News & Events

Dallas SWE Call for Nominations for FY20 Leadership

It’s that time of year again! We are gearing up to elect a new team for Dallas SWE Leadership. Nominations for FY20 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 FY20, beginning July 1, 2019. There are 7 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
  • Executive Vice President
  • 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 bylaws. You can also view practical descriptions and estimated time commitments of our assigned activities on our website. Please e-mail any questions to thikdao@gmail.com.

Please submit nominations to thikdao@gmail.com by Monday, April 1st at 11:59 pm.

Thank you!

Dallas SWE FY20 Nominating Committee

Thi Dao, Amanda Posadas, Katia Gomez, Kim Concillado, Malia Kawamura

Event Recap: February Book Club

In our latest book club meeting we discussed: Algorithms to Live By! The Computer Science of Human Decisions by Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths. This book explains how computer algorithms can be applied to our everyday lives, helping to solve common decision-making problems. It starts with the concept of Optimal Stopping, which explains the best time frame for taking a particular action, such as finding an apartment. It continues to deal with overwhelming choices and when leaving things to chance could be the best option. Everyone shared their opinions with each other while enjoying delicious pancakes, omelets and coffee.

If you would like to participate in the next read, please e-mail sandy.rolon.f@gmail.com or just join us on good reads: Dallas Society of Women Engineers Bookclub

Our next book is: Improvisation for the Spirit by Katie Goodman.

This is an interactive book and we decided to split it.

Dallas SWE has a limited number of copies available if you do not already have the book. Please contact Sandy or dallas.swe@gmail.com for more information.

We will meet on March 31st at 11 AM at the Coffee House Café at 6150 Frankford Road in Dallas and talk about the first 120 pages. We will finish talking about the second half of the book in our April meeting.

The book club is a wonderful way to meet new people! You can share your ideas and thoughts on a variety of new books and get a different perspective, not only for the reads but also for life, through conversations with other SWE members.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Event Recaps: February Outreach Events

With Engineering week being a highlight of every February, Dallas SWE participated in Outreach opportunities throughout the month!

Dallas SWE would like to thank all of our dedicated volunteers for helping make these outreach events so successful!


February DISD STEM Expo Boat Challenge at Kay Bailey Hutchinson 

On February 2nd, SWE Outreach joined the Dallas ISD sponsored STEM Community Expo at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center.  This is the largest STEM event in North Texas and thousands of students, parents, and teachers attend. We brought the Foil Boat Challenge; more than 400 young girls and boys stepped up to create and test their own boat to find its sinking point.  It was such a hit with the kids that we still had a line of boat testers as they turned the lights down on the Expo. We’d like to extend a warm thank you to the 13 volunteers who donated their time Saturday to encourage the young girls and boys to dream, explore, and create.


February Engineering Week and Launching Catapults at the Perot

Saturday February 23nd, SWE Outreach partnered with the Perot Museum celebrating Engineering Week.  We’re grateful to our 18 volunteers who helped hundreds of aspiring young engineers aged 3 to 15 test their building and launching skills with Catapults.   The Perot broadened the perspectives of 5266 visitors that Saturday. Alternating between curious, determined, and smiling, the faces of the girls and boys were a joy to watch as they tweaked their catapults with many determined to take their place on the winner board.  The Perot coordinator thanked us for being such great partners in this year’s celebration.


Katia Gomez: March Member of the Month

Dallas SWE is pleased to recognize Katia Gomez as a Member of the Month for March 2019!  With our Member of the Month program, Dallas SWE seeks to recognize some of our non-officer members whose technical contributions, leadership accomplishments, or SWE volunteer service are particularly noteworthy.  If you would like to nominate a Dallas SWE member for his/her contributions, please email us at dallas.swe@gmail.com.


Katia I. Gomez received her Bachelors of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) in 2014. She currently works at Ronald A. Roberts Associates (RARA) as a design structural engineer.  At RARA, she has co-designed commercial structures across the continental United States in seismic, hurricane and heavy snow regions utilizing wood and steel materials.

Ms. Gomez joined the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) her freshman year at UTA. As a collegiate, she held various officer positions and received UTA’s College of Engineering Outstanding Student Leader Award. As a professional member, she has served in various committees at the local and national levels, and regularly volunteers at outreach events.

Her philanthropic passion extends beyond SWE. She is a wish granter and ambassador for the Make- A- Wish Foundation and is a mentor at Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School . Ms. Gomez is currently the public relations and activities coordinator for Future City Competition North Texas Region and serves as secretary of her neighborhood’s homeowners association.

When Katia is not volunteering or working, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, gardening, reading, crafting/remodeling and watching action movies with her husband.

Volunteer for Mock Interviews at Collin College!

Dallas SWE is seeking volunteers to help students with mock interviews!

Collin College SWE and the Information Systems Security Association chapter at Collin College are hosting mock interviews sessions Friday, February 22. We need 8 volunteers to interview the students. Interview sessions are 15 minutes long. You can use sample interview questions SWE will provide, or bring your own.

WHO: Professionals – bring your experience interviewing or being interviewed

WHEN: Friday, February 22, 1 – 3 PM

WHAT: Mock interview sessions 1 – 2:30 PM, followed by (optional) networking 2:30 – 3 PM

WHERE: Collin College Spring Creek Campus, room TBD

WHY: Help prepare students for interviews at career fairs and for internships and build support networks

For more information, contact dallas.swe@gmail.com

Click here to register!

March Professional Development Event

Please join us as Dallas SWE Past President (FY17 & FY18) Shelley Stracener discusses new job opportunities available by looking outside your current industry.

Many engineers question whether they’ve chosen the right industry, company, of job function for them. If a role isn’t going well, will they be stuck in that job forever? Fortunately, an engineering education is one of the most versatile tools you have to make a difference in just about any industry and position. It won’t be easy, but taking charge of your own career path will empower you to make great leaps when (not if!) your circumstances or life goals change. We’ll discuss how to make the case for your transferable skills and some important considerations for making strategic career moves.

About the Speaker, Shelley Stracener:

Shelley Stracener received her Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Baylor University in 2005. During her fourteen-year career, she has made technical and leadership contributions in three major industries: business computing, airborne electronics, and now medical devices.  As a Senior Electrical Engineer at Abbott’s Neuromodulation division in Plano, Shelley designs implantable pulse generators for the treatment of chronic pain via spinal cord stimulation and movement disorders via deep brain stimulation.

This meeting is open to all, women, men, SWE members and non-members alike. Raffle prizes for some lucky winners!

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!

Click here to register!

Topic: Reinventing Your Career—Changing Industries

Date: Thursday, March 7, 2019

Time: 6:00-8:00 PM

Location: Coffee House Cafe, 6150 Frankford Rd, Dallas, TX 75252

Cost: Free for SWE Members, $5 for non-members. Food available for purchase by the individual.

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