsibility to continue that cycle of support. I hope to inspire others to believe in themselves, pursue leadership roles, and know they belong. Together, we are not only advancing engineering — we are shaping a more inclusive and empowering future for women everywhere.

Chandrani Mukherjee — Building Community Lead

1. In your view, how has having a global perspective helped in shaping your career journey?
My global academic and professional journey, including my time at Liverpool John Moores University, has helped me design AI solutions that are not only innovative, but also culturally aware, ethical, and globally applicable.

2. How has being part of the SWE Global Women Engineers Affinity Group influenced your professional growth or sense of community within SWE?
Being part of the SWE Global Women Engineers Affinity Group has given me a powerful network where collaboration, mentorship, and shared experiences strengthen both technical leadership and a sense of belonging.

3. What encouraged you to join the SWE Global Women Engineers AG, and how do you plan to impact the community as a GWE member?
I joined the SWE Global Women Engineers AG to contribute my expertise and learnings from my journey in AI, support my professional development, and mentor and empower women engineers to lead trustworthy, human-centered innovation worldwide.

Vikram Kumar — Collegiate Lead-Elect

1. In your view, how has having a global perspective helped in shaping your career journey?
Having a global perspective has helped me to think in diverse ways of problem-solving, leadership styles, and approaches. Engaging with professionals from different cultures has strengthened my adaptability and broadened my strategic thinking. It has also made me more inclusive in my decision-making, and I understand what it takes to shape great ideas — a collaborative, global team.

2. How has being part of the SWE Global Women Engineers Affinity Group influenced your professional growth or sense of community within SWE?
Being new to the SWE Global Women Engineers Affinity Group, I have had the opportunity to learn from inspiring women leaders worldwide, exchange best practices, and build meaningful professional connections.

3. What encouraged you to join the SWE Global Women Engineers AG, and how do you plan to impact the community as a GWE member?
Engineering challenges today are global, and so should be our networks. As a GWE member, I aim to contribute to expanding outreach, strengthening engagement, and fostering inclusive connections across regions and communities. My goal is to help build an inclusive ecosystem where women engineers feel empowered to lead, innovate, and grow.

Debarati Ganguly — Professional Development Lead-Elect

1. How has having a global perspective shaped your career journey?
Working across America, Europe, Australia, the UK, and the Middle East has trained me to design AI and data ecosystems that balance sovereignty, regulation, and real-world impact. It has made me think in systems — not projects — and lead with both domain and policy awareness, and engineering depth.

2. How has being part of the SWE Global Women Engineers Affinity Group influenced your professional growth or sense of community?
The GWE AG reinforces that women belong at the forefront of complex engineering and AI decisions and leadership conversations. It gives me a global circle where technical depth and leadership ambition are strengthened together. It has expanded my network and reinforced my responsibility and shared ambition to elevate more women into strategic roles.

3. What encouraged you to join the SWE Global Women Engineers AG, and how do you plan to impact the community as a GWE member?
I joined because women must shape the future of AI, not just participate in it. I want to mentor, support professional development into strategic tech roles, and help more women step confidently into architecture, policy, and leadership spaces.

Ashwini Phalke — Awards Lead

1. In your view, how has having a global perspective helped in shaping your career journey?
Having a global perspective has significantly shaped my career by helping me understand different challenges and identify opportunities for collaboration. It also helped me understand different cultures and leadership styles and gain a lot of experience through interactions.

2. How has being part of the SWE Global Women Engineers Affinity Group influenced your professional growth or sense of community?
Being part of the SWE Global Women Engineers Affinity Group has improved my professional journey in many ways. Getting to interact with experienced leaders with rich experience in diverse fields. Leading the Award vertical allowed me to connect with many affiliates and get to know them personally, as well as exposure to SWE’s activities and a deeper understanding of SWE’s mission.

3. What encouraged you to join the SWE Global Women Engineers AG, and how do you plan to impact the community as a GWE member?
I was encouraged to join the SWE Global Women Engineers AG because of its mission to bring together women engineers from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds. The opportunity to learn from global perspectives, contribute to meaningful discussions, and support women in STEM worldwide strongly resonated with me. As a GWE member, I plan to make an impact by actively participating in the AG activities, primarily by providing exposure to SWE’s awards and recognition for all group members and by recognizing each member’s great work.

Mandeep Gill — Lead

Over the years, members of the SWE Global Women Engineers Affinity Group have shared their experiences and stories that reflect their professional growth — whether it’s navigating early leadership roles, working with global project teams, or simply gaining confidence through community support.

At SWE GWE AG, cross-cultural and group mentorship happens naturally because we’re constantly learning from each other’s diverse backgrounds, work styles, and challenges, and this is my biggest motivation and learning.

Members actively help each other and the community by offering guidance, opening doors to opportunities, reviewing resumes or proposals, and connecting them with relevant networks.

For me personally, I’ve been able to contribute by creating a platform where women engineers from around the world can come together, connect, learn from one another, shine, grow personally and professionally, lean in during challenges, and lift each other every step of the way.

Read more at All Together

Recently, SWE Executive Director and CEO Karen Horting traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with congressional staff and reinforce SWE’s policy priorities ahead of the organization’s upcoming Congressional Outreach Days.

During her visit, Horting met with staff in the office of Representative Luz Rivas (D-CA) to discuss key issues affecting the engineering workforce and to thank the congresswoman for restarting the bipartisan House STEM Education Caucus. The caucus plays an important role in bringing lawmakers together to advance policies that strengthen STEM education and expand opportunities for students across the country. During the meeting, Horting highlighted several of SWE’s key policy priorities that will also be central to conversations during the organization’s upcoming Congressional Outreach Days.

One priority discussed was the STEM RESTART Act, bipartisan legislation designed to help experienced STEM professionals return to the workforce after career breaks. Women leave STEM careers at disproportionately high rates due to life changes, caregiving responsibilities, workplace bias, and structural barriers — resulting in the loss of valuable engineering talent. The legislation would establish competitive grants to support reentry programs that help professionals refresh their technical skills, rebuild professional networks, and transition back into high-demand roles.

Horting also emphasized the importance of sustained federal investment in STEM education programs that help build the next generation of engineers. Early exposure to STEM subjects and hands-on learning experiences can spark interest in engineering careers and strengthen the future workforce pipeline.

The conversation also highlighted the critical role of federal research agencies in driving innovation and economic growth. Robust, predictable funding for these agencies supports cutting-edge research while also expanding participation in engineering and STEM careers.

The meeting also served as an opportunity to thank Rep. Rivas for her leadership in relaunching the bipartisan House STEM Education Caucus, which provides an important forum for lawmakers focused on strengthening the nation’s STEM ecosystem.

As SWE prepares for its annual Congressional Outreach Days, visits like this help reinforce that the engineering community has strong allies on Capitol Hill who recognize the importance of investing in STEM education, research, and workforce development.

SWE members will soon be bringing these conversations directly to Congress, sharing their expertise and advocating for policies that support women in engineering and strengthen the nation’s innovation workforce.

Read more at All Together

My two-year “retirement” anniversary was celebrated in September 2025 by participating in SWE’s Return to Work Program. While several factors drew me back to wanting to work, the most significant was realizing how much my career had served as a source of confidence.

