SPEAKER

Haly Besaw

TRACK

Personal Development

 

SESSION DESCRIPTION

You’ve spent a lifetime using your strengths as a woman to make smart decision about life. Isn’t it time to apply those same strengths to managing your money? In my Savvy Women Invest on Purpose Workshop, you will learn why your purpose in life should be the foundation to your wealth plan, how to incorporate your multi-tasking skills to managing your money, and why chemistry is the #1 criteria when working with a financial advisor.

 

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

As a Financial Advisor at Baird, Haly specializes in helping women more effectively manage life’s transitional events in a way that enhances their confidence and outlook for the future. As a professional woman who has personally experienced life changing events, Haly provides the inside knowledge and financial know-how to help turn these challenging times into opportunities.

Haly’s passion to help others is surpassed only by her desire to add value to her clients and enhance their financial lives. Her collaborative style allows her to become a trusted partner with her clients working together to achieve their life’s goals and dreams. In addition, Haly has volunteered her time as well as her popular workshop “Likability and Your Career” at various unemployment networking groups throughout the Milwaukee area to help those in job transition.

After graduating from Milwaukee School of Engineering in 1985 with a BS in Electrical Engineering, she married her lab partner Mike. Haly is very active in her community of Cedarburg where she lives with her husband and three children. She shares her passion for music with her family and community where she plays flute in the Whitefish Bay Community Band and the Lakeshore Symphonic Band. Haly and Mike enjoy sailing with the Milwaukee Yacht Club. With a strong commitment of community involvement, she has volunteered for local organizations as well as serving her community as a Cedarburg City Council Member for four years. Haly is an avid camper and hiker and is actively involved in both Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. Her family is active in AFS and hosts exchange students from various foreign countries.

Haly is a FINRA registered representative and holds the Series 7, 31, 66 and carries her Resident Intermediary Individual, Health, Life, Accident & Health, Variable Life/Variable Annuities and Long Term Care insurance licenses.

 

SPEAKER

Amy Squitieri

TRACK

Executive

 

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Can you really have it all? Participants will hear from a leader in a professional design services firm about how young professionals can move up in engineering management while maintaining personal interests and relationships. Topics will include work-life balance, career paths (technical leadership, project management, corporate management, and business development), personal succession planning, and “soft” and “hard” skill development. Project management principles of plan, organize, control and leadership skills of strategize, align and motivate will be introduced. Amy will describe her personal journey from entry-level staff to the board of directors and a senior management role, including significant transitions, leadership development opportunities, mentors and mentoring, family support, and educational experiences that influenced her career path. This journey provided many opportunities and also challenges as she broke new ground as the “first” or “only” female in different arenas. She’ll also talk about the range of training opportunities her firm provides to staff. Participants will learn tips on finding a good workplace fit, building a strong team, making the most of involvement with professional organizations and outside groups, and finding your own definition of “work-life balance.”

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Amy Squitieri is Vice President of Engineering and Historical Services at Mead & Hunt, a professional design consulting services firm with about 500 staff in offices nationwide. Services we provide are: Architecture, Construction Services, Engineering, Environmental, Historic Preservation, Planning, Program Management, and Sustainable Design. In her role as Group Leader at Mead & Hunt, Amy oversees staff in multiple disciplines and guides implementation of successful business strategies. She received an EMBA from the University of Wisconsin and Master of Architectural History from the University of Virginia. Amy is nationally recognized for her work with historic bridges and was a founding member of the Historic Bridge Alliance, which she now chairs.

SPEAKER

Mike Mack

TRACK

Executive

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Participating and competing in a global economy is a great opportunity that comes with its challenges. In this session, participants will learn about global trends as well as how to prepare for global expansion. Mike will provide his insight as John Deere pursues global growth.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Michael J. Mack, Jr. is President, Worldwide Construction & Forestry Division, a position he has held since June 2009.
Mack began his career at the John Deere Des Moines Works as a summer intern engineer and has held positions in Treasury while living in Europe. He has held assignments elsewhere in dealer systems, business development, engineering, purchasing, manufacturing and marketing. Prior to returning to the Finance Division as Vice President and Treasurer in 2004, Mack served as Senior Vice President, Marketing and Administration for the company's Worldwide Commercial & Consumer Equipment Division. He was named Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Deere & Company in January 2006.
Mack is a graduate of Iowa State University with bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering, and is a registered professional engineer. He holds a master's degree in business administration in finance, operations and statistics from the University of Chicago.
Mack is on the Board of Directors for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.

Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) is a world leader in providing advanced products and services and is committed to the success of customers whose work is linked to the land - those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich and build upon the land to meet the world's dramatically increasing need for food, fuel, shelter and infrastructure. Since 1837, John Deere has delivered innovative products of superior quality, built on a tradition of integrity. For more information, visit John Deere at its worldwide website at www.JohnDeere.com.

SPEAKER

Mary E. Fitzpatrick, Ph.D.

 

TRACK

Technical & Academic

 

SESSION DESCRIPTION

This session will report on the results of a 3-year, nationwide study on retention of women in engineering Women comprise more than 20% of engineering school graduates, but only 11% of practicing engineers are women, despite decades of academic, federal, and employer interventions to address this gender gap. Project on Women Engineers’ Retention (POWER) was designed to understand factors related to women engineers’ career decisions. Over 3,700 women who had graduated with an engineering degree responded to our survey and indicated that the workplace climate was a strong factor in their decisions to not enter engineering after college or to leave the profession of engineering. Workplace climate also helped to explain current engineers’ satisfaction and intention to stay in engineering.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Mary E. Fitzpatrick holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering and a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering. She was a practicing engineer and engineering manager for 15 years in leading technology companies such as GE and Microsoft. Her current research interests include occupational sex and racial segregation, women’s' retention in science and engineering fields, workplace bullying and multicultural issues in the workplace. She is currently a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Study of Work (www.studyofwork.com), and at Rogers Memorial Hospital in Oconomowoc, WI.

SPEAKER NAME

Julie Gooch

 

TRACK

Professional Development

 

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Make a splash with a great resume: Bechtel’s recruiting team will share what they look for in a strong resume and give you insight into the recruiting process. We’ll help you write a resume that presents your skills and strengths in a succinct, visually appealing format and discuss what to include and what you should avoid. Once we’ve reviewed the basics, meet with a Bechtel representative and receive specific feedback on your resume and ways to present yourself at career fairs and interviews to land the job you want.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Julie Gooch is a Recruiter for Bechtel Corporation’s Power Business Unit, specializing in Construction staffing. She has fourteen years of broad-based Human Resource experience in the areas of Recruiting, Employment Services, Employee Relations, Learning and Organizational Development, and HR Front Office Coordination. Julie’s recruited within the Healthcare, Technical, and EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) Industries and has attended numerous career events, including four SWE National Conferences and many college career fairs. Trained in Behavior-Based Interviewing, Employee Engagement, and personality assessment administration, she’s recruited Professional and University Hire talent for Bechtel since 2007.

 

SPEAKER

Cynthia D. Pederson

 

TRACK

Professional Development

 

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Explore the transition from college student to career woman. Have you considered how you set yourself up for that first professional position? What should you consider when deciding on that first job? How do you achieve work/life integration (formerly known as work/life balance)? How to start off on the right track? Explore these and other topics with us.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Ms. Pederson joined the NRC in 1983 as a Resident Inspector in Region III, first at the Dresden Resident Office (Morris, IL) and later the Palisades Resident Office (South Haven, MI), where she inspected nuclear plant performance. Since that time she held a number of progressively responsible positions including Chief, Technical Support Staff; Director of the Enforcement and Investigation Coordination Staff; and Chief of the Reactor Support Programs Branch. Since being selected into the Senior Executive Service in 1994, Ms. Pederson has served as Deputy Director, Division of Reactor Safety; Director, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety; Director, Division of Reactor Safety; and Director, Division of Reactor Projects. Ms. Pederson assumed her current position as Deputy Regional Administrator in July 2009. As Deputy Regional Administrator, Ms. Pederson manages a staff of approximately 225 whose mission is to protect public health and safety by inspecting 24 civilian nuclear power reactors and licensing and inspecting over 1200 materials licensees.

