News & Events

Event Review: Texas Instruments DLP Center Tour

by Dallas SWE on in Meetings

On Tuesday, October 15, Texas Instruments and Dallas SWE got together for an exciting and informative tour of TI’s DLP Center in Plano, TX.  Thirty attendees, including several TI employees, enjoyed refreshments from Quiznos and networking with one another before each TI employee introduced themselves to the group and gave a short summary of their job responsibilities.

DLP

DLP-Theater
Kim Smith speaks to attendees in the TI DLP center theater.

 

Then, Kim Smith, Chair of the TI Wide Women’s Information Network (WIN), entertained and enlightened us with a history of her decades-long career at Texas Instruments.  She outlined the wide variety of integrated circuit products that Texas Instruments team members design, manufacture, and sell all around the globe.  She told us how she used her technical knowledge, networking skills, and collaborative spirit to solve problems, inspire and lead teams, and help women at TI make the most of their employment and their lives through WIN initiatives of Professional Development, Personal Growth, and Community Involvement.  Kim inspired us to get out of our own small areas, especially in a large company, to network and meet people as a way to develop mentor relationships, become more resourceful, and seek out opportunities to show off our strengths.

Amber Scheurer shares info about TI's DLP center
Amber Scheurer shares info about TI’s DLP center

After Kim’s talk, the group migrated out to the DLP showroom where engineers Amber Scheurer and Kiki Schuck explained the history of Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology and the mind-blowing process of manufacturing a DLP chip!  Thousands of microscopic mirrors are bonded to a substrate and then actuated, changing the direction in which they reflect light.

Dallas SWE Secretary Morgen Schroeder has fun posing with one of the many Emmys on display!
Dallas SWE Secretary Morgen Schroeder has fun posing with one of the many Emmys on display!

All that movement creates the color and brightness of individual pixels on a projector screen, from a pico-projector built into a cellphone to huge movie screens!  We also saw how many companies are using DLP technology to create medical devices like the VeinViewer, a device which projects, then collects reflected infrared light to locate a patient’s veins, then creates and projects that real-time image back onto the patient’s arm!  This process reduces the amount of time and effort for nurses and phlebotomists to locate and penetrate a vein for patient blood draw or IV insertion.  It’s really incredible stuff!

Thanks to our hostesses (named above) , Dallas SWE Vice President Barbara Read, and to TI for setting up this great tour and speaker meeting.  If you missed this event, stay tuned for details on our next monthly meeting, tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, November 19.   Also, if you’re interested in speaking to high school engineering students about SWE and what it’s like to be an engineer, consider volunteering at the Coppell High School Engineering Expo on November 3 from 2-5pm.  Email us at dallas.swe@gmail.com if you’re interested!

Last but not least, this year’s SWE National Conference is NEXT WEEK!   Dallas SWE members will be there and reporting via Twitter and Facebook, so keep up with all the exciting activities there and on the SWE National Twitter as well!  Hope to see you there!

FY14 SWE Scholarship Recipients

by Dallas SWE on in Collegiate

Recently, several college scholarships were awarded to students from both SWE National and Dallas SWE.  Congratulations to all of our SWE Scholarship Recipients!  We wish you all the best!

Adriana Blanco of UNT

Adriana Blanco, a University of North Texas senior studying Electrical Engineering, was awarded a $5000 scholarship from SWE National.  The scholarship and the General Electric internship in which she was invited to participate are sponsored by the General Electric Women’s Network.  Read more about Adriana and her internship experience on the UNT website!

 

 

Our Dallas SWE section was able to fund two new $500 scholarships to incoming college freshmen who are from the Dallas area!  Applicants were evaluated based on need, academics, community involvement, and their plans to become engineers.  Recipients are also eligible for renewal for up to four years when they demonstrate their ability to maintain a high GPA and continue in their engineering studies.  Thanks to the Dallas SWE Scholarship Committee for taking the time to review a record number of applications!  Congratulations to this year’s recipients (biographies below).

Jocelyn Chilson of Ponder, TX

Chilson“I live in a small town with my mom, dad and younger sister, Elizabeth.  My mom works as a teller at the bank here in town .  My dad works as a salesman for Cargill, Inc.  My sister is a year younger than me, 2 inches taller than me, and a junior in high school.  I like to spend my time playing sports, video games, and the piano.  When I’m not doing that, I like hanging with my friends, taking pictures, drawing, camping, star-gazing and listening to music.  I’m on my high school’s varsity softball and volleyball teams, a member of the National Honor Society, student council, and choir.  I also sing for my church choir.

I am the type of student who likes being challenged and getting good grades.  I took all the college classes and AP classes that my school offered.  I hope to graduate college with a 3.5 or higher GPA from Texas A&M and major in Aerospace Engineering and a minor in Visual Arts.  At A&M, I also plan to join the Society of Women Engineers group, among other engineering groups, as well as their female a capela group.”

Madeline Drake of Richardson, TX

Drake (2)“For many years, I have played defense  on highly competitive soccer teams as well as my high school team.  Through this experience, I learned a lot about others and myself.  Team sports are a good way to make new friends, travel, and have fun.

I am slightly introverted (another reason I want to go into engineering) and am happiest in my room at night, when the house is quiet.  During this time, I enjoy sewing, knitting, and crocheting.  I find it fun to create things from scratch into something wearable and fashionable.