It was something I excelled at, and stepping away left a gap I hadn’t fully anticipated. After nearly 15 years at the same pharmaceutical company, I wasn’t sure where to begin my return-to-work journey. My résumé was outdated, I hadn’t written a cover letter in 15 years, and I needed to think through how best to communicate my career hiatus.

SWE’s Return to Work Program offered the perfect opportunity to make progress in these areas in a supportive environment alongside other women engineers navigating similar circumstances. The program kicked off with two exceptional SWE mentors who shared their own return-to-work stories. Hearing their experiences immediately helped the group feel less isolated and gave many of us the courage to share about our own hurdles.

We also tackled practical, confidence-building topics such as writing a résumé and cover letter, developing a transition pitch, and pulling everything together in a mock interview. SWE does an incredible job pairing participants with experienced hiring managers who provide constructive feedback, as well as peer mentors who help foster connection and encouragement throughout the process.

As many of us think about New Year’s workout resolutions, this program felt like a boot camp for strengthening the corporate muscles that had atrophied over time. It gave me the kick-start I needed to move forward with confidence.

I’m excited to discover the next chapter of my career, and for anyone wondering where to start, I highly recommend signing up for the next cohort.

Interested in participating in the Return to Work Program? Check out the program homepage to learn more.

Read more at All Together

The SWE Achievement Award is SWE’s highest tribute. It was first conferred in 1952, just two years after the society was established. The Achievement Award honors long-term technological advancements in engineering made by women in any engineering discipline. Several prominent SWE volunteers throughout the Society’s 75-year history have been recognized with this honor, including SWE Co-Founder and first President Beatrice Hicks in 1963.

When a group of SWE Late Career and Retiree Affinity Group members set out to write the recently published book, Women Engineering Legends 1952 – 1976: Society of Women Engineers Achievement Award Recipients, most of us didn’t know the technical contributions Hicks had made. I had no idea she owned her own engineering company and was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering and the National Inventors Hall of Fame for her patented gas density switch. She is but one of the engineering role models I wish I’d known when I was in school.

The book, a follow-up to SWE LCR AG’s SWE Legends Wikipedia project, started in 2021 to recognize the historic contributions of SWE’s first 25 Achievement Award recipients — all pioneers in their engineering disciplines blazing a technical path during the Great Depression, World War II, and the “space race.”  It was a time before many engineering colleges admitted women. Hicks ran her business before the 1974 Equal Credit Opportunity Act that finally allowed women to apply for credit in their own names without a male co-signatory.

You see, when I asked a recent 2026 WE Local audience who had heard of Beatrice Hicks, only three hands went up. All were seasoned SWE members. Learning about the trailblazing women who came before us is important, especially in a field where women comprise just 9% to 17% of the engineering workforce, depending on discipline. Role models help set the tone for what we view as possible in the world around us. Reading about the successes of the first 25 SWE Achievement Award recipients provides us with a base of understanding of what women have already accomplished, particularly at a time when women comprised <1% of the engineering workforce.

Publishing a book was an enlightening experience. All the authors, including editors Ceal Craig, Holly Teig, Debra Kimberling, Jan Williams, Jill Tietjen, Vicki Johnson, and chapter contributors Marie Aloia, Linda Reed, Deb Fisher-Rebstock, are extremely grateful and humbled for the opportunity to write about the lives and accomplishments of SWE’s earliest pioneers. The authors, shown at the WE25 SWE Boutique (left), took a moment to celebrate their success. A huge thank you to Ceal for organizing, inspiring, and encouraging us to write this book.

We are deeply grateful for support and insightful forewards by SWE Executive Director and CEO Karen Horting and SWE Archivist Troy Eller English for the added context. A special thank you to the SWE LCR AG for creating a home for the SWE Legends Wikipedia editing initiative. It formed the basis for this book. The book and its SWE legacy will live on!

The Women Engineering Legends book authors, including Jan Williams and Debra Kimberling shown at WE Local Portland, are in full marketing mode. We’re proudly promoting the book and SWE’s history at WE26 Boston and all 2026 WE Locals. We also raffle off the book at each SWE Boutique to some very happy conference attendees! Stop by the next SWE Boutique for an opportunity to win. You can also help spread the word by promoting the book to your alma maters and local academic libraries.

Purchase the Women Engineering Legends book using the 20% book discount code “SWE,” valid through March 31, 2026. (Sign up for a Springer account using your email to obtain the discount).

If editing a book inspires you, reach out to Springer Women in Engineering and Science series Editor Jill Tietjen. She’ll point you in the right direction. To help with the second book in the SWE Legends series, complete this SWE Legends Volunteer Interest Form. You can author a book chapter, participate in an oral history of a living SWE legend, write/edit Wikipedia profiles, or help market. Tell us about your passions!

Until our next conference or SWE history presentation, keep reading. Which SWE legend particularly inspires you? To learn more about our SWE pioneers and their accomplishments, attend one of these upcoming events:

• Friday March 27 — SWE Member at Large (MAL) Women’s History Month will have a virtual book summary of all 25 Achievement Award Recipients from book one.
• Tuesday April 21 — SWE Boston 75th Anniversary will include those Achievement Award Recipients and Legends with Boston ties.
• For more information, watch the “Histories of Women Engineers Need to be Told” video, read the SWE LCR newsletter, or visit our LCR SWE Legends origins video.

If you have ideas about how to promote the book or its content, please send me a note. Looking forward to seeing you at the next SWE Boutique!

Read more at All Together

I am an electronics engineer who spent the early part of my career as a scientist at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), working on a Government of India project to identify quality parameters in tea production. This precise, methodical work trained me to trust data, ask the right questions, and never accept a result without understanding what was behind it.

From there, I moved into global operations at Keysight Technologies — managing teams across geographies, driving cross-functional decisions, and navigating cultures I hadn’t grown up in. The technical rigor came with me. But the skills that actually shaped my leadership? Those I had to find on my own.

Technical skills got me in the room. Business skills determined whether I stayed and whether I led.

The Gap Nobody Warned Me About

As a SWE global ambassador, I mentor women engineers across India and beyond. And I keep hearing the same story — she is technically excellent, her work is solid, everyone knows it; and yet opportunities kept going to people who seem, on paper, less qualified. She couldn’t figure out why.

Most of the time, the gap is not technical. It is that nobody told her the job has two halves.

Engineering education is exceptional at teaching us to solve defined problems. It is far less effective at teaching us to make a business case, own a budget, influence without authority, or translate technical complexity into language that moves a room. For women, who are often already working harder just to be taken seriously, this gap compounds fast and quietly.

What Combining Both Looks Like

When I moved from a scientific role into operations leadership, I had to learn a second language — not a spoken one, but a commercial one. “How does this project affect the P&L? What does this engineering decision mean for the customer? How do I make the case for resources to someone who doesn’t think in specifications?”

I discovered that my engineering brain was not a liability in those conversations. It was an advantage. The same qualities that make a good engineer, such as structured thinking, evidence-based decisions, and comfort with complexity, make a sharper business thinker, too.