Ms. Pederson graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. She is a recipient of the Presidential Meritorious Rank Award.

SPEAKERS

Lisa Landry, Kristin Martinez, Dhanu Thangaraja, Caitlin Gross, & Christyn Collum

TRACK

Professional Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

This session will encompass a panel of engineers who are either currently on or have graduated from a rotational engineering program. The speakers will provide the pros and cons of being on a rotational program. They will detail key reasons for benefits of being on a rotational program and how this has helped in their career progression.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Lisa Landry completed a Supply Chain rotational program and is currently a Logistics Analyst at Rockwell Automation. During the program, she held roles in Strategic Sourcing, Materials, Purchasing, and Logistics. She has a B.S. and M.S. in Industrial Engineering from UW-Madison.

Kristin Martinez completed an Engineering rotational program and is currently a Sr. Customer Quality Engineer at Rockwell Automation. During the program, she held roles in Product Development, Customer Quality, Product Marketing, and Commercial Marketing. She has a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UW-Madison.

Dhanu Thangaraja completed an Engineering rotational program and is currently a Commercial Engineer at Rockwell Automation. During the program, she held roles in Engineering Development - Software, Product Management, Test Engineering Development - Software, and Commercial Engineering. She has a B.Tech. in Computer Science & IT from Anna University, Chennai - India and M.S. in Computer Science from UW-Milwaukee.

Caitlin Gros is on a Supply Chain rotational program at Rockwell Automation and is currently in her final rotation as a Production Control Analyst. Her previous roles on program were in the areas of Purchasing, Strategic Sourcing, and Logistics. She has a B.S. in Operations Management & Human Resources from Ohio State University.

Christyn Collum is on an Engineering rotational program at Rockwell Automation and is currently in her second rotation as a Product Development Engineer. Her previous role on program was as an Engineer in Training with a Field Assignment. She has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and M.S in Engineering Management from Missouri University of Science and Technology.

SPEAKER

Rachel Kiser

TRACK

Personal Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Effective communication in any setting is not only learning to speak and present to a group or individual, but also listening to verbal and nonverbal communication. This is easier said than done! Come to this session to find out what may affect your ability to successfully be an active listener. You’ll leave with the tips and tools to have better conversations through effective listening, ready to network at the Region Conference!

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Rachel Kiser is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is studying civil engineering with an emphasis in structures. Her SWE involvement began three years ago, she served as the SWE Vice-President last year and is currently the President of her section. This is her first year as a member of the Collegiate Leadership Coaching Committee for Region H.

SPEAKER

Sarah Ashton-Szabo

TRACK

Personal Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Conflicts are a part of everyday life but when conflicts occur in a work or school setting, can be extremely uncomfortable. Conflicts can even affect your career progression. Keeping your career boat afloat is important! Learning to manage conflicts by understanding the types of conflicts and how to resolve them will help you in both your personal and professional lives.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Sarah Ashton-Szabo graduated in December 2009 with a degree in Bioengineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is currently pursuing a MS in Biomedical Engineering from Purdue University. She holds the position of Hip Development Engineer with Zimmer, Inc., where she is working on a new acetabular cup system. Sarah was active in her collegiate SWE section for all four years and served as Outreach Director. She has been a Collegiate Leadership Coach for three years.

SPEAKER

Beth Ann Nylander & Dawn Heinrichs

TRACK

Professional Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Navigating career fairs, and then participating in interviews, can be a daunting experience whether you are looking for an internship, co-op, or a full time position. This session will provide tips and skills from the perspective of recruiters who have been on campus for the past several years participating in career fairs and conducting interviews for all of these positions.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Beth Ann graduated from UW-Madison with a Chemical Engineering degree and then went to work for International Paper Company in the Fox Cities. After six years with the company, including relocation to Ohio, she joined the Oscar Mayer division of Kraft Foods back in Madison, WI. In her 12 years with the company, she’s had a variety of roles primarily within the research and development function. Currently Beth Ann is in charge of the nutrition applications and regulatory group - which is basically ensuring that all Oscar Mayer products are correctly labeled. In her spare time, Beth Ann enjoys working with her hands on landscaping or remodeling projects, or getting outside on her bicycle or cross-country skis. Dawn graduated from UW-Madison with a Chemical Engineering degree and immediately started working at the Oscar Mayer Division of Kraft Foods here in Madison, WI. In her 12 years with the company, she spent 8 years working in the R&D Packaging group before transferring to the R&D Product Development group four years ago. She is currently working on developing new products for launch in 2-3 years. When she’s not enjoying the company of her brilliant co-workers, Dawn occupies herself taking care of her two daughters, dog, cat, angora rabbit, and koi pond at what would best be described as a suburban menagerie.

SPEAKER

Lisa Henry

TRACK

Professional Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Stretched thin and stressed out is the current economic reality. You face negotiations every day with landlords, bankers, employers, and even your peers. To meet day-to-day demands you must demonstrate strong negotiation skills. In this interactive presentation, members will learn techniques to: • Uncover hidden agendas that threaten to derail the negotiations • Demand and define tradeoffs, rather than making one-sided concessions • Manage power imbalances in your favor • Make effective counteroffers

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Lisa is a Director of Application Development at Liberty Mutual Group. She manages the enterprise B2B services and Internal IT Applications for the organization and is located in Dover NH. These applications leverage multiple technologies including JAVA, .NET, C/C++, Web Services, and multiple database engines. Lisa graduated with a degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Liberty Mutual Group is the fifth largest property & casualty insurer in the US with over 45,000 employees in more than 900 offices worldwide. Lisa manages a staff of forty-five employees located in Seattle, WA, Wausau WI, Dover, NH, Portsmouth NH, and Boston, MA

SPEAKER

Yiying Xiong and Lisa Kinsman

TRACK

Personal Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

You are a college student. You want to get good grades for your classes. You work part-time to help pay for college. You love being involved in social activities. You also enjoy spending time with your friends outside of school. But you don’t have enough time for all of this. You need help in finding that balance between school, social work, and life. The speakers will share their personal experience in dealing with this phenomenon during their college life and hopefully provide some helpful tips to the audience.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Yiying Xiong is a project manager at Mead & Hunt’s Water Resources Department. She holds an M.S. from Marquette University in Civil and Environmental Engineering, specializing in Water Resources Engineering and a B.E. from Tsinghua University (China) in Hydraulics and Hydropower Engineering. When she was in college, aside from keeping up with busy school work, she was involved in many social activities such as Director of the college TV station, member of the school choir, and organizer of international conferences. Maintaining an effective work/life balance was one of the most important parts of Yiying’s college life.
Lisa Kinsman is a Project Manager in the Aviation Services department at Mead & Hunt. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin - Platteville. During college, Kinsman was involved in the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), America Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Theta Tau Engineering club, and intramural volleyball and basketball. She also worked part time during the school year for the university as a math tutor and as a catering assistant. She kept busy during her summer breaks working for an engineering firm, coaching 5 years olds in T-ball, and participating in volleyball and softball leagues.

