Join Dallas & UNT SWE at our April Joint Meeting Event on April 4, 2023 at 6:30 PM. This event will be virtual (Zoom link to be sent to attendees at a later date). RSVP by April 2, 2023. This event is open to members and non-members.
When it comes to negotiating, women do it less than men. But the cost of not negotiating could add up to years of additional work to catch up to the earnings of men who negotiate. You worked hard to earn your degree and become an engineer; don’t let off the gas when the time comes to evaluate an offer and advocate for your worth. In this session, Rana will present on why it’s critical that we as women negotiate to help close the pay gap, understand common pitfalls to a successful negotiation, and learn how to develop and execute a negotiation strategy. Join for an evening of story telling and learning about best practices to apply to your next negotiation.
Note: For all attendees, a call-in link will be provided via email once it gets closer to the meeting date. As an option, this session will be offered live at UNT Discovery Park in Denton, TX at a regular SWE meeting. If you would like to attend the meeting live in person, please contact Rana at rana.m.karimi@gmail.com for address and location details.
On February 16th, Dallas SWE hosted a Networking Night with PepsiCo/Frito-Lay at their headquarters in Plano, TX. The evening included a site tour of the PepsiCo/Frito-Lay R&D facilities, a career panel on impactful professional development topics, and great networking throughout. We kicked the evening off with networking as attendees filled the room while enjoying refreshments and connecting with professionals from across the metroplex. We continued with SWE announcements, and then divided into groups to begin the facilities tour.
The tour began by visiting Analytical Labs in the R&D department, where Food Scientist, Chefs, and Engineers all work collaboratively to bring the best products to the consumers. We learned how Marketing researches and monitors the market for new flavors. We then toured the Seasoning Testing Lab and learned about the air filters in the lab that prevent seasonings from filling the room. We also visited the Microbiology Lab where Dips are designed. This minimizes spoilage and tests them in different incubators. It was interesting to see all the strategy that goes into making Dips last that consumers may not know. We also toured the Packaging Testing Lab where different graphics, seals, and bag designs are tested. We learned about the overall decision-making process to ensure the best product can be accessed by the consumer. This tour provided a glimpse into how much careful thought and consideration was invested into the design of the process. A significant amount of process technology and innovation has gone into that box of granola that we don’t even think about when reaching for that delicious snack! The group also viewed the Sensory Room, where blind tasting is conducted to gather live reactions of new items. We also viewed a portion of the 3,000 square foot culinary kitchen, where up to 10 Chefs are able to conduct taste tasting.
After the insightful tour of the R&D facility, we headed back to the Frito-Lay conference room for the career development panel. Our panelists, Sarah Meyer-In, Dianne Ripberger, Nyima Dansira, and Linda Fawaz answered questions from our moderator, Amy Penner, around technical and soft skills, work-life balance, and mentorship. Highlights from the discussion included stories on running fearlessly, defining your own success, avoiding getting underestimated, and knowing what to try in your career. Stay curious, challenge your ideas, and find mentors that provide different perspectives to learn from.
Dallas SWE would like to thank our tour guides, facility coordinators, and panel speakers at PepsiCo/Frito-Lay for making this event flow flawlessly, from start to end. To our PepsiCo advocates for Dallas SWE, Megan Sullivan and Melody Helms, thank you for your time and gracious support in planning this event! Our joint event had a great turnout and received many positive remarks from our members. It was an impactful night of growing and learning, both technically and professionally!
Finally, Dallas SWE would like to recognize PepsiCo for being a sponsor to Dallas SWE at the Gold level. We appreciate your partnership in supporting our mission and advocating for women in STEM careers.
On January 5, 2023 Dallas SWE hosted a Budget Planning Workshop at Haistings Real Estate Group in Plano, TX.
Ana Gonzalez shared the importance of budgeting for unexpected events that her family has overcome and ways she has accomplished a 3 month emergency fund and building towards 6 months. Ms. Gonzalez reviewed the 50/30/20 Budget Rule as explained below:
50%: Necessities – These are bills that you absolutely must pay and are things necessary for survival. Example: Mortgage or Rent, Car Payments, Groceries (not going out to eat) and Utilities.