I’ve seen this play out with the women I mentor. The ones who grow fastest are not necessarily the most technically gifted; they are the ones who learned early to connect their technical work to business outcomes, to speak up in rooms that felt unfamiliar, and to trust that their engineering instincts were valuable beyond the engineering function.

Raise Your Hand Before You’re Ready

A mentor in Minneapolis once told me, “Don’t wait until you’re ready. Just raise your hand.” For women engineers, this is harder than it sounds. We are trained to qualify ourselves fully before stepping forward, and in technical work, that instinct is an asset. But in business settings, it holds us back while others, less prepared but more visible, move ahead.

Business skills are not a separate qualification to acquire before entering the room. They are built by being in the room. Own a small budget, volunteer to present upward, or read the business case behind the project you are building. Ask the commercial team what your work means to the customer. Start before you feel ready.

Where It Took Me

That combination of technical grounding and business thinking eventually gave me the confidence to co-found a science-backed food venture. My engineering discipline shaped how we validated the science, and my business skills shaped how we built something around it.

I share this because the path from engineer to founder was not a pivot. The skills we build as engineers, such as curiosity, rigor, and the instinct to find the root cause, are extraordinary foundations. Business acumen is what extends their reach.

The women I work with are some of the sharpest people I know. The only thing standing between them and the table is the belief that it wasn’t built for them. It was. They just need to walk up to it.

Read more at All Together

The “Her Stories: Adventures in STEM” blog series is a collection of stories about 20 women in science and engineering fields, written by members of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Pre-College Working Group.

These inspiring women have experienced a variety of life experiences and career paths, and these stories and accompanying artwork help to capture the vast diversity of our featured scientists and engineers.

We hope this series will show you how exciting engineering and science can be and help you realize that anyone can choose to become a scientist or an engineer.

Story by Hilary Fiorentino

Maria Palamara’s earliest memory was a clue to what passions she would pursue in adulthood. As a child, Maria was given a carriage for her baby doll. Instead of buckling her doll into the carriage and taking it for a ride, she set out on a different adventure and immediately began taking it apart to see how the contraption worked. Maria was a budding engineer in the making!

Maria grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where her father was an ironworker for the New York Sanitation Department. Her mother worked in banking before pivoting to a stay-at-home mom once their family started growing. Neither of her parents had gone to college; however, they were invested in their children’s higher education.

Maria grew up with two brothers and one sister, and her parents encouraged curiosity and science and math learning opportunities. Her older brother went to college for physics, and her other brother followed in Maria’s footsteps for engineering.

Growing up, Maria oftentimes felt like she did not fit in with her fellow classmates. However, her intelligence, excellent grades, and good relationships with her teachers led to her receiving a scholarship to attend an all-girls high school in Manhattan, New York, which helped shape her academic future.

At her new school, Dominican Academy, life started to change for Maria. She went from being shy and quiet to suddenly being involved with her school choir, sports teams, and theater. Maria even took on a lead role for her theater’s stage crew in the production of Peter Pan.

Here is where she learned how engineering and creativity intersect. Maria was surprised at how much engineering was involved in theater, such as making the actors fly! Working on hard challenges in this creative space made her time in theater one of her favorite memories.

In the classroom, Maria discovered that physics was her favorite subject, and she also became student council president. Over time, she grew more assertive and confident, breaking out of her shell and growing her leadership skills through these opportunities.

When it came time for college, Maria decided on The Cooper Union for engineering because it was a tuition-free opportunity to continue her education. Her initial step into the engineering curriculum was an introduction to engineering class, and her class project was to help an Indigenous group of people in a place with few resources to irrigate their fields and get water to their animals. Through this exercise, she realized that engineering was a way to help people and make a difference in their lives.

Maria initially chose to pursue chemical engineering as her major. After some bad experiences in her chemical engineering lab, including breaking some beakers, she realized it was not for her. She switched to mechanical engineering and found it was a much better fit. Maria enjoyed her classes and learned that mechanical engineering could be used in many applications.

There were few women in her engineering classes during her time in college in the 1970s, and this sometimes made it difficult for Maria to navigate academics. Sometimes male professors saw Maria and other women as taking the spots of men, as if men deserved to attend college more. Despite this bias, Maria kept her head held high and continued to work hard, earn good grades, and even graduate with academic honors.

Maria’s first job out of college was with Bell Labs working on a light-emitting diode (LED). Despite her initial hesitation, Maria wound up spending 31 years with Bell Labs and worked on numerous projects, such as the first fully electronic key system with LED switch buttons and multiple-line telephones. Bell Labs even sponsored her to pursue a master’s degree in fluid mechanics and heat transfer at Columbia University.

After she spent time as a physical designer, she pivoted to project management to help technical teams work with each other and the factory. Maria also tried systems engineering which taught her about developing requirements for the products that other teams would build.

Systems engineering requires big-picture thinking and the ability to understand the whole life cycle of the product, from the initial product idea to recycling after its use. These skills and systems thinking translated well into the business world when she became a product manager.

She pivoted to this role once she decided to become a mom and wanted something new. After working in marketing and traveling extensively, Maria decided to become a people manager of a forward-looking technology team.

Maria led a team that developed a GPS-assisted technology for cell phones that allows the user to get a location of a cellular signal from a phone calling 911 for help. Maria earned 12 patents related to location and other new technologies through her work on this team.

After this work, her career continued for many years. She worked in public safety telecommunications, 4G technology, and private spectrum, which designates portions of communication frequencies to companies and is also used by mobile phones, Bluetooth, and FM radio. Before retiring from engineering, Maria’s last role in the telecommunications world was with Verizon working on cellular roaming and 5G solutions.

In addition to Maria’s technical pursuits, throughout her career she engaged in leadership classes and mentored her coworkers, helping them through career changes. Being an engineer means Maria is a problem solver. Maria had to learn how to work with unique people and personalities, navigate being a woman in a male-dominated field, and understand how systems work together.

Being a systems engineer allowed her to think of a person as an individual living within a larger societal system. Maria can better visualize and understand a person and how they are affected by their home life, relationships, and career.

This skill inspired her to pursue a new career in retirement: career and mental health counseling. Maria was always passionate about helping people, and this new career allowed her to utilize her engineering talent in a different way. She was interested in learning what makes people happy and what goals they want to pursue in their life. Maria helps patients with their mental health, including anxiety and depression, which are sometimes brought on through stress in a career.

Maria’s personal and professional life has been filled with many twists and turns, but she is grateful for every moment. Maria’s career is marked by her persistence, a positive attitude, and a love of learning. In the moments where her career got tough, whether fighting to earn respect as a woman in the field or pivoting to a new technical area, she continued to advocate for herself and find a support system around her.

Maria believes it is important to have fun and find people that make you laugh and allow them to cheer you on through troublesome times. She believes a key component to her success has been her curiosity and her desire for continuous learning.

Engineering is all about learning and problem-solving, and a love of learning will create an exciting path that opens up endless possibilities — from theater, to lightbulbs, to GPS, or even to counseling!

The “Her Stories: Adventures in STEM” series is a collection of stories about 20 women in science and engineering fields, written by members of the SWE Pre-College Working Group. Dive into the rest of the series here!