SPEAKERS

Megan Warren, Rebecca Hartman, Bonnie Koopman

TRACK

Personal Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Although engineers are in high demand, the job market is not hopping. To secure a job in today's market, you need to shine. How? By co-oping. During this session, we'll demonstrate how co-oping can help you prior to graduation:

Gain skills, hands on experience, and professional development = Resume boost

See your future insight into the workforce + realizing your options = Career you want

Creating connections + networking and showing your skills = Your first job

Co-ops and interns have an advantage in finding full-time jobs. Learn how co-oping landed jobs for 5 female engineers.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Megan Warren has worked as a product developer at Kimberly-Clark since 2004. She graduated from the University of Akron with a degree in Chemical Engineering.

Becky Hartman graduated from the University of Akron with a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering three years ago. She currently works for Kimberly-Clark as a sustaining and operating engineer at the Beech Island Mill.

Bonnie Koopmann graduated from the University of Evansville with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in May 2010. Bonnie works for Kimberly Clark as a Mechanical Engineer working on developmental equipment design in K-C’s Research and Engineering Department.

SPEAKER

Jenna Walsh

TRACK

SWE Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

When you think of “membership” do you envision a bunch of statistics? While engineers (and sports enthusiasts) may like that kind of thing, membership is actually about people! To be successful as sections, regions, committees, and a Society we need to meet our members’ needs as well as those of all the potential members. Without first addressing membership, we don’t have a chance to be successful in our SWE programs. Attendees of this session will learn some tools, processes, and tips that any SWE member should use to engage women engineers to join, renew, or get involved! This session is strongly suggested for any SWE section President. After the conference, meet up with other leaders of your section to share what you learned at this session!

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Jenna Walsh is a Quality Engineer for John Deere’s Construction & Forestry Division in Dubuque, Iowa. She has production experience working in Order Fulfillment with the Backhoe line, and has also been a member of the Product Delivery team. She has a Bachelor’s in Industrial Engineering and is currently working on her Master’s degree in Engineering Management from the University of Wisconsin–Platteville. While at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville she began her active involvement in SWE, including serving as Section President for two terms. She has continued her involvement as a professional and was the SWE Wisconsin Professional Section Vice President last year, and is currently the Dubuque Area SWE Professional Section President. Jenna is also a part of the Collegiate Coaching Committee and has been since 2009.

SPEAKER

Betty Leonhard & Rossana Latham

TRACK

SWE Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

SWE is full of hundreds of impressive leaders and thousands of future leaders. Most of which are currently untapped resources leaving current professional leadership feeling burnt out or stuck. In the collegiate realm, overcoming the automatic turnover that graduation creates quite often presents a challenge. We will discuss the essentials of succession planning and an eight-step process for achieving professional excellence for SWE members looking to be influential and sought after leaders. This is applicable for all SWE roles that any SWE segment can use to develop volunteers, ensure continuity after transition, and attract members to SWE leadership. This session is strongly suggested for any SWE section Vice President. After the conference, meet up with other leaders of your section to share what you learned at this session!

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Betty Leonhard, a SWE member since 1997, has been on SWE’s Leadership Coaching Committee (LCC) for over five years. She has led two SWE professional sections as president and the Society’s bylaws committee. Succession planning is just as important to these positions as any other. She is currently a section rep for her section and the Region H Lt. Governor. Betty currently works for her young son as a “domestic engineer”. Her career experience includes five years as a quality engineer and a few years in manufacturing engineering roles. She has worked at Oshkosh Truck Corp., Mercury Marine, John Deere, Thermo King, and Square D Company. She graduated from UW-Platteville in 2000 with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering. Betty is an ASQ Certified Quality Engineer.

Rossana Latham is a Software Engineer at Raytheon in Fort Wayne, IN. She is a member of the User Interface and Data teams for Raytheon’s Network Centric Systems. Rossana has a Bachelor in Computer Science from the Indiana-Purdue University of Fort Wayne. While at IPFW, her involvement in SWE began as a member volunteering for events carried out in campus and in the community, followed by promoting integration of the membership and serving as Section Treasurer. As a professional, Rossana continues her involvement with SWE as a member of the Collegiate Leadership Coaching Committee since June of 2011.

SPEAKER

Allison Lunde & Jessica Mattis

TRACK

SWE

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Learn about financial best practices from the SWE National Finance Committee and how to safeguard your section finances. Section Treasurers MUST attend this session, and it is recommended for those who are concerned about section financial safeguarding. After the conference, meet up with other leaders of your section to share what you learned at this session!

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Allison Lunde is a structural specialist at Barr Engineering Company in Minneapolis, MN. An employee-owned consulting firm, Barr provides engineering and environmental services to clients in industries such as power, mining, refining and manufacturing, government agencies, and natural-resource-management organization and others with complex problems. An active leader of her SWE collegiate section, Iowa State University, Allison went on to be the FY11 Region H Collegiate Senator and is now the FY12 Collegiate Director on the Society's Board of Directors. She is also a member of the Society finance committee and the Senate's reserves task force in SWE. Allison has a B.S. in civil engineering, M.S. in structural engineer and a MBA from ISU. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, bowling, watching movies, golfing, scrapbooking, glass blowing, photography and traveling with her husband, Jordan. Jessica Mattis has been active in the Society of Women Engineers since she joined at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in 2000 while studying Chemical Engineering. She has held elected leadership positions for SWE-D prior to President including FY07/FY08 Treasurer, FY09/FY10 Secretary, and FY11 Section Representative. Jessica also participates with SWE at the corporate level with General Motors. She received national recognition as SWE’s top nominee in the E-week competition for the “New Face in Engineering” award for 2009. Jessica also volunteers for the SWE National Awards and Finance Committees and is involved in General Motors’ Women In Manufacturing (WIM). Jessica has made significant contributions technically and professionally in Manufacturing at General Motors and in the spring of 2011 she was promoted to Shift Leader – Paint Production at Flint Assembly Center. She completed her MBA in Dec. 2008 with honors from the University of Michigan-Flint/Kettering University with a concentration in Lean Manufacturing.

SPEAKER

Faith Kurily & Heather Wiest

TRACK

SWE

SESSION DESCRIPTION

This session provides an overview of all section communications, including both internal and external publicity, newsletters, web pages, and don’t forget social media. Exercises will lead participants through developing an audience message matrix, publicity plan, a sample press release, layout of a newsletter and the section web page. This session is strongly suggested for any SWE section Secretary. After the conference, meet up with other leaders of your section to share what you learned at this session!

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Faith Kurily has been involved in SWE since 2000 when she joined as a collegiate member. She currently serves SWE locally on the executive board of SWE-Detroit as the VP of Membership. Faith also has participated on the SWE National Awards Committee, and has been a Region H Leadership Coach since 2010. She obtained her Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI, and a Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan. She currently works as a Mechanical Engineer for the US Government. In her free time she enjoys running, biking, cooking, baking, traveling, and playing with her two cats.

Heather Wiest is a first year graduate student at Purdue University. She is studying Aerospace Engineering, focusing in Propulsion. Heather is a recent graduate of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, where she received a dual degree in Mechanical Engineering and Economics. While being an active member in SWE at Rose-Hulman, she served as Section Treasurer her senior year. Heather has continued her involvement in SWE by becoming a member of the Region H Collegiate Leadership Coaching Committee this year.

SPEAKER

Kaitlyn Bunker

TRACK

SWE Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Being new to SWE can be challenging and overwhelming. Are you wondering what the acronyms mean, who’s who, and what the society is all about? This session will provide a background to the SWE organization at all levels, including the mission and goals of the society. You’ll also walk away with how SWE adds value to your professional career and what SWE can do for you.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Kaitlyn Bunker is a PhD student in Electrical Engineering at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, MI. Her research focus is in power electronics and electric machines, and their applications with renewable energy. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering in 2010, also from Michigan Tech. She has been involved with the Michigan Tech SWE section since 2006, and served as Section President for two years. Kaitlyn joined the Collegiate Leadership Coaching Committee in 2011.

