News & Events

December 2019 Member of the Month: Gretchen Landego

by Dallas SWE on in Membership Appreciation

Congratulations to Gretchen Landego, Dallas SWE’s December 2019 Member of the Month!

Gretchen Landego is originally from Chicago, Illinois, and she received her Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Alabama in May 2018.  Her senior year, she was recognized as the Undergraduate Student of the Year for Mechanical Engineering and Pi Tau Sigma’s Outstanding Senior. After graduation, she moved to Dallas, Texas to work for GAF Materials Corporation as a project engineer.  Project Engineering is a blend of project management and mechanical engineering, and her job’s focus is to implement new equipment that adds value to the site’s facilities and/or products.  She is one and a half years into her job and she still enjoys the challenges that her work provides her.  Gretchen aspires to acquire a Professional Engineer’s License, so her next goal is to pass The Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam.

Gretchen joined the Society of Women Engineers when she first moved to Dallas to make friends and get involved.  She has a passion specifically for STEM outreach, and she found many opportunities through the Dallas SWE chapter.  Her first event with the Dallas SWE Chapter was 2018 Moon Day at the Frontiers of Flight Museum.  Fellow SWE members encouraged her to become more involved with the outreach program, so now she serves as the Design Your World Committee Chair and is also a mentor to Woodrow Wilson High School’s SWENext club, The Mechanicats. 

Outside of work, Gretchen enjoys yoga, reading, and hanging out with friends.

“My favorite part of SWE is the people!  I am so lucky to be surrounded by a group of strong, successful, smart women that are also kind and encouraging.  I was very nervous to become the committee chair for Design Your World because I had never served in a leadership position before.  The whole process was a wonderful experience because I received nothing but encouragement from all the members that were involved in the event planning.  I look forward to future opportunities where I can embolden other young women to pursue their passions and help make a difference in the world.”

Gretchen Landego

Design Your World 2019 Recap

by Dallas SWE on in DYW

Dallas SWE was ecstatic to hold the 8th annual Design Your World on Saturday, November 2nd, 2019.

In partnership with Dallas ISD and Woodrow Wilson High School, Design Your World (DYW) hosted over 105 children, parents, and educators from our local DFW community. Our participants traveled to our DYW 2019 event from Dallas, Plano, Lewisville, The Colony, Ferris, Denton, Irving, North Richland Hills, and Rockwall. 53 elementary school, 33 middle school, and 13 high school students participated in six STEM activities celebrating fields such as biomedical, electrical engineering, civil engineering, computer science, and aviation.

One high school participant shared her delightful experience with the aviation activity, led by Lieutenant Colonel Cynthia Whisennand: “I learned about how aerodynamics affect planes. It’s something I had never thought about when I took my first plane ride.” Another activity, led by Jennifer Gamboa-Copeland and sponsored by Women of AT&T, taught the participants how to code in C++, a common programming language. When asked what she was learning, one middle school participant proudly shared, “I’m learning that I love coding!”

“I’m a sophomore in high school, but I’ve never gotten to work with robots before. Here, I’m learning that I really love working with robots.” –  High school #DYW2019 participant.

Another integral part of DYW is our efforts to connect parents with STEM educators. During DYW 2019, parents were invited to learn from three panels: How to Raise A STEM Girl, Next Steps, and Voices From The Field. Panelists included Judith LaPlante (Computer Scientist, Advanced Computer Science High School Teacher), Morgan Merriman (Chemist, Advanced Chemistry High School Teacher), Dana Barnes (Educator, Director of EMS-ISD Educational Services), and Sadia Saeed (Undergraduate Student, University of North Texas College of Engineering).

“I always fostered science over forcing science on my two girls,” panelist Ivan Zellner. “I did my STEM and programming projects openly at the kitchen table, and my daughters naturally wanted to know what I was working on.”

Dallas SWE thanks Woodrow Wilson HS for celebrating #DYW2019 in addition to their newly-opened $20 million STEM wing. Daniel Garrison, an Engineering Woodrow Wilson HS teacher, thanked Dallas SWE for bringing #DYW2019 to Dallas ISD: “We are excited to share this new space with you and the community. We look forward to a long partnership with Dallas SWE and our corporate sponsors.”

Other activities during the event include a demonstration by the Woodrow Wilson Mechanicats All-Women Robotics Group, a presentation from the Woodrow Wilson HS SWENext group, and a round table social with the Coppell HS SWENext group. “I attended a Design Your World in 8th grade, and it changed my life. Now, I am the Coppell HS SWENext President, and I am present to influence the next generation of engineers at the 2019 DYW,” reflected volunteer, Abigail.

The Woodrow Wilson HS Mechanicats posing in front of the #DYW2019 photo booth.