Know a precollege kid interested in STEM? Join SWENext, the Society’s free program that allows students ages 5 through 18 to join the SWE engineering and technology community.

SWENexters enjoy numerous opportunities throughout the year to learn, network, and connect with peers, role models, and industry professionals. Plus, this diverse, welcoming, precollege STEM community provides a safe place where kids can feel seen, heard, and validated. SWENext is open to all genders.

Read more at All Together

The boundaries of STEM are shifting. Increasingly, we are recognizing the evolution to STEMM — acknowledging medicine, alongside mathematics, as a central pillar of innovation. From cardiovascular research to veterinary science, disciplines are converging, new roles are emerging, and expectations are rising.

Yet as these opportunities expand, a familiar pattern remains: many highly capable women pause before stepping into the most visible, strategic positions.

This pause is often described as a confidence issue or a pipeline problem. I see it differently. In the leadership course I teach, I have found that the hesitation is not about ability. It is about stability.

For more than a decade, women in technical fields have been told to “lean in.” I agree — but only if you are rooted. Leaning into leadership without being grounded in who you are is destabilizing.

When you are encouraged to lean without a foundation, your instincts correctly sense the risk. You don’t lead; you wobble. Without strong roots, leaning too far puts you at risk of falling, or worse, failing. Before you can lead a lab, a clinic, or a technology organization, you have to make sure you understand the biggest roadblocks. That work begins with what I call leadership of self.

Here are the five shifts that help women in emerging STEM fields expand their goalposts and step forward with grounding rather than hesitation.

1. Exploring Limiting Beliefs

When I ask women to write down the beliefs that are limiting them in their careers, they initially worry they won’t be able to come up with more than a couple. Then, their pens start moving, and their pages start filling up, and before long, they have a list of 20 or more: I’m not capable. I don’t think I can lead this project. I can’t do math. My bosses will be angry if they find out I’m looking to advance in my career. 

Some of these limiting beliefs have been with us since childhood. Others are the result of women being told, explicitly or not, that they should second-guess their own abilities. Wherever they come from, these beliefs are within us now but that doesn’t make them true. And once we realize that we’re the ones putting obstacles in our own way, it becomes much easier to remove them.

2. Expanding Ambitions

Men who start companies often have big, bold, and at-times unrealistic dreams for their business. While these audacious goals may or may not be achieved, they tend to spur action and investment in a way that more modest aims do not. Women, by contrast, often cap their own ambitions without even realizing it.

By the end of our time working together, the women in my course come to see that there is much more room for them to run than they previously thought. We work on “moving the goalposts” further away and to some exciting new heights, ensuring that our own unwillingness to think big isn’t what narrows our leadership paths.

3. Sharpening Decisions

Because of fear, people tend to default to the status quo, which seems safer than alternatives — even if those alternatives come with more opportunity, money, or prestige. That reaction is not a character flaw; that’s how we’re wired.

It takes only a few seconds — a deliberate pause — for the reactive part of the brain to give way to more thoughtful judgment. In that pause, we regain agency.

I often tell participants: give your brain two options. The old response and a new one. If you see only one path, you will take it automatically. If you see too many, you will feel paralyzed. But with two, you can choose deliberately, and hence move forward much more strategically.

4. Refining Language

Women’s contributions are more likely to be devalued, and many of us tend to focus on the area where we’ve come up short. During the course, I literally give participants permission to say, “I’ve done well.” Many have never said this to themselves before.

Another linguistic shift: We often have difficulty saying “no” to people, but it is easier to say “not now.” A simple sentence like “This doesn’t work for me right now, but can you ask me again next year?” can be extremely powerful in helping women reclaim their time.

5. Making Leadership a Daily Practice

I didn’t coin this phrase (Ronald Heifetz, a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School did), but I love it: “Leadership is a practice, not a position of authority.” When we think of leadership as something we undertake each day, we can move beyond the mythology of the natural born leader and take ownership of our own journeys.

I often compare it to running. No one practices for a marathon by running marathons. Instead, people gradually build up their longer runs over time and compete in shorter races, until they’re ready to conquer 26.2 miles.

The Path Forward

Ultimately, the goal of this work is to change the internal physics of how we show up in the workplace. When you are grounded, you no longer have to fake” confidence; you simply possess it because you are standing on a foundation you built yourself, brick by brick.

By making leadership a daily practice, you transform the wobble of hesitation into the steady, flexible resilience of the palm tree. In the rapidly evolving landscape of STEMM, we don’t just need more women at the top, we need women who are rooted enough to stay there and lead the way for the next generation of innovators.

Read more at All Together

I failed Electrical Machines.

Not a quiz. Not a lab. The course.

At the time, it felt catastrophic. Electrical Machines wasn’t just another subject in my program, it was the program major. The kind of course that decides who belongs in electrical engineering and who doesn’t.

When I saw the result, my first thought wasn’t about credits or re-registration. It was simpler and crueler: maybe this is proof I was never meant to be here.

I remember exactly where I was when it sank in. Sitting alone, laptop open, refreshing the portal even though I already knew the outcome wouldn’t change. Around me, life went on. People laughed. People planned internships. People moved forward. One grade became louder than years of effort.

No one prepares you for how silent failure is in engineering. We talk endlessly about resilience, but only after success. We celebrate the comeback stories once they’re neat and inspiring. What we don’t talk about is the moment before that, when failure feels like exposure.

I kept replaying things I had heard in that department, how Electrical Machines was a “weed-out” course, how people joked that it sorted out who was really cut out for core electrical work. Sitting there, I didn’t hear it as a joke anymore. I heard it as a verdict.

What surprised me most was how common my story was once I finally said it out loud. Seniors admitted they’d failed courses, too. Friends shared transcripts they’d hidden for years. Professors told me about multiple classes they’d barely survived. The myth that “real engineers don’t fail” dissolved the moment I stopped protecting it.

Failure didn’t disqualify me, but silence almost did. If you’re reading this while staring at a result you wish you could erase, here’s the one thing I want you to do: separate your performance from your potential.

A grade measures what happened in one system, at one time, under one set of constraints. It does not measure curiosity or persistence, which, inconveniently, are the exact skills engineering actually requires.

I passed Electrical Machines the second time. But more importantly, I stopped letting one subject decide whether I belonged in the field at all.

Read more at All Together

I am Esther N. Anosike-Francis, Ph.D., a lecturer in the department of mechanical engineering at Nile University in Abuja, Nigeria. I teach and conduct research focused on developing sustainable engineering materials from agricultural and industrial waste.

How did you first get involved with the Society of Women Engineers (SWE)?

My involvement with the Society of Women Engineers began in 2023 when a student recipient of an SWE scholarship introduced me to the organization. After researching and registering, I connected with local members, and together, we spearheaded the establishment of a new collegiate affiliate at my university, where I now serve as the faculty advisor.

What inspired you to become a global ambassador?

I am inspired by the desire to extend the supportive community and professional opportunities I found in SWE beyond my local affiliate, empowering women in engineering worldwide through mentorship and cross-cultural collaboration.

What’s one highlight or meaningful moment from your SWE journey so far?