SPEAKER

Jenny Morikawa

TRACK

SWE Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Attention all SWE collegiate section counselors and advisors, or anyone interested in these roles, this session is for you. Come to discuss your roles and best practices with other counselors and advisors.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Jenny Morikawa has served the University of Michigan Collegiate section as their counselor since 2002 and has won the Outstanding SWE Counselor Award in 2007. She has served SWE in many other roles including Region H Lt. Governor, Region H Secretary, several officer positions in the SWE Detroit Section, the Society awards committee, and professional development grants committee.

SPEAKER

Diane LaFortune, Christine Cabrera, Stacy Thayer, Liz Buzzard, & Vanessa Stuart

TRACK

SWE Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Come to this session to put in your two cents on the prominent mega issues that the Senate is tackling this year (FY12) and maybe gain some insight into what’s coming up in FY13. Help SWE answer the following big picture questions:

MI00116: How can SWE inspire companies to provide creative opportunities for engineers who want to contribute in their industry and attend to family needs?

MI00121: How do we change the conversation from what member value SWE provides to how engaged are our members.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

These are Region H's elected senators and alternate senators in FY12.

SPEAKER

Elizabeth Bierman

TRACK

SWE Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

SWE at the Society level has many great resources available to sections doing K-12 outreach. Learn how easy it is to apply for a Program Development Grant or where to go to find information on the website and how to use the Aspire page. We will also share best practice amongst those present.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Elizabeth Bierman is a product support program manager for Honeywell Aerospace in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is responsible for the overall service related issues for navigation and guidance equipment as well as lighting products. She is able to work closely with functions such as design/development engineering, production, reliability, test equipment, and marketing. Elizabeth has been involved with the SWE since 1994 when beginning her education at Iowa State. She has been a member of East Central Iowa, Boston, and Minnesota sections serving in various leadership roles at the local and regional level. She is currently serving as Society Secretary. Elizabeth is a 2006 recipient of the SWE Distinguished New Engineer award. Elizabeth has a BS in Aerospace Engineering and Master’s in Systems Engineering from Iowa State, and an MBA from Bentley University. She is married with two young daughters.

SPEAKER

Cathy Pieronek

TRACK

SWE Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

SWE has been involved in public policy in recent years, to get the attention of lawmakers on the issue of the low numbers of women in engineering. In the spirit of educating our members on the importance of this issue, this session will present information about why we need more women in engineering, will include a discussion about the changes that need to be made to bring more women into the field.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Cathy Pieronek is currently chair of SWE's Strategic Planning Committee and Title IX Lead. Formerly chair of SWE's Government Relations and Public Policy Committee, and an assistant dean in the College of Engineering at the University of Notre Dame, she has a keen interest in the issues that affect the numbers of women who pursue engineering as an academic discipline and as a career.

SPEAKER

Cathy Krier

TRACK

SWE Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Why this topic and why now?

In so many areas of business trust has never been lower or cynicism higher.

How do you combat this and set a positive tone?

This session provides a substantive approach of enhancing success in this area. Tap into the leadership mindshare that makes SWE great. Learn many tips and tricks on how to build and maintain a positive professional SWE image in your sections.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Cathy Krier (SWE-MN, prior SWE-WI) Minneapolis, MN

• SWE FY12 Leadership Coaching Committee Chair
• SWE 2007 Emerging Leader Award for demonstrated leadership in quality
• Technical and business professional, promoting and supporting advances in the field of engineering and making better healthcare products possible

SPEAKER

Kim M. Groshek

TRACK

Executive

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Are you considering setting sail into the unchartered waters of your life? Are the sirens of change calling your name? If so, then this session is for you. I will share my own journey of change with you and how I navigated fear, stayed on course, and discovered new territories and opportunities. No journey is too risky if you have the knowledge, courage, and determination to stay on course.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Kim Groshek is the Director of Operations for the Milwaukee Arts Partners, the founder and owner of Creatively Canny, Producer of several films and Author of several books. Prior to this, she taught courses at DePaul University and the University of Wisconsin Whitewater (UWW) was a Systems Engineer and Project Manager with the State of Wisconsin and Director of Computer Operations at the Republican Party of Wisconsin. Kim obtained her Bachelor of Education and Master of Information Science degrees through UWW. She went on to earn a Master of Computer Science with highest distinction, in addition to becoming a published author, through DePaul University. She is actively involved as President of the Advisory Board of Directors at UWW and is on the Executive Board for SWE-WI. Kim is an advocate for learning, kindness and keeping healthy. She is a mom and has an awesome and supportive husband of 20+ years. She loves to be active and bring anyone along who wants to enjoy fitness with her! Kim is a leading force; in 2007 she set a goal to run a half marathon in 25 states achieving this goal within 2 years; she traveled unchartered lands, discovered the U.S. history, learned hidden talents and met forever friends. In 2009, she wrote 2 children's book series and attended the Oscars; where she shared her stories with celebrities and publishers. Her stories resonate with all audiences. In 2011, she produced several films and authored a non-fiction authentic stories that touch people's lives in a special way. Kim loves life! She wants to be friends with people of all ages (young and old alike) and values being kind, authentic, persistent, resilient, respectful and responsible!

SPEAKER

Tania Kilpatrick & Patty Milka

TRACK

Outreach

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Come and learn strategies on how to effectively interest and prepare students for the STEM workforce. Our program has been successful in keeping middle school students from underrepresented populations engaged in interesting, hands-on curriculum that strengthens their foundational math, science and communication skills. The program exists to provide access to positive role models to help students identify opportunities that exist within STEM. Through our efforts, we have seen 50% participation from females in the program and have educated parents in our community on STEM opportunities. Participants will learn how to replicate this successful program. We will share how we have engaged our community and spread the STEM message through multiple career pathways within our community. Secondary, post-secondary, agency organizations and business have collaborated to make this a successful program. We will share and walk participants through the types of activities that we have offered students and why they have been successful.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Tania Kilpatrick is a Career and Technical Education Coordinator for CESA 6 in Oshkosh Wisconsin. She currently works with 42 school districts in an effort to develop and upgrade programs that provide access for students with skills leading to high skill, high wage and high demand careers. Tania, works collaboratively with schools, business and community stakeholders to stay current on new approaches, instructional strategies and technological developments in business and industry. Patty Milka is Director of Competitive Workforce for the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce. She researches model programs and best practices and develops partnerships to provide programs of value to school districts in the Fox Cities. This will help ensure that employers have the talent they need to power their company’s growth. Patty also works with students in three counties on career exploration and financial literacy through a partnership with the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board.

SPEAKER

Dara Kaleiohi &Nicole Delaney

TRACK

Professional Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

We're on a fantastic journey –to create an environment across the globe that welcomes us as part of the team, values our contributions, inspires each of us do our best work and empowers us to grow. The journey is all about unleashing the talents each of us brings to work each day to help achieve our goals.

• Learn what it means to be inclusive
• Find out why being inclusive matters to Ecolab's success
• Discuss the 12 Inclusive Behaviors that inspire, empower, foster team growth and deliver results
• Understand why Global mindset and respect for local cultures are so important for growth

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Dara Kaleiohi is the Associate HR Representative and college recruiter for Research, Development and Engineering at Ecolab Inc. Ecolab is a Fortune 500 company that provides cleaning, food safety and health protection products and services to customers in more than 160 countries and employs more than 38,000 associates worldwide. In her current role as an HR representative, Dara supports the R&DE community through employee relations, development training, salary and bonus planning, and promotions. She is also a member of the college recruiting council.

Her recruiting responsibilities include acting liaison between the schools and RD&E. She leads recruiting teams for each discipline in engineering and sciences. Her teams volunteer for many events such as; career fairs, mock interviews, discussion panels, and resume reviews just to name a few.

