Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
All engineering students are encouraged to join SWE, one of the most dynamic engineering clubs on campus. SWE student chapter at Seattle University is advised by Dr. Agnieszka Miguel of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. The student chapter president is C. Ryberg, '09 BSEE.
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is a not-for-profit educational and service organization that empowers women to succeed and advance in the field of engineering, and to be recognized for their life-changing contributions as engineers and leaders. Founded in 1950, SWE is the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career for women through an exciting array of training and development programs, networking opportunities, scholarships, outreach and advocacy activities, and much more.*
Each Fall Quarter, the SU SWE student chapter sends a delegation to SWE National Conference.
In October 2007, with the support of the College, all three Engineering Departments and a generous gift from Boeing, Seattle University SWE sent a 5-member delegation to the WE07 national conference in Nashville, Tennessee. This is the largest and most comprehensive career advancement and professional development event for women engineers.
Career Development Activities
SU SWE student chapter is an active member in SWE's Region J (covering Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington). In April 2008, along with Debra Coleman of Boeing and Coral Cotterell (SWE Columbia Basin Section President), two SU students C. Ryberg '09 BSEE and A. Beach '10 BSME gave an hour-long seminar on effective communication strategies at the 2008 SWE Region J Conference JCON '08 on Sustainable and Responsible Engineering in Vancouver, WA.
SWE contributed personnel and was a key organizer for 2008 E-Week activities on campus. As a part of E-Week celebration, SWE hosted a very successful networking event called "Resume Night," where professionals interacted individually with students, commenting on their resumes and career aspirations. The event attracted 45 attendees.
Social Events
SWE held a "Spring Social" event May 2008 (sponsored by ASSU) that featured great food and ice-breaker games. The event aimed to foster mentorship and positive interaction between students and female engineering professionals (including recent alumnae) from area industry and the local professional SWE section.
There are also student-only social events throughout the year, such as the many fun-filled "Ladies' Night Out" adventures and study groups.
Future Goals and Events
SWE is currently figuring out the logistics of their attendance to the 2008 SWE National Conference (WE08) in Baltimore, Maryland with the goal of sending another strong delegation.
Other goals for the 08-09 academic year include hosting an outreach program aiming to get local youth enthused about engineering, continuing their goal of fostering a deeper sense of community within the College of Science and Engineering and providing opportunities for career development for all S&E students.
*Passage taken from SWE.org. All photographs courtesy of C. Ryberg '09 BSEE, use with permission.