I was able to lead our affiliate’s first workshop, where I saw an immediate spark of curiosity and confidence in our young participants.

How has being part of the Global Ambassador Program contributed to your personal or professional growth?

Being a global ambassador has profoundly expanded my professional network and perspective. The position allows me to develop cross-cultural communication skills and strategic outreach initiatives that directly enhance my capacity to mentor and advocate for women in engineering on a global scale.

A favorite inspiring quote:

“I never lose. I either win or learn.” by Nelson Mandela

Outside of SWE and work, what brings you joy or fulfillment?

Outside of my professional life, I find great joy and balance in practicing martial arts, which teaches discipline and resilience, in exploring new places through travel, and in mentoring young girls by sharing biblical perspectives on building a successful marriage.

A core part of my mission is empowering the next generation, not just in STEM, but in holistic life principles, guiding young women toward fulfilling careers and personal lives rooted in strong values. I am deeply passionate about leveraging materials science for sustainable development and am always eager to connect with fellow engineers and mentors. I welcome connections and conversations on LinkedIn.

Read more at All Together

After months of negotiations and uncertainty, the United States Congress has completed most of its work on FY 2026 appropriations, advancing funding bills that include several important wins for science, engineering, and STEM education. While no spending package is perfect, key provisions in the FY 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) appropriations bills reflect meaningful progress on priorities long championed by the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).

Together, these bills demonstrate bipartisan and bicameral recognition of the federal government’s role in strengthening the STEM ecosystem — from research and innovation to K–12 education and workforce development.

Investments in Federal Research Agencies

The FY 2026 CJS bill includes continued support for core federal research agencies that underpin U.S. scientific leadership and innovation. Funding for agencies, such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NASA, helps sustain critical basic and applied research, expand opportunities for STEM students, and support programs that broaden participation in science and engineering. Importantly, the CJS bill preserves the NSF’s STEM education directorate and the agency’s commitment to broadening participation in STEM fields.

These investments align closely with SWE’s long-standing policy priorities, which emphasize the importance of stable, predictable funding for federal research agencies. Robust research funding not only fuels discovery and economic competitiveness, but also creates pathways for women and underrepresented groups to enter and thrive in STEM fields.

Supporting STEM Education and the Workforce Pipeline

The FY 2026 LHHS bill makes important strides in protecting and strengthening education programs that support the STEM pipeline, particularly at the K–12 level. The bill maintains funding for foundational K-12 education programs, such as Title I and IDEA, which are essential to ensuring equitable access to education for students of all backgrounds — including future engineers and technologists. It also preserves support for K-12 STEM education via level funding for the Student Support and Academic Enrichment grant program, which school districts can use for STEM programming.

While the LHHS bill does not include the level of growth many education advocates had hoped for, it represents a clear improvement over both the White House’s FY 2026 budget proposal and earlier House Republican proposals that would have significantly reduced or eliminated key education investments. By preserving federal support for education and related workforce initiatives, the final bill helps safeguard opportunities for students and educators working to build a more diverse and inclusive STEM workforce.

SWE’s Advocacy in Action

SWE played an active role throughout the FY 2026 appropriations process. As the bills moved through Congress, the organization signed on to multiple coalition letters urging lawmakers to prioritize adequate funding for federal research agencies and STEM education programs. These efforts reflect SWE’s commitment to ensuring that the voices of women engineers are heard in federal policy discussions.

The passage of the CJS and LHHS bills with bipartisan, bicameral support underscores the impact of sustained advocacy and collaboration across the STEM community.

Looking Ahead

Although most FY 2026 funding is now settled, SWE’s advocacy work is far from over. The Society will continue engaging with lawmakers during its Capitol Hill visits later this spring, reinforcing the message that investments in research, education, and workforce development are essential to America’s future — and to advancing women in engineering.

On March 18-19, 2026, SWE will host a Congressional outreach event for paid FY26 (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026) SWE members to engage with U.S. elected officials and their staff in Washington, D.C. Training will include a virtual one-hour session on March 4 and a half-day in-person training on March 18. The event will be held in person.

As Congress turns its attention to future funding cycles, SWE remains committed to championing policies that expand opportunity, strengthen innovation, and ensure that women engineers are fully represented in shaping the technologies and solutions of tomorrow.

Read more at All Together

Read more at All Together

Black History Month invites us to remember, but remembrance alone is not enough. In engineering, history is not just something we look back on, it is something we continue to construct. Every project we lead. Every system we design. Every young engineer we mentor. This is why SWE affinity groups (AG) are important; they help facilitate building community, developing leaders, and helping members feel seen. Especially in a period where many companies are pulling back on their diversity programs.

On Feb. 20, at WE Local Austin, the session “Voices of Belonging: Stories From SWE Affinity Group Leaders” explored how affinity groups build connections across personal identities, geography, and career stages. As the African American Affinity Group lead, I resonate with the message that “belonging is not a feeling you wait for, but something you create on purpose.”

SWE has many ways to engage with others, from sections/affiliates to annual and regional conferences. Affinity groups, though, offer something uniquely powerful — community not limited by location. The African American AG is built to support members who may be navigating:

• Being the only (or one of the few) Black engineers on their team.
• Career growth without access to informal networks.
• The desire for mentorship that understands both technical goals and cultural realities.

We are a space that also welcomes allies, because building belonging is a shared responsibility, especially in engineering.

What Belonging Looks Like in Real Life

One of my favorite parts leading an AG is seeing familiar faces return. It is powerful when someone attends an event quietly for the first time and then comes back again for another event and engages more comfortably — maybe by turning their camera on, or asking a question, or even offering to help. Over time, that person isn’t just “attending,” they are connected and building belonging within the affinity group.

Belonging looks like:

• Someone saying, “I thought it was just me,” either internally or audibly during an event with a discussion forum.
• Someone gaining confidence after hearing another member’s story.
• Someone getting their resume reviewed and landing an interview.
• Someone realizing leadership is possible for them right now, not later.

Affinity Group Pillars

The collective mission of SWE’s 22 affinity groups is to bring together communities that share similar interests and backgrounds that support the rooted in the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B) strategic goals of SWE. These affinity groups are organized into three pillars: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Affinity Groups, Business and Interest Affinity Groups, and Career Stages Affinity Groups. Membership in any SWE affinity group is open to all SWE members, including allies, interested in participating.

Drilling down into the aforementioned pillars, each leader from their respective pillars will highlight the subsequent groups included and lead a conversation to grow the audience’s understanding of what communities are available along with their benefits.

The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Affinity Groups are focused on the needs of socially diverse populations and support initiatives tailored to serve these communities.

• African-American
• Asian Connections
• DisAbility Inclusion
• First Generation Students & Professionals
• HeForSWE
• Indigenous Peoples
• Latinos
• LGBTQ+ and Allies
• Military & Veterans

The Business and Interests Affinity Groups are loosely centered around the members’ business environment and career experiences.

• Entrepreneurs
• Global Women Engineers
• Public Policy
• SWE Athletes
• SWE Members in Small Businesses
• Technical Career Path
• Women in Government
• Women Engineers in Government Contractor Careers

The Career Stages Affinity Groups represent members at different stages of their working life, from higher education, to starting off in the workplace, and advancing from there.