30%: Wants – These are all the things you spend money on that are not absolutely essential. Example: Going out to restaurants, movies, fitness memberships, vacations, entertainment, Shopping. Ms. Gonzalez shared she has become more intentional with going out with friends/vacations. Rule of thumbs she has stuck with is going out 2 times a month living in a remote location leaving her house is a full day’s worth this way each trip out is more meaningful.
20%: Savings – Finally try to allocate 20% into an emergency fund. Ms. Gonzalez recommends building an emergency fund before investing into the market. High Yield Savings are also a great option.
Take a trial month to write down all of your expenses and start categorizing into these 3 categories. You’ll be surprised on how much you spend without thinking about it and you can start making intentional efforts to start saving each month after.
Congratulations to Dallas SWE’s March Member of the Month, Amanda Alsbrook!
Amanda Alsbrook joined Dallas SWE in 2017 when she was searching for a way to get involved in the community. As a mechanical engineer, she has always been passionate about STEM and wanted to help girls and young women find the exciting opportunities the field can offer. She started volunteering for outreach events and joined the Outreach Committee as the Design Your World Registration Chair for Fall 2017 and continued in the role for the next 3 DYWs.
While outreach brought Amanda to Dallas SWE, it was professional development and helping women build confidence in themselves and their careers that convinced Amanda to take on a larger role in the section. For FY19 and FY20, she served as Executive Vice President and enjoyed working with the Programs Committee to develop new professional development events and activities. In 2019, she also helped organize 10 local organizations and companies into the first WNBA’s Dallas Wings STEM Expo for their STEM themed game.
Next, Amanda served as Dallas SWE President for FY21 and FY22, but plans took a drastic shift as all section activities moved to virtual with changes due to COVID-19. The Executive Committee worked hard to keep members engaged and offer relevant, helpful activities. She now serves as FY23 Nominating Committee Chair and a member of the Investment Committee. If you’re interested in getting more involved with Dallas SWE, whether next fiscal year or further out, please contact her (details in NomComm announcement ; ) She’s happy to discuss the great opportunities inside Dallas SWE!
Amanda is a Sr Product Development Engineer for Acumed working on the Craniomaxillofacial (CMF) team. She has 10 years of experience in the Medical Device field and has also worked in Oil & Gas and Maintenance Chemical industries. In her free time, she loves to travel and explore the outdoors, but since those can be expensive hobbies and work must also happen, she’s also happy to travel through a good book, video game, or board game. Her favorite parts of SWE are the relationships and growth opportunities she has discovered along the way.
It’s that time of year again! Nominations for FY24 Dallas SWE Leadership are now open!
Do you know someone whose expertise and values should be represented on the leadership team? Would you personally like to participate in a leadership role? SWE is a great place to showcase your leadership skills, give back to your community, and build a network of engineering professionals and friends. Dallas SWE is currently seeking nominations for officers to serve for FY24, beginning July 1, 2023. There are 8 positions available and self-nominations are highly encouraged! By our section bylaws, elected officers must be voting members of Dallas SWE in good standing with the Society.
This spring, Dallas SWE voting members will participate in an election for the following offices:
President
President Elect
Vice President of Professional Development
Vice President of Membership
Vice President of Outreach
Treasurer (2-year term)
Secretary
Investment Committee (3-year term, 1 open position)
Formal responsibilities can be found in our section procedures. You can also view practical descriptions and estimated time commitments of our assigned activities here. Please e-mail any questions to FY23 Nomination Committee Chair, Amanda Alsbrook at aalsbrook55@gmail.com. You can also email Amanda if you are interested in serving on the FY23 Nomination Committee.
Please submit nominations to aalsbrook55@gmail.com by Friday, March 31st at 11:59 pm.
On February 11, Dallas SWE partnered with Girls Inc for their Eureka STEM Event! SWE Volunteers participated on a panel and then led a hands on activity focused on programming Lego Robots. Thank you to Domanique Johnson for serving as activity lead for this awesome event!