Dara began her career with Ecolab in 2002 as an assistant to the vice president of Dispensing Systems. In 2007, she moved into Human Resources and decided to return back to school for her BS in HR Management. Prior to Ecolab, Dara managed her family-owned pump and lift station business for 5 years.

In 2011, Dara also became a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt establishing a new corporate policy for employee separations and new hire onboarding.

Dara lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her husband Dave and their son, Keahi.

SPEAKER

Abby Peele & Kristen Seashore

TRACK

Professional Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Based on the book titled “What You Don’t Know & Your Boss Won’t Tell You” by Pamela F. Lenehan, this session will give SWE members an opportunity to learn about managing your career, effective communication, networking, and work-life balance. The book draws perspectives from 35 women in all areas of business on issues that young people need to consider when starting their careers.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Abby Peele is a Quality Assurance Director - Global Supply Chain and has been with GE Healthcare for 11 years. She joined GE as a Manufacturing Process Engineer and took subsequent roles in manufacturing as a Six Sigma Black Belt and Advanced Manufacturing Engineer. She then pursued roles in the Quality organization as a Supplier Quality Engineer, Supplier Quality Process Leader, and currently is a Quality Assurance Director for GE Healthcare’s Global Supply Chain. Abby holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Metallurgical & Materials Engineering from Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan, and a Master of Science in Material Science from the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. Abby was active in the SWE section while attending Michigan Tech, has served in various leadership roles for the SWE WI Section, and is now also a SWE Life Member.

Kristen Seashore Completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Biomedical Engineering at UW-Madison. After working as an intern for three terms with GE Healthcare, she accepted a full-time job in Madison, WI in GE Healthcare’s Anesthesia business. She now works as a Software Verification Engineer for Anesthesia, where she and her team members test new anesthesia products before they are released to production. She joined SWE as a freshman in college and continues to be an active professional member by working with the UW-Madison

SPEAKER

Michelle D Greene

TRACK

Personal Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

We know the value of our education, our home and our bank accounts but do you know the worth of your NETWORK?!?! This session is intended to provide you with a creative perspective regarding the importance of networking. It is not enough to have lots of friends, Facebook friends, or associates; you must be strategic in the people you accept into your circle. You should have a personal Board of Directors. You should have a mentor/coach, advisor and sponsor. You should know the NET WORTH of YOUR NETWORK! During this session Michelle Greene will share with you her experiences, lessons learned and helpful tips regarding how to build and maintain a valuable network.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Michelle Greene is currently the Director IT for the Global Lines of Business within the Building Efficiency Division at Johnson Controls, Inc. In this role she is the Business Relationship Manager supporting the General Managers and Vice Presidents for Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Engineering, Industrial Refrigeration and Finance.

Her previous position was also as Director IT at Johnson Controls, Inc. Her responsibilities included Governance, Architecture and Acquisitions within the Building Efficiency Division. She currently resides in Milwaukee, WI.

She is currently serving as the President for the African American Affinity Network (AAAN) at Johnson Controls.

Michelle worked as the Director of Business Infrastructure for Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications. During January 2004 – March 2008, she completed an expat assignment in Lund, Sweden.

Michelle has been featured in Black Enterprise and she has participated as a panelist at the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit and Black Women on Wall Street Summit.

Valdosta State University Minority Alumni Association awarded Michelle “Distinguished Alumni of the Year” during 2008.

Michelle earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Valdosta State University and a Master’s Degree from Florida State University.

Michelle is a member of NextGen Network(NGN). NGN is a world-class professional organization that offers career and professional development, community service opportunities, and points of connectivity for African-American business professionals. She is currently serving as Chair for Connections and Development Committee.

She also serves on the Board of Directors for Urban Underground. Urban Underground is an organization dedicated to social and educational advancement of Milwaukee youth, through progressive initiatives.

In addition to her academic and professional accomplishments, Michelle has found a way to give back to her community. She has established “Youth on Track”. This program is based in Valdosta, GA at Bethel CME Church. The program encourages youth to become more pro-active versus reactive in their thinking related to preparation for high school/college, dealing with finances and planning for a career.

SPEAKER

Betty Leonhard & Rossana Latham

TRACK

SWE

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Have you ever wondered what SWE roles will be in your future? Are you curious about what the SWE pipeline is? How does mentoring fit into the picture? Whether you want to develop and grow or just want to give back, take charge of your SWE career by using our individual SWE career mapping tools. We’ve developed an complete six step methodology that will help you be successful in reaching your personal SWE aspirations, whether that is section president or Society president or anything else.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

BettyLeonhard, a SWE member since 1997, has been on SWE’s Leadership Coaching Committee (LCC) for over five years. She has led two SWE professional sections as president and the Society’s bylaws committee. Succession planning is just as important to these positions as any other. She is currently a section rep for her section and the Region H Lt. Governor. Betty currently works for her young son as a “domestic engineer”. Her career experience includes five years as a quality engineer and a few years in manufacturing engineering roles. She has worked at Oshkosh Truck Corp., Mercury Marine, John Deere, Thermo King, and Square D Company. She graduated from UW-Platteville in 2000 with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering. Betty is an ASQ Certified Quality Engineer.

Rossana Latham is a Software Engineer at Raytheon in Fort Wayne, IN. She is a member of the User Interface and Data teams for Raytheon’s Network Centric Systems. Rossana has a Bachelor in Computer Science from the Indiana-Purdue University of Fort Wayne. While at IPFW, her involvement in SWE began as a member volunteering for events carried out in campus and in the community, followed by promoting integration of the membership and serving as Section Treasurer. As a professional, Rossana continues her involvement with SWE as a member of the Collegiate Leadership Coaching Committee since June of 2011.

SPEAKER

Ann Bolcavage & Amelia Doermann

TRACK

Professional Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

This session will describe various experiences on dealing with different cultures in an international organization, as well as some do’s and don'ts when thrown into a different working culture than your own. This session will also describe some of the challenges that are presented in working at an international site of a large global corporation.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Ann Bolcavage is Chief, Materials Capability Acquisition at Rolls-Royce Corporation in Indianapolis, IN. She earned her Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a Fellow of ASM International. She will describe her experience of managing a team of engineers for a year at Rolls-Royce in Derby, England, and her observations about working and living in a foreign culture.

Amelia Doermann is an acoustics specialist at Rolls-Royce Corporation in Indianapolis, IN.  She earned her B.S. in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Chinese at Iowa State University in 2011.  She will compare and contrast her experience working and learning in the US with working in the UK.  She will also talk about her experience living and traveling in Eastern Asia.

SPEAKER

Beth Ann Nylander & Dawn Heinrichs

TRACK

Personal Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Building a satisfying quality of life in today’s “24/7” environment requires you to integrate the values that are important to you among the roles you play. This session will walk through some exercises to get you thinking about these roles as well as your core values so that you can use this information to help make choices based on what’s important to you.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Beth Ann graduated from UW-Madison with a Chemical Engineering degree and then went to work for International Paper Company in the Fox Cities. After six years with the company, including relocation to Ohio, she joined the Oscar Mayer division of Kraft Foods back in Madison, WI. In her 12 years with the company, she’s had a variety of roles primarily within the research and development function. Currently Beth Ann is in charge of the nutrition applications and regulatory group - which is basically ensuring that all Oscar Mayer products are correctly labeled. In her spare time, Beth Ann enjoys working with her hands on landscaping or remodeling projects, or getting outside on her bicycle or cross-country skis.
Dawn graduated from UW-Madison with a Chemical Engineering degree and immediately started working at the Oscar Mayer Division of Kraft Foods here in Madison, WI. In her 12 years with the company, she spent 8 years working in the R&D Packaging group before transferring to the R&D Product Development group four years ago. She is currently working on developing new products for launch in 2-3 years. When she’s not enjoying the company of her brilliant co-workers, Dawn occupies herself taking care of her two daughters, dog, cat, angora rabbit, and koi pond at what would best be described as a suburban menagerie.