Babysitting is my main source of income and I adore the children I get to work with.  I like being independent and not asking my parents to pay for everything I want.  Since I work for my own money, I like to spend it as frugally as possible,  I do this by shopping at thrift stores and altering clothes to fit me.

My other hobbies and activities include greenhouse gardening, solving Sudoku puzzles, going to church and exploring healthy eating options.  i think I am unique in many things I do and I take pride in the projects I dabble in.”

October 15 Professional Development Meeting and Tour

by Dallas SWE on in Meetings

Does the name Texas Instruments make you think “calculators?”  Come expand your knowledge of TI and enjoy an open house of the DLP® Demo Center.  DLP® is the projection technology that has won two Emmy Awards and powers Projectors, Pico Porjectors, HDTVs, Digital Cinema, and many new innovative devices all over the world.  During the meeting we’ll hear from Kim Smith, the TI-wide Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) Chair.

Kim Smith’s mission has always been to make a difference in the lives of others. She has accomplished this by leading teams across Texas Instruments ranging from the factory where chips are made, to working on partnerships globally, to leading various IT departments to most recently managing Analog Products for Internet Marketing. In addition, Kim uses her passion to give back to others by helping women grow across TI by leading the Women’s Employee group and giving back to others by leading Community Involvement Team.

Outside TI, Kim speaks to classrooms about the importance of math and science, volunteers at the Women’s Crisis Shelter, is a Big Sisters participant, volunteers with United Way of Dallas and the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas, and is a board member on the Girls, Inc.

When: Tuesday, October 15, 2013 – Networking begins at 6:00pm, Main Event beings at 6:30pm.

Where:  Texas Instruments DLP (click for map)

Cost & Registration: Space is limited to 30 for this great event! There is an associated cost of $10 for SWE National Members and $15 for non-members. You MUST register and prepay on EventBrite in order to attend.  Dinner will be provided!

See everyone on October 15th for this awesome meeting!  For more information on other upcoming events and volunteer opportunities, please view our latest Constant Contact newsletter and join our mailing list in the sidebar to the right of this page.

WE13 Early Bird Registration ends this Friday!

by Dallas SWE on in Announcements

It’s only a month until the SWE Annual National Conference, WE13, in Baltimore, Maryland!  If you’re planning on attending, register before September 27 (THIS FRIDAY) to save 19% off professional registration or 28% off collegiate registration.  For more information and to register, check out this announcement from SWE National.

Event Review: Joint Networking with SWE Fort Worth

by Dallas SWE on in Meetings
DFWseptJointEvent1
Dallas and Fort Worth SWE members creating tile mosaics.

On Saturday, September 21, members of both the Dallas and Fort Worth professional sections of SWE met at Sunshine Glaze in Southlake, TX for an evening of creativity and networking!  Sunshine Glaze is a creative art studio where visitors can create their own pottery, glass, and tile mosaics.  Most of us in the SWE group created tile mosaics by gluing glass shards to wooden bases shaped like dragonflies, circles, Texas, and picture frames.

While we were busy making our custom creations, we got to know each other a little better!  Both tbe Dallas and Fort Worth sections have a lot of new members this year, many of them transports from other states including New Jersey, Kansas, and Nebraska.  Both sections also have a few recent college graduates.  Native and long-time Texans welcomed new arrivals in the fashion of our usual southern hospitality: food, drinks, and laughs!

We hope you all enjoyed this joint event.  It was great to network with our sister section and we look forward to seeing our new members at our upcoming events in the fall!  If you missed this event, stay tuned to our blog posts and calendar for events in October and beyond!  Just as a reminder, if you would like to attend the SWE National Conference in Baltimore in October, be sure to reserve your hotel room and register THIS WEEK!  Rooms are filling up fast!

DFWseptJointEvent2

Speaker Event Review: Why Women are the Glue

by Dallas SWE on in Meetings
Sheri Jenkinson on "Why Women are the Glue"
Sheri Jenkinson on “Why Women are the Glue”

Last night, September 16, Dallas SWE had our first meeting of FY14, and it was a great time! Twenty attendees mingled, networked, and dined at the Coffee House Cafe.  Dallas SWE President Jennifer Vilbig gave us a quick update on section business, upcoming events, and opportunities to volunteer as an officer or committee chair. Then, guest speaker Sheri Jenkinson, of Ipseity Coaching and Consulting, enlightened us as to why “Women are the Glue” that holds teams together.  She discussed the theory of right-brain versus left-brain dominance and how, in general, women are naturally wired to foster empathy, connectivity, and collaboration between individuals working as a team.  These traits are why women, and especially women in technology, are often indispensable as leaders in logistics, creative problem-solving, and people-management.  Sheri encouraged us to identify and improve on our strengths to fully maximize our influence within our own teams.

Great group at our September Speaker Meeting!
Great group at our September Speaker Meeting!

Check out our Twitter @SWEDallas for some key takeaways, authored by our section’s Secretary, Morgan Schroder.  Sheri Jenkinson is also an avid Tweeter, so check her out as well if you like!

Thanks to everyone who joined us & please remember to RSVP for the mosaic craft networking night coming up on this Saturday!

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