USU Women Engineering Students Visit Vegas

A group of Utah State University women engineering students visited Las Vegas in January as part of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) regional conference.

The conference is for female students from throughout the Southwestern United States and provides an opportunity for students to meet other women in the engineering field, said USU SWE counselor Kristina Glaitti.

 

“Conferences motivate and sustain the women engineering students as they progress toward their degree,” said Glaitti, who is associate project manager for USU’s National Center for Engineering and Technology Education. 

 

The conference included workshops on how to accept and negotiate job offers, resume writing, working toward success and technical projects. The conference also gave attendees the chance to network both personally and professionally.

 

Sarah Driggs, a sophomore in engineering, said her favorite part of the conference was an in depth tour of the Bellagio Hotel and Casino.

 

“The conference also helped me realize how important my objective statement is on my resume,” Driggs said.

 

Driggs is currently applying for a scholarship through SWE.

 

“A lot of women don’t know about SWE, and they should,” Driggs said.

 

SWE focuses on encouraging women to reach their full potential in the engineering field. USU has 40 active SWE members, Glaitti said.

 

Engineering is a predominantly male field. Last year 403 men and 31 women graduated with engineering degrees from USU.

 

Senior Adam Fowles, senator for the College of Engineering, said he thinks SWE is a good organization because of the support it provides its members.

 

Adonna Watkins Drake was the first woman to graduate in mechanical engineering from USU in 1967.

 

“There is a place for women in engineering, and there is a place for engineering in women,” Drake said.

 

Traditionally, women have been encouraged to graduate in more nurturing careers, but the engineering field is opening up, making it easier to balance a work life and a personal life, said Glaitti.

 

Other supporting organizations, associations and committees available to women in engineering are The American Association of University Women; Association for Women in Science; Committee on Institutional Cooperation Directory and Women in Higher Education.

 

In fall 2007, SWE will hold its conference in Tennessee.

 

“The conference will be a great event to work on leadership, networking and finding career opportunities,” said Driggs.

 

For more information on USU’s SWE program, visit its Web site.

 

Contact: Kristina Glaitti [kristina@engineering.usu.edu], 435-797-0213