SPEAKER

Brent Kindred, Steve Salter, & Greg Quam

TRACK

Outreach

SESSION DESCRIPTION

This session will be hosted by Project Lead The Way (PLTW) – Wisconsin. PLTW is a non-profit organization and provider of a nationally acclaimed rigorous and innovative Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education curriculum for middle schools and high schools across the United States. This curriculum is now engaging over 37,000 students in 300 schools across Wisconsin and growing at a rate of about 45 new program implementations per year. This session will provide an overview of the program and offer suggestions for how you can get involved with a PLTW school in your community.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

All three presenters are members of the PLTW State Leadership team. Steve Salter is Wisconsin's Affiliate Director at MSOE, Brent Kindred is Wisconsin's State Leader, and Greg Quam is from the Platteville School District and is instrumental in Southwestern Wisconsin regional coordination.

SPEAKER

Lori Cross

TRACK

Executive

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Strategic agility is an innovative, emerging approach to global leadership, especially applicable in dynamic, complex industries. Drawing on recent neuroscientific discoveries, this workshop will enhance your understanding of real-world strategic leadership and the gift of followership. We will explore the inner workings of the human mind during complex decision-making, in moments of innovation, on teams with high levels of effectiveness and throughout the development path of an authentic leader. Come and learn how to train your brain to be the best that it can be!

 

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

President Mindspan Consulting Board Member for 6 companies Adjunct Professor at the Wisconsin School of Business (UW-Madison) teaching strategy and leadership Former President VIASYS NeuroCare Former President GE/Datex-Ohmeda Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering Master’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering MBA in International Marketing Leadership positions in Germany, Sweden, Boston, Madison for nearly 30 years

SPEAKER

Ann Krieger

TRACK

Professional Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Have you considered jumping out of engineering and trying business? This session will provide practical steps for how to transition from a technical engineering role to a business function. This session will also provide the fundamentals of product management, including the basics of a product line strategy and an overview of an "every day life" of a product manager.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Ann has 17 years of experience working at Rockwell Automation. The first 10 years were focused in manufacturing engineering in various roles and the last 7+ years have been in product marketing/management. Ann Krieger has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue U. and an MBA from Marquette U.

SPEAKER

Panel (check out the Speaker Biography for more information on the panelists)

TRACK

Professional Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

A panel of professionals will discuss the advantages of various continuing education choices and what they see as in demand. This event is perfect for the person who’s been contemplating what route might be best for their career advancement. What is your next step?

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Andrew Landa is a manager at Kimberly Clark in the Corporate Research and Engineering group. He was born in the US but his Dutch parents moved to the Netherlands when he was young. Mr. Landa received his advanced education at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. There he earned a BS in Biochemistry, a MS in Environmental Biotechnology, and a PhD in Biofilms/Microbiology. After graduating he moved with his wife and baby to the UK to work in R&D at Unilever, and then back to the Netherlands to work for Sara Lee. Finally in 2006 he returned to the states with his wife and three children to work at KC.

Kelly Zahn has been a recruiter in northeast Wisconsin for 12 years, mostly with Markent Personnel. She holds a BS in Business Management from Silver Lake College ‘96. Markent specializes in Engineering/Manufacturing and is recognized as a leader in technical recruiting. Markent is also part of Top Echelon the world’s largest network of independent recruiters. Kelly has focused on Controls/Automation, Project Engineers, Process Engineers, Quality, Mechanical Engineers, Design, Nuclear, Sales, Software, Civil, Product, VP/Director/President/CEO/CFO.

Steven C. Bialek is an associate professor at Milwaukee School of Engineering and serves as chair of MSOE's Rader School of Business. He oversees three bachelor's degree and five master's degree programs that focus on the integration of technology and business management. MSOE’s largest graduate program, the Master of Science in Engineering Management (MSEM), features hundreds of alumni who have used the MSEM as a pathway from design engineering to business and organizational leadership. He serves as a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Bialek earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin Madison with a focus in postsecondary and higher education. He has a master's degree in administrative leadership from UW-Milwaukee and received his bachelor's degree from UW-Green Bay.

Kathy Hagens earned her MBA and BA in marketing and organizational communication from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh. As the MBA Program Director she manages all aspects of the program including strategic development, improvement, enrollment growth, administration, operations, marketing, communications and promotion. She works closely with regional business executives to develop premier programs that meet the needs of current and potential business leaders, enhancing the growth, visibility and recognition of the program. Prior to joining UW-Oshkosh, she worked for over 15 years in business, leading marketing and communications departments for large organizations including UnitedHealth Group and RR Donnelley. She has lead business training and seminars on sales strategies, branding, marketing, entrepreneurship, internal and external communication and social media strategies.

Wayne Pferdehirt is the director of UW-Madison’s technical leadership degree, the Master of Engineering in Professional Practice (MEPP) program and he’s director of the distance degree programs in the College of Engineering. Prior to joining UW-Madison, Wayne directed the Midwest solid waste consulting services of Camp Dresser McKee and led energy conservation research projects for Argonne National Laboratory. He has a BS in engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University and an MS in civil engineering with an emphasis in regional planning from Northwestern University. Wayne is a licensed professional engineer and a nationally certified professional planner.

Dina Robinson Bertolini will be the moderator for this panel.

SPEAKER

TBD

TRACK

SWE Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

SWE is committed to being an inclusive organization through strategic pillars of communication, pipeline, accountability and training. More action can be taken within SWE starting today! We can meet our goals and objectives more effectively by leveraging the perspectives and strengths of all of our members and prospective members. Attendees of this presentation explore issues around inclusion and will develop tactics for moving forward, that can be applied in a variety of settings.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Mrs. Nora Lin has broad working experience in engineering in the defense industry. She has held many technical lead and managerial positions in software engineering, supportability engineering and systems engineering organizations. Currently, she is an engineering program manager of the Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems Sector. Nora was a recipient of Women of Color in Technology Career Achieve Award in 2008 and Asian American Engineer of the Year Award in 2009.

Nora is a Senior Life member and Fellow of SWE and had served as FY10 SWE President. She is currently chairing the Leadership Election Task Force.

Nora earned her B.S. degree in Physics in Taiwan and M.S. degree in Physics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She and her husband, Pao have two daughters. She enjoys cooking and entertaining. The Iron Chef, Law and Order-Criminal Intent, and the Good Wife are her favorite TV shows.

SPEAKER

Cathy Pieronek

TRACK

SWE Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

For collegiate sections, advisers and counselors who are interested in bidding to host the 2014 conference or one in the future. Cathy will present timelines, requirements, etc. to ensure a smooth and successful planning process.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Cathy Pieronek has been a member of the Region H Conference Planning Committee since 2005, and has worked with various collegiate sections in the planning process.