• Community Colleges
• Early Career Professionals
• GradSWE
• Late Career and Retiree
• Mid-Career Professionals

Professional Growth Without the Pressure

Another theme of the panel discussion is that affinity groups provide professional development in a way that’s both meaningful and safe.

SWE leadership provides:

• Real project experience (planning events, managing communications, building partnerships).
• Opportunities to present and facilitate.
• Mentoring and peer coaching.

Affinity groups are described as “safe spaces,” because you are able to learn among people who want you to win without affecting your job security or reputation.

Why This Matters Right Now

As workplace DEIB initiatives and ERGs have been scaled back, reorganized, or dismantled across industries, this new reality leaves gaps, especially for underrepresented engineers who relied on those spaces for community, advocacy, and mentorship.

Affinity groups help fill those gaps by offering:

• Continuity: it doesn’t disappear due to major life changes.
• National and global connections.
• Mentorship that understands lived experience.
• A place to lead and grow regardless of company culture.

Real Talk: Growing Pains, Leadership Gaps, and New Groups

Following the panel discussion, the Q&A session offered more insight on AG structures.

An audience member shared a common frustration: not receiving emails from affinity groups. While another expressed interest in a broad affinity group for women and allies in education (i.e. lecturers, advisors). These questions assisted in highlighting the reality behind the scenes:

• Some affinity groups have leadership gaps.
• SWE has been navigating organizational restructuring.
• Launching new groups requires sustainability planning, not just interest.

Within that restructuring, SWE has pathways for new affinity groups, such as “Incubator Groups” and “Connect Groups.” Where the former functions in ordnance with SWE HQ, as they provide extra support to the group in order to focus on building a sustainable foundation, the latter functions as a low-programming group meant primarily for social connection (e.g., SWE Athletes), not frequent professional development events.

There was also a mention of several groups who are currently in the development pathway or being explored:

• Women in Energy
• Disability Caretakers
• Middle East & North Africa (MENA)

In short, new groups are possible, but SWE wants them to succeed long term, not to burn out quickly.

How to Get Involved

1. Opt into AG mailing list (located on SWE membership profile)
2. Follow AGs on any of their social media platforms (Linkedin, Slack, Instagram, Facebook, X formerly known as Twitter)
3. Attend virtual events
4. Attend in-person meetups at conferences
5. Volunteer and support an affinity group either short term (help with specific projects or events) or long term (apply to join their leadership team)

The panel referenced includes the anecdotes from the following SWE leaders:

Hope Toole Schwalls, F.SWE (Moderator)
A fellow and life member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Hope has been an active member of SWE for nearly three decades — first as a collegiate member while earning a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering and then as a professional member in two different professional sections. Prior to being elected to the FY25-26 Board of Directors, Hope served SWE in multiple roles at the section, region, and society levels. In addition to serving SWE, Hope participates in various other endeavors in both STEM and non-STEM fields. In her professional life, Hope is currently an aeronautical engineer principal.

Alyssa Acosta (Panelist)
A graduate of Texas Tech University in 2020 with her Bachelor’s of Science and master’s degrees in environmental engineering, Alyssa worked for ExxonMobil at their Joliet Refinery in Illinois as an environmental air advisor for two and half years after graduation. She then made the switch from the oil and gas industry to the water treatment scene by working for Garver at their College Station Water Design Center for a year before accepting a job with Burns and McDonnell. She is now a staff environmental engineer working in industrial and municipal wastewater treatment at the Austin office. Alyssa currently serves as the lead for the Early Career Professional AG (FY26) and is the former chair (FY25) for the Affinity Group Working Group. She is also a five-time speaker at the SWE annual conference, and her blog titled “Confessions of a Serial Job Hopper: Finding the Right Fit” was on SWE’s top five blogs of 2025.

Barbara Read (Panelist)
A principal quality engineer at an aerospace and defense company and an ASQ certified quality engineer (CQE), Barbara has held a variety of roles in software engineering, systems engineering, process improvement, and team leadership, culminating in her latest assignment during her 40-year plus career. Her past SWE leadership roles include Dallas SWE Section president FY15 – FY16. Barbara now is the FY26 Affinity Group Working Group chair. Barbara belongs to several affinity group communities, including the Late Career & Retiree Affinity Group (AG), the Community Colleges AG (being a professional counselor to a collegiate section), and the First-Generation Students and Professionals AG. She has spoken on DEI topics for workplace seminars and at past SWE conferences, most recently WE25 and WE Local Austin. As an avid reader and fierce advocate for libraries, she is the current president of her local library’s friends organization.

Sharon Kalango (Panelist)
The African American Affinity Group lead for the past two fiscal years, Sharon has also held other SWE leadership roles during her collegiate career. She graduated Georgia Southern University in 2020 with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and a minor in business management. Although she started her career as various iterations of process or manufacturing engineer, she currently works as a digital engineer in the insulation industry, focusing on data management, analysis, and presentation. As an advocate for minority identities in STEM fields, she volunteers her time in many related programs.

Read more at All Together

The African American Affinity Group is for SWE members who identify as African American, who identify as Black, or who are allies of the African American community. 

The overall goals of the African American Affinity Group are based on the following three pillars:

• Build Community: Develop a sense of community in the affinity groups fostering an inclusive environment where people discuss experiences in their engineering career, online and offline.
• Professional Development: Provide professional development opportunities enabling and sponsoring leadership experiences, networking, and mentorship.
• Member Empowerment: Empower members through highlighting accomplishments and supporting diversity in the SWE leadership pipeline, awards, and scholarships.

Learn more about the African American Affinity Group and some of their member experiences through these SWE Diverse podcast episodes:

• Ep 170: Nina Ahuja on Engineering Foundation with another STEM Occupation
• Ep 169: Black Women Engineers in Leadership Roles with Tarolyn Buckles
• Ep 167: Engineering as a Pathway to Community Leadership with Debra Coleman
• Ep 119: Louvere Walker-Hannon on Getting More Black Women Involved in STEM
• Ep 117: Empowering Black Professionals in STEM with Kanika Tolver

To connect with the African American Affinity Group, join the mailing list (sign up via the Communication Preferences in your member portal) or email africanamerican_ag@swe.org

You can also join the group on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or X.

Membership in any SWE Affinity Group is open to all SWE members interested in participating.

Read more at All Together

This year, Women’s History Month celebrates the women who have led change, shaped the future, and reimagined their journeys, creating a path forward for generations to follow. 

To honor this occasion, here is a curated list of SWE resources from our blog, magazine, podcast and courses, sharing inspiring stories of women engineers and their legacies over the years, as well as useful information to share with women engineers and girls interested in pursuing STEM fields professionally and/or academically.  