Dallas SWE thanks the following sponsors for making this great event happen:

  • Exxon Mobil (Platinum Sponsor)
  • Collins Aerospace (Platinum Sponsor)
  • State Farm (Gold Sponsor)
  • Sci-Tech Discovery Center (Gold Sponsor)
  • Texas Instruments (Silver Sponsor)
  • Woodrow Wilson HS (Silver Sponsor)
  • Bentley (Bronze Sponsor)
  • Accenture (Student Activity Sponsor)
  • Raytheon (Student Activity Sponsor)
  • Women of AT&T (Student Activity Sponsor)

November 2019 Professional Development Recap

by Dallas SWE on in Professional Development

On Wednesday November 13, 2019, Madison McCracken, Director of Client Experience at Dale Carnegie North Texas, introduced to Dallas SWE a technique to build trust when networking or meeting people. By introducing a mental picture mnemonic in order to form a conversation path, awkward silences can be avoided when meeting others or during casual encounters at the office or anywhere. Over time, these personal facts can lead to a stronger relationship between coworkers, thus building trust. Once the skill was introduced, we practiced to master it. Everyone got out of their seat and practice with other ladies in the room. By the end of the night everyone walked out knowing someone new. 

Additionally, attendees asked questions about uncomfortable casual social situations at the office like meeting someone when you are on your way to a meeting. Ms. McCracken offered advice on how to avoid and walk away tactfully. During other scenarios attendees in the room discussed ways they have dealt with similar social encounters.

As a special treat, Ms. McCracken gave all attendees a “Golden Book”, which summarized Dale Canagie’s principles mentioned in the book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living”. 

Thank you to Dale Carnegie North Texas for your insightful presentation!

November 2019 Member of the Month: Malia Kawamura

by Dallas SWE on in Membership Appreciation

Malia Kawamura is a multi-disciplined engineer at Raytheon Company. She received her B.A. in physics and mathematical sciences from Colby College in 2014 and a B.E. in mechanical engineering from Dartmouth College in 2015. In 2017, she received her M.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Her graduate work focused on modeling and hardware-in-the-loop testing for chemical processes and electro-thermal systems in the Alleyne Research Group. Currently, at Raytheon, Malia works as a process engineer for electronics packaging, where she focuses on process optimization, adhesive material properties, and statistical process control for automated machines. 

Malia first became aware of what SWE could offer during her final year of undergrad, while on a grad school visit to UIUC. She was able to attend the annual weSTEM (Women Empowered in STEM) conference at Illinois and see what an amazing community SWE could provide and learn about how many different career paths would be available. In grad school, Malia served as the Professional Development Lunch Coordinator at UIUC. She organized 20 events with speakers from industry and academia, with participation of over 180 individual students, with the purpose of creating a supportive community and providing useful professional development opportunities. Her first Dallas SWE event was Design Your World 2018 and she is looking forward to this year’s Design Your World event and the opportunity to serve on the “Voices from the Field Panel”.

Outside of work, Malia plays soccer, travels to visit family and friends, and enjoys playing board games.

“My favorite thing about SWE is the people. I’ve been able to meet such talented, hard-working, caring, and fun people through SWE who inspire me. Additionally, SWE has exposed me to the great the diversity of both career options and career paths available. One main lesson I’ve learned is that there are so many great and challenging opportunities in engineering, there will always be a good fit for me and anyone else interested in engineering.”

Malia Kawamura

Join us for the Dallas SWE Holiday Party: Paint Party at Sip ‘N Drip!

by Dallas SWE on in Special Events

SWEten the holiday with Dallas SWE’s annual Holiday Party!

Come celebrate the holiday season at Dallas SWE’s annual holiday party!

This event will be on December 5th from 6-8 PM.

We will be celebrating with a paint party at Sip ‘N Drip Paint Studio! Food and non-alcoholic drinks will be provided. Feel free to BYOB if you like. Supplies will be provided.

As always, there will be great networking, excellent food and drinks, and lots of cheer as we get into the holiday season.

Register for this event!

Join us for Dallas SWE’s November PD Meeting: Strengthening Professional Relationships!

by Dallas SWE on in Professional Development

Looking to learn how to better connect and understand with your coworkers, customers, or audience? Come join Dallas SWE’s November PD event!

At Dale Carnegie we believe the best way to be successful in business is through understanding and connecting with people. This conversation technique is a way to connect with and understand clients in ways which build trust, make prospects and current clients feel valued, and positively impact the bottom line. It also serves as a way to connect with co-workers, supervisors, and direct reports to make the entire team more effective.

Speakers Bios:

Madison McCracken serves as the Director of Client Experience at Dale Carnegie North Texas where she works with individuals to achieve more fulfilling relationships and a better way of life, both professionally and personally.

Professional development, although often not prioritized, is crucial to an individual’s success and maximizing his/her potential. Madison’s passion lies in working with others to identify their professional development goals and providing a tailored approach to achieving those goals. She coaches professionals in many different industries to find the right plan. Whether they are looking to develop their leadership skills, present with influence, or build more self-confidence.

With degrees in Psychology and Communication from Texas Christian University, Madison is well-versed in understanding people, as well as the science of how, and why, we communicate and connect with others. When she’s not working on professional development, she enjoys her membership with the Junior Associates of the Dallas Museum of Art, practicing yoga, and playing with her kitten, Jazzy Poppins.

This meeting is open to all, women, men, SWE members and non-members alike. Raffle prize for a lucky winner!

Cost:

Free for SWE Members, SWE Collegiates, and SWENext members.

$5 for non-members.

Food available for purchase by the individual.

If you are unable to attend after you have registered, we would appreciate you sending us a message through the app or canceling your registration through the desktop website. Thank you!

Register for this event today!
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