SPEAKER

Beth Ann Nylander & Dawn Heinrichs

TRACK

Professional Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Change can be difficult for everyone, especially when it is complex change such as moving from being a student to being an employee – or transitioning to a new job position or company. This session will walk through the process of change and help you think about how to navigate through it to help you feel more comfortable with the change. “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993)

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Beth Ann graduated from UW-Madison with a Chemical Engineering degree and then went to work for International Paper Company in the Fox Cities. After six years with the company, including relocation to Ohio, she joined the Oscar Mayer division of Kraft Foods back in Madison, WI. In her 12 years with the company, she’s had a variety of roles primarily within the research and development function. Currently Beth Ann is in charge of the nutrition applications and regulatory group - which is basically ensuring that all Oscar Mayer products are correctly labeled. In her spare time, Beth Ann enjoys working with her hands on landscaping or remodeling projects, or getting outside on her bicycle or cross-country skis. Dawn graduated from UW-Madison with a Chemical Engineering degree and immediately started working at the Oscar Mayer Division of Kraft Foods here in Madison, WI. In her 12 years with the company, she spent 8 years working in the R&D Packaging group before transferring to the R&D Product Development group four years ago. She is currently working on developing new products for launch in 2-3 years. When she’s not enjoying the company of her brilliant co-workers, Dawn occupies herself taking care of her two daughters, dog, cat, angora rabbit, and koi pond at what would best be described as a suburban menagerie.

SPEAKER

Carol Swayne

TRACK

Technical & Academic

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Smartphones are changing the way that people interact with the world. People want more from their phones and Microsoft is putting people first with Windows Phone. We saw how communication could be improved by bringing together the many ways people communicate on their phones into a single experience. We envisioned apps that could work together on your behalf instead of forcing you to work in ways that they define. We also found ways to make browsing the Web faster and easier — and to harness the power of the Internet without launching your browser.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Carol Swayne is a Senior Program Manager in Windows Phone at Microsoft. She received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from University of Wisconsin – Madison and an MBA from the University of Washington. She has 16 years of global experience in the wireless industry working with mobile operators and OEMs in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Carol enjoys being the technical interface between OEMs and mobile operators and is currently working with Nokia on their new Windows Phone devices. Prior to joining Microsoft she held engineering and management positions at AT&T, T-Mobile, Motorola, Samsung, and a start-up OEM in Taiwan.

SPEAKER

Sandy (Roeming) Schumaker

TRACK

Executive

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Sandy will share her insights as president of a small manufacturing and distribution business in Wisconsin.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Roeming Industries was started in 1955 by Carl Roeming in a small office space in downtown Milwaukee. Now, it is a certified women-owned small business located in Mequon, WI. Sandy Schumaker, Carl’s daughter, is the President and the third generation of family is employed there. Sandy, and her business partner, Mary Roeming, collaboratively, have been diversifying and expanding the business for over 30 years. Additionally, Sandy’s husband, son and nephew are an indispensable part of the team. The products they manufacture and distribute are largely customer driven. They pride themselves on finding industrial solutions to challenging and peculiar problems. Appropriately, their tagline is the “’anything’ industrial solutions company”. They are a distributor of sealing products, including gaskets, seals, high temperature cloth and molded rubber products. Roeming manufactures die cut parts of almost any material. They also bond rubber to steel and do contract sewing. Sandy loves going to work everyday and knowing that her day will be full of opportunities to solve problems and create opportunities for our employees and vendors.

SPEAKER

Nancy Schofield

TRACK

Personal Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

A humorous approach to the nitty gritty details of living; who cleans the stove top? Who picks up the dirty clothes, sorts and washes them? Who takes out the garbage? We will give practical advice to smooth the sometimes rough seas.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Schofield is a Professor in the Engineering and Technology Department at the University of Wisconsin – Stout. Nancy started as a computer programmer, and is now a CAD specialist. She uses and has taught CAD for design, pattern making (clothing), body scanning (external 3D imaging of the body), and her research on fit and sizing of clothing. Dr. Schofield now teaches engineering graphics, including 3D solid modeling and surface modeling. Nancy and her husband celebrated their 40th anniversary this year and have two sons and three grandchildren. Nancy is grateful that her husband now does all the cooking, all the shopping and all the laundry, but it did not start out that way and evolved over a very long time.

SPEAKER

Leena George and Jennifer Sciullo

TRACK

Outreach

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Join the discussion and share your experiences of outreach programs so we can learn how to effectively demonstrate the excitement of engineering. Northrop Grumman actively participates in in several outreach programs targeting grade school students and their educators. Get information on successful activities, how to implement these types of programs, and what we have learned along the way. Intended audience: Open to anyone who seeks to cultivate tomorrow's engineers.

 

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Leena George is a Reliability Engineer supporting RF and surveillance programs. She has worked at Northrop Grumman Corporation for over 6 years. Currently she is on a rotational program for Integration and Test. Leena received her Bachelors in Computer Engineering from University of Illinois at Chicago and her Masters in Electrical Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology. Leena is an active member of the company’s internal women in engineering group and has served in several volunteer roles.
Jennifer Sciullo is a Systems Engineer supporting IR countermeasures. She has worked at Northrop Grumman Corporation for over 6 years. Jennifer received her Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from Florida State University. Currently she is in a project management certification program from the University of California at Irvine. Jennifer is an active member of the company’s internal women in engineering group and has served in several volunteer roles. She is also the mother of two young children.

SPEAKER

Katie Boor

TRACK

Personal Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

The task of balancing multiple work projects, meetings & other one-off assignments can be challenging! This session will give you some helpful hints & tips to prioritize your day, be more productive, and still allow you to have the work/life balance you seek in a full time career.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Katie Boor is a Program Manager for New Product Development at Ingersoll Rand in Minneapolis, MN. She graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University. Katie began her career with Ingersoll Rand in June 2004 in the Accelerated Development Program and since has had multiple roles in Operations, Project Management, Quality and Operational Excellence. These roles have enabled her to move around the country, living in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia and Minnesota since graduating from college. Ingersoll Rand is uniquely qualified to create and sustain safe, comfortable and efficient environments. Our people and our market leading brands, including Club Car®, Ingersoll Rand®, Schlage®, Thermo King®, and Trane®, work together to inspire progress for our customers. For more information about Ingersoll Rand visit www.ingersollrand.com

SPEAKER

Andrea Cole, Kathy Scheibe-Powell, Cally Edgren, & Vicki Stokes

TRACK

Professional Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

This will be a panel of various speakers sharing their experiences on how they have each been able to balance work and life demands. The speakers will share pointers of what has helped and what may have hindered each of them in obtaining a good work-life balance. This session will include a question-and-answer time.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

All speakers have 10+ years of engineering experience, and all currently are managers. Each speaker has been successful in their career and has been able to maintain their life outside of work!

SPEAKER

Panel (check out the Speaker Biography for more information on the panelists)

TRACK

Professional Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

An engineering degree can lead to success in many different careers that as students, we may never have seriously thought about. Often engineers are specifically sought out for such roles, but sometimes it takes a little creativity and resourcefulness to market yourself for an out of the box role. Our panelists are engineers who have not-so-traditional engineering careers and can shed some light on what is needed to enter such roles.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Melissa S. Hockersmith is a registered patent attorney whose practice focuses on all aspects of intellectual property law, including patent, trademark and copyright law, with an emphasis on intellectual property litigation. Melissa graduated from Arizona State University in 2002, earning a B.S.E. degree in Mechanical Engineering. While at Arizona State University, Melissa was actively involved in the Society of Women Engineers, chairing the Community Service Committee. In 2004, Melissa received her law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Melissa has been with the law firm of Ryan Kromholz and Manion, S.C. in Brookfield, Wisconsin since 2004. Melissa is a member and past president of the Wisconsin Intellectual Property Law Association and a member of the Society of Women Engineers and the Association for Women Lawyers.

Lia Bronson (Holland) is a program manager in information technology for Abbott’s Global Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs organization. Lia is a twenty year experienced engineer and senior manager who joined Abbott Laboratories in 1991 as a systems engineer for Abbott’s Diagnostic division blood banking instrumentation group. Since starting at Abbott, Lia has had diverse and global opportunities within Diagnostics, Corporate Quality and Regulatory, Global Information Systems, the Global Pharmaceutical Research and Development, and corporate functions including Senior Manager of Software Quality. Prior to moving back to Lake County from Dallas, Lia’s roles included Project Management and Instrument / Software testing for Abbott Diagnostics.

Lia’s has had additional professional industry experience that includes re-engineering transportation logistic requirements for the Frito-Lay Corporation as well as documentation systems for Metropolitan Life Insurance. She holds a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Marquette University and an M.B.A. specializing in Engineering & Technology from the University of Dallas. Lia is a member of the Society of Women Engineers. She serves on the Industry Advisory Board for Marquette University’s Biomedical Engineering Program determining course curriculum and industry educational needs. She has a certification as an ISO 13485 Auditor and is a Certified Quality Manager through the American Society for Quality.

Lynn Cooksey supports the Low Voltage Drives division as a Senior Product Specialist at Rockwell Automation’s Mequon, Wisconsin campus. Other roles within her 25 year tenure have included instructing customers in AC and DC drives in the Training Department, and working in the Technical Support group. Prior to coming to Rockwell Automation, Lynn was an Associate Professor of Electronics at the School of Technology, Indiana State University. She holds a B.S. in Electronic Engineering Technology and an M.S. in Industrial Professional Technology; both from Indiana State University.

Sarah Sincock is a 2008 graduate of Marquette University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. During her time at Marquette she participated in their co-op program working for both Kimberly-Clark and Rockwell Automation and she was an active SWE member severing as section president her senior year. After school Sarah join Cooper Power Systems' sales and marketing program where she was introduced to college recruiting by volunteering for interviews and career fairs. She realized that her passion was more in helping engineers start their careers than doing actual engineering herself. Sarah is now a college recruiter for an entry level consulting program with Genesis10, a business management and technology consulting firm.

Tammy Salmon-Stephens is the Senior Director of the Women in Engineering, Math and Science Program and EMS Advising at UW-Platteville for nearly 15 years.  In her tenure at UW-Platteville she has served as the faculty advisor for the Collegiate Section of the Society of Women Engineers.  Salmon-Stephens has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and a Masters degree in Engineering.  She is actively involved in nearly $2million worth of grants to support the recruitment and retention of women students in STEM and is the recipient of the University of Wisconsin System Outstanding Academic Staff Award.  She was recently awarded the UW-Platteville Woman of the Year award.

(MODERATOR) Elizabeth Bierman is a product support program manager for Honeywell Aerospace in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is responsible for the overall service related issues for navigation and guidance equipment as well as lighting products. She is able to work closely with functions such as design/development engineering, production, reliability, test equipment, and marketing. Elizabeth has been involved with the SWE since 1994 when beginning her education at Iowa State. She has been a member of East Central Iowa, Boston, and Minnesota sections serving in various leadership roles at the local and regional level. She is currently serving as Society Secretary. Elizabeth is a 2006 recipient of the SWE Distinguished New Engineer award. Elizabeth has a BS in Aerospace Engineering and Master’s in Systems Engineering from Iowa State, and an MBA from Bentley University. She is married with two young daughters.

SPEAKER

Jill Nondorf

TRACK

Personal Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

In today's fast paced world it is often difficult to make the healthy choices and make time for taking care of our bodies. We only get one though and improvements in healthy habits can lead to improvements in various other realms of life. Listen to how the speaker manages to juggle a professional, personal, SWE and active lifestyle. Use her tips and tricks to make your healthy lifestyle.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

A principal materials and process engineer with Oshkosh Corp., Jillian Nondorf serves the organization as a materials expert. Her responsibilities range from failure analysis to materials research and development. Nondorf was instrumental in the manufacture of the armored hull for the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle used in Afghanistan by American troops. She developed a work request submission system to streamline workflow in the corporate lab. Her current work includes light-weighting initiatives for defense programs. Nondorf was featured in the Fall 2009 issue of Workforce Diversity for her work in the profession.

As an advocate for engineering outreach, Nondorf has held multiple roles within the Society of Women Engineers. She served two years as outreach chair of the Wisconsin Section, where she coordinated events with local schools and Girl Scouts. She is currently president of the section and remains active in outreach. She is also a committee member for the Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science program. The daylong program for middle-school girls is held at four schools in the university system. Nondorf was named one of the Society of Women Engineers New Faces of Engineering in 2010. In addition, Nondorf serves as a mentor for the Horatio Alger Association, which aims to assist students who have faced extreme diversity in their lives.

Nondorf is active in the Wisconsin chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in efforts to find a cure for the disease that has affected her family for the last twenty plus years. She is on the planning committee for the Fox Cities, MS Walk and is a participant in the MS Bike ride. Nondorf is active in fundraising for the MS Society and for the continued development for her brother’s memorial scholarship for kids to play hockey or attend music camp. In her free time Nondorf spends time running, reading and cooking. She is a marathon runner and runs 50K ultra trail marathons.

SPEAKER

Region H CLCC and LCC Coaches

TRACK

SWE

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Do you wonder how other sections promote membership? Are you a new officer looking for training on SWE policies and procedures? Perhaps you need some fresh ideas for outreach and fundraising, or tips on how to complete an annual report. Join the Collegiate and Professional Leadership Coaching Committees (CLCC and LCC) for this informal walk-in coaching session to get all of your questions answered. At this seminar, Region H coaches will be available to answer questions about SWE and provide immediate coaching. Collegiate and professional leadership are encouraged to attend, even if you do not have a specific question. Also stop by if you are interested in joining either committee or learning more about what they do.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

The CLCC and LCC committees coach our SWE Leadership to maximize the potential of all of our sections.  The committees were created to prevent the decline in membership and decreased program participation of our ailing sections. They focus on providing customized coaching to promote and foster section leadership and vitality.  These coaches will be at this walk-in session: Kaitlyn Bunker, Jenna Walsh, Heather Wiest, Rossana Latham, Rachel Kiser, Sarah Ashton-Szabo, Molly Morgan, Cathy Krier, Betty Leonhard, and Faith Kurily.

SPEAKER

Kelli Prenger

TRACK

Personal Development

SESSION DESCRIPTION

This session will be targeted towards collegiate members and highlight the ways in which to give feedback. Positive feedback is always easy to give; however, negative feedback needs to be structured as constructive comments in order to not de-motivate an individual. This session will be interactive and focus on how to give constructive feedback to help the attendee maintain a professional image.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Kelli Prenger graduated from the University of Dayton in 2004 with a degree in chemical engineering. For the past seven years, she has held numerous process engineering roles at the BP refinery located in Whiting, IN. She is currently employed as a senior process engineer in crude and coking. In that role, she coaches and mentors engineers and operations personnel on both technical knowledge and soft skills. With that experience, she has the opportunity to give both informal and formal feedback on performance. In addition to her engineering role, Kelli is active with the SWE Recruiting organization with BP.

SPEAKER

Fieena Zvenyach

TRACK

Executive

SESSION DESCRIPTION

As engineers specializing in sustainable building design we’ll discuss the various components that make up sustainable design, the differences in the major benchmarking programs, and how we’ve approached achieving sustainable design. Broad Presentation Outline
1. Defining Sustainable Engineering
2. The Process of Sustainable Design
3. LEED vs Energy Star
4. An engineer’s role in LEED
5. Impact of Energy Star
6. Lessons to Share

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Fieena Zvenyach is President and CEO of IBC Engineering Services, Inc., Fieena has managed this award winning sustainable MEP engineering firm since its inception in 1991. Based in Waukesha, Wisconsin, with offices in Florida, Illinois and Washington DC, IBC Engineering focuses on sustainable MEP engineering. Named to Inc. Magazine’s Green 50, Fieena and her firm have been recognized as one of the “most intriguing set of entrepreneurs leading today’s green revolution.” Fieena holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Math and Engineering from the University of Minsk-Belarus, as well as an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management in Milwaukee, WI