Diverse: A SWE Podcast

• Ep 328: Crafting Your STEM Legacy With Dr. Ruth Jones: As the second African American woman in Alabama to earn a Ph.D. in physics, motivational speaker Dr. Ruth Jones shares her trailblazing journey, career advice, and the importance of leaving a purposeful legacy and helping the next generation. You can also watch her opening keynote video from WE25.
• Ep 313: Tales From the Archives: 75th Anniversary Edition With The Cooper Union: In this special episode, SWE Chief Archivist Troy Eller English and Mary Mann, archives librarian at The Cooper Union, celebrate SWE’s 75th anniversary in 2025 by unpacking stories from the archives about the founding meeting of SWE in 1950 and reflecting how understanding the past can inform future practices in engineering and society.
• Ep 269: Building Legacies, Changing Lives: Donor Perspectives on SWE’s Endowed Scholarship Program: Mary Zeis, SWENext coordinator for the SWE Pittsburgh Section, and Jessica Dresang, vice president & project manager with Carollo Engineers, share their personal motivations behind endowing scholarships with SWE and how these scholarships make an impact on the next generation of women engineers.

SWE Magazine

• Women Engineers (from SWE’s History) You Should Know: Learn about 14 trailblazers in the spring 2025 issue — the Society of Women Engineers’ founding and charter members — who paved the way for generations of women engineers to come, at a time when women’s rights were few and their opportunities fewer. 
• SWE Scrapbook: See snapshots from SWE’s past and some of the major milestone moments and challenges in the Society’s history in this column authored by SWE archivist Troy Eller English. If you liked this then check out the Building A Legacy series from SWE’s 75th anniversary. 
• All in the Family: Read about five innovative and accomplished mother and daughter duos who are building generational legacies across an array of engineering fields, charting powerful paths in STEM through prowess, passion, and persistence and redefining what it means to make a mark in the world of engineering. 

Want a piece of SWE history for yourself? A variety of limited-edition 75^th-anniversary merchandise alongside our year-round collection of SWE-branded apparel and accessories are still available at our sweSwag store so grab some now before these special items are gone!

All Together Blog

• Celebrating SWE’s 75-Year Legacy of Cultivating Belonging: SWE’s annual Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Report outlines SWE’s historic and ongoing efforts to create a culture where every member feels seen, supported, and valued, demonstrating both progress and purpose, while acknowledging that the journey toward equity and inclusion is continuous. 
• Women’s History Month Through the Scope of SWE: Visit this detailed timeline from 1809 through 2011 of some noteworthy milestones in STEM industries and some of the outstanding women professionals and SWE members who have made valuable contributions to the world of engineering and technology.
• SWENext Celebrates 10 Years of Inspiring the Next Generation: It has been a decade since SWE launched SWENext, our free precollege program for students ages 5 through 18 to join the SWE engineering and technology community. The Society continues to expand its reach through multiple efforts: SWENext High School Leadership Academy (SHLA), SWENext Clubs, SWENext Connect, SWENext Influencers, SWENext Awards, and more.

Advance Learning Center

• Diversity Drivers: Five Keys to Recruiting and Retaining Women in STEM: Learn about the five key areas to consider as you build your roadmap to attract and retain women of color to your brand by addressing existing inequities, creating intentional recruitment and retainment programs, and how to best let the world know about your commitment to diversity.
• Negotiate Like a Boss: How to Be a Fierce Self-Advocate: Leveraging five strategies from her award-winning book, PUSHBACK: How Smart Women Ask — and Stand Up — for What They Want, Selena Rezvani teaches you how to use your presence to convey power in a negotiation, manage tradeoffs and get the “Yes” answer you need, whether negotiating with a peer, direct report, or authority figure.
• Creating Confidence When You Are the First or Only in the Room: During this session, Asia Bribiesca-Hedin explores what it takes to rise beyond the limitations that others place on us and the limitations we place on ourselves when experiencing being the “first” or the “only” in a room. Determine how to tap into your natural resilience and execute a simple formula for making strategic decisions.

Dive deeper into SWE’s history and the women who played a crucial role in its past with We Built This: a Look at the Society of Women Engineers’ First 75 Years, a scrapbook of stories and images from the SWE archives. All proceeds from sales go toward the SWE Legacy Endowed Scholarship. 

Read more at All Together

Membership in the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) connects you to community, professional development, and advocacy — but it also includes practical benefits members can use day to day.

Through partnerships with organizations across technology, travel, learning, and wellness, SWE provides resources designed to assist members both professionally and personally. All current offers are outlined on SWE’s Member Offers and Discounts page, which serves as a central hub for accessing these benefits.

Here is an overview of the current member offers. Become a SWE member to take advantage of these benefits today!

Technology and Work-Related Tools

Access to hardware, software credits, and office essentials can matter when you’re learning new skills, working on team projects, or setting up your own workspace.

• Dell Technologies: SWE members in the U.S. can access special pricing across Dell’s portfolio, including laptops, desktops, accessories, and enterprise solutions.
• Google Cloud: SWE members can claim $300 in credits and free access to more than 20 core Google Cloud products. These are great for experimentation in areas like cloud computing, data, and AI.
• Office Depot: Discounts on office supplies, technology products, furniture, and printing services through Office Depot’s member deals can ease the logistics of remote work, study, or planning events for SWE members.

Travel and Accommodation Offers

For members who travel for SWE conferences, work, or personal trips, SWE offers access to booking platforms and travel tools that combine convenience with the potential for savings.

• Going (Travel App): SWE members planning international flights can use this app at a discount to find the best travel savings.
• Expedia: SWE’s booking link lets members plan flights, hotels, and rental cars in one place while supporting SWE through affiliate contributions.
• Hertz: When members book rentals through SWE’s link, a portion of the purchase supports SWE’s mission.
• Vrbo: Members can use Vrbo’s platform for vacation rental bookings that align with personal travel needs.

Resources for Families and Well-Being

Engineering careers intersect with life outside of work. SWE’s partner offers include resources to ease that balance.

• ABCmouse: SWE members can take advantage of a free introductory period to this digital early learning program for children ages 2–8.
• ClassPass: Members can access fitness studios, gyms, and wellness experiences worldwide at a discounted rate.

The members-only offers and discounts available through SWE are tools you can choose to use depending on what matters to you — whether that’s setting up your workspace, planning travel, finding fun family learning options, or building community through additional professional societies.

More details and activation instructions are available through the Member Offers and Discounts page of SWE’s website. Join SWE today to start enjoying these exclusive member benefits.

Read more at All Together

SWE’s engagement in public policy plays a vital role in advancing the organization’s mission to empower women in engineering, promote equity and inclusion, and strengthen the nation’s STEM workforce. Through advocacy efforts such as Congressional Outreach Days, policy education, and grassroots engagement, SWE members help ensure that engineering expertise and diverse perspectives inform federal decision-making.

Supporting federal policy does not require being a policy expert or participating in a single annual event. SWE members can engage year-round by staying informed on legislation, sharing technical insights with policymakers, and participating in advocacy initiatives led by the Society. Federal policy directly shapes the future of engineering careers influencing workforce demand, investment priorities, and opportunities for leadership across technical fields.

One area where this connection is especially clear is infrastructure policy. Infrastructure investments affect not only the physical systems that support communities, but also the engineers who plan, design, build, and maintain them. By engaging in federal infrastructure discussions, SWE members can help advocate for policies that strengthen the engineering workforce while promoting inclusive and equitable access to these opportunities.

We want to highlight two federal bills introduced in the 119th Congress that illustrate how infrastructure-focused legislation can align strongly with SWE’s mission and values, as demonstrated on SWE’s Federal Bill Tracker.

