Being (Grown up) Kids Again!
It was a fun packed event Friday evening on April 5th, 2013 when the Dallas SWE Professional Section welcomed graduating seniors to the professional organization.
After a brief round of introductions where the next generation of women engineers got to learn more about our current professionals – ahem! Warriors (because sometimes navigating the workplace and emerging victorious can be a battle) , their career paths and transition from being successful students to efficient and impactful professionals, the entire crew headed inside the Perot Museum to participate and enjoy the Social Science programs for adults, featuring the topic GASTRONOMY.
For folks who have not visited Perot yet, please do. It represents “amazing” all packed in one location and is sure to appeal to all age groups. Children because it amazes them and teaches them the wonders of life and adults, simply because it ‘reminds’ them of these wonders again JIt was certainly my first time at the Perot Museum and boy was it fun!!! Being an engineer and a true blue NERD at heart, I absolutely enjoyed all the exhibits on display. It was enjoyable learning about the solar system and our universe yet again!!! (Given the fact that it has not changed a whole lot over the past million years). We all have a little kid inside us and sometimes it is fun to nurture that spirit in us. What really impressed me were the fossils that were found in our great state of Texas that were on display. Looking at angry T Rex with a glass of rum ‘n’ coke in my hand, I just wanted to say, “Cheers! “. There were workshops on Chocolates and scientific experiments involving liquid nitrogen and cookies. All in all an absolutely great evening.
To all our wonderful graduating seniors and collegiate members, Congratulations! We are here to support YOU as you transition into the work force and you can always come talk to us. I’d like to end by quoting Sheryl Sandberg –“Talking can transform minds”. We were glad to talk to you!
Thank you Jennifer Vilbig and Lindsay Clem for putting this event together!
– Neha Dobhal
In addition to our event the other day, Dallas SWE has partnered with the Perot Museum on a number of outreach activities. During engineers week, the SWE chapter volunteers connected over 200 K-12 children and teachers to hands on circuit design of a door bell. In addition, Dallas SWE members Jennifer Blount, Nandika D’Souza and Jennifer Vilbig are working with Perot Museum Vice-President of Programs, Steve Hinkley, to develop a tour on the architecture, engineering design elements, materials, electrical and sustainable aspects incorporated in the building. A program available to the public is scheduled to be available in Summer 2013.
In the first roll out of the tour, SWE attendees of the Regional SWE conference in February 2013 experienced both engineering careers and their relation to the building design as well as developed an appreciation of the way engineering careers utilize cross-disciplinary engagement in a single project.
Jennifer Blount, PE, LEED-AP+ is a project manager at Jacobs Engineering brings structural engineering elements together with Jennifer Vilbig, EIT of Vilbig and Associates. Nandika D’Souza an engineering professor at the University of North Texas is the principal investigator on the NSF supported Partnership for Innovation project for Development of Sustainable, Energy Efficient, Multifunctional Bioproducts for the Built Environment.