The Lioness Loop - Summer 2021

WelcomeLioness

WelcomeLioness

Editorial Notes

It's Summer and that means - Time for ??? National Convention! Convention is alwaysan exciting time - a time for Members to connect and to assess where we are and where we are headed; a time to build the bonds of Sisterhood and to recommit ourselves to making ??? the best it can be.

Over the past year, we've been working to transfer leadership of this newsletter and now is the time to finalize that transition. Starting with our next issue, Jessica Denner will be the Chair at the helm of the Newsletter Committee. Jessica is an Epsilon Alumna (Delta Class)who works asa Senior Quality Assurance Specialist with Kemin in Des Moines, IA.

As an introduction (in true Lioness Loop fashion), Jessica answered the 13 quick questions that we put to all of our Featured Sisters:

The Inside L? p

Royal Blue or Silver? Definitely royal blue

Do you know your Hogwarts House and, if so, what isit? Not a Harry Potter Person

What is your Favorite branch of science? Chemistry

What was your First job? Kitchen Staff/ Buffet Prep at Sirloin Stockade Favorite season? Fall, love the colors and it's football season!

Who is your Woman in STEM icon (living or dead)? Sally Ride

If you