IMPACT Act of 2025 (H.R. 1534)

The IMPACT Act focuses on improving the planning, coordination, and delivery of federal infrastructure projects by strengthening interagency collaboration and modernizing project development processes. By streamlining how infrastructure investments are managed across federal entities, the bill aims to reduce delays and increase the effectiveness of transportation, water, energy, and other critical infrastructure initiatives.

From an engineering and workforce perspective, this legislation has the potential to accelerate large-scale projects that require advanced technical expertise across the full project life cycle: planning, design, construction, and long-term asset management. These investments translate directly into demand for skilled engineers, project managers, and technical leaders.

For SWE members, H.R. 1534 represents an opportunity to advocate not only for infrastructure investment, but also for intentional workforce strategies that accompany these projects including inclusive hiring practices, workforce development programs, and leadership pathways that expand women’s participation and influence in engineering roles traditionally underrepresented by gender.

CREATE AI Act of 2025 (H.R. 2385)

The CREATE AI Act proposes the establishment of shared National Artificial Intelligence Research (NAIRR) to expand access to advanced AI tools, computing resources, and data across academic, public, and private sectors. By lowering barriers to participation in AI-driven innovation, the bill supports the integration of digital technologies into critical sectors, including infrastructure planning, design, construction, and operations.

This legislation reinforces an important policy narrative: modern infrastructure investment is ultimately an investment in people. Complex, capital-intensive projects depend on engineers and technical professionals capable of delivering innovative, resilient, and sustainable solutions. As infrastructure systems grow in scale and complexity, engineers and technical professionals must leverage data analytics, automation, and AI-enabled tools to deliver resilient, efficient, and sustainable solutions. This shift elevates the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, systems thinking, and digital leadership within the engineering profession.

Engagement of engineers in these conversations is essential to ensure that the expansion of infrastructure investment is paired with equitable access to engineering careers and leadership opportunities, particularly for women and other historically underrepresented groups in STEM.

SWE’s Role in Supporting Infrastructure Policy

Infrastructure policy sits at the intersection of engineering practice, workforce development, and national interest. Federal investments such as those proposed in H.R. 1534 and H.R. 2385 highlight the importance of aligning infrastructure growth with a strong and diverse engineering workforce ready for the future.

SWE is uniquely positioned to support this alignment by bringing data-driven insights, professional expertise, and member perspectives into policy discussions. By engaging with infrastructure legislation through formal SWE advocacy events, SWE members can help policymakers understand how funding decisions shape not only physical assets, but also the people and their careers.

Through continued advocacy, education, and collaboration, SWE can help ensure that federal infrastructure policy supports innovation, resilience, and inclusive opportunity, strengthening both the nation’s infrastructure and the engineering profession itself.

You can find these bills and more that may align with your interests on SWE’s Federal Bill Tracker.

SWE’s 2026 Congressional Outreach Days, held March 18–19 in Washington, D.C., are open to paid FY26 (July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026) SWE members.

If you have questions or want to connect with others who are interested in public policy, you can post in SWE’s Public Policy Affinity Group (AG) Facebook Group or contact the Public Policy AG Leads at publicpolicy.ag@swe.org. You can subscribe to the Public Policy AG’s email updates by logging into the member portal and scrolling to Communication Preferences.

Read more at All Together

Why Most Responsible AI Frameworks Fail in Practice

Responsible AI is commonly framed around bias metrics, fairness constraints, explainability, and regulatory compliance. Yet many high-profile AI failures occur despite meeting these criteria.

The reason is straightforward: AI systems do not fail in isolation. Humans fail with them.

Most frameworks assume humans remain rational evaluators, explanations naturally improve judgment, and accountability survives automation. However, decades of psychological research contradicts these assumptions.

AI systems operate within human cognitive, emotional, and social environments. Ignoring those environments results in systems that are technically compliant but behaviorally unsafe.

AI Systems Are Cognitive Load Redistributors

Insight #1: AI does not eliminate effort; it redistributes cognitive effort.

When AI automates tasks, it shifts where humans think rather than whether they think. Analysis is reduced while interpretation increases; execution becomes easier, while vigilance declines; decision-making is simplified, and reliance on perceived authority grows.

Under pressure, some humans may defer to sources that appear confident, consistent, and objective — qualities AI systems often project. This creates a dangerous asymmetry: perceived authority increases as personal accountability decreases. This imbalance, more than model error alone, underlies many AI-related failures.

Automation Bias Is Not a Bug — It Is a Cognitive Law

Automation bias is not a usability defect; it is a predictable feature of human cognition.

Humans evolved to trust outperforming tools, conserve mental effort, and follow authoritative signals in uncertain situations. When AI outputs are confident, frictionless, and framed as optimal, there can be a tendency among some to reduce cross-checking, delay overrides, and rationalize questionable results.

Higher accuracy can increase harm if it also increases uncritical reliance. Responsible AI must actively counter human cognitive tendencies rather than assume rational behavior.

Explainability Is Necessary and Still Insufficient

Insight #2: Explainability without judgment design increases risk.

Most explainable AI focuses on feature importance, attribution, and transparency, answering “How did the model reach this output?” However, users are often asking a deeper question: “Am I still responsible for this decision?”

When explanations increase confidence without signaling uncertainty, discourage disagreement, or erode human agency, they amplify authority rather than enhance safety.

Responsible explanations must encourage deliberation, legitimize human override, signal uncertainty, and preserve moral ownership. This is a psychological design challenge, not merely a visualization one.

A New Framework: The Human-AI Authority Gradient

The human–AI authority gradient describes how decision authority shifts across a product’s life cycle:

• Advisory: AI suggests, humans decide (low risk).
• Persuasive: AI nudges decisions (moderate risk).
• Authoritative: AI outputs dominate (high risk).
• Autonomous: AI executes decisions (critical risk).

Most AI failures occur during the persuasive-to-authoritative transition, where humans still feel accountable but no longer feel empowered. Responsible AI design must explicitly manage this gradient rather than allowing it to drift implicitly.

Team Psychology: How AI Restructures Organizations

AI reshapes not only decisions, but also who is heard.

In AI-augmented teams, junior staff often hesitate to challenge AI-endorsed conclusions, cross-functional dissent declines, “the model says” replaces debate, and accountability diffuses across roles. Psychological safety erodes when AI outputs appear neutral and disagreement feels irrational.

AI can unintentionally reinforce hierarchical silencing, even in inclusive cultures. Responsible AI teams must treat disagreement with AI as a skill, not resistance.

Responsible AI Is a Product-Level Responsibility

Insight #3: Responsibility is a system property, not a feature.

Ethics cannot be added later. Responsible AI must be embedded into problem framing, success metrics, interface design, feedback loops, and organizational incentives.

If KPIs reward speed over reflection, even ethical models will produce unethical outcomes.

The Next Frontier of AI Is Human Systems Design

The future of AI will not be determined by model size or algorithmic novelty. It will be shaped by whether we design systems that preserve human judgment, maintain accountability, and support ethical decision-making under pressure. Responsible AI is not just responsible modeling. It is responsible human systems engineering.

Read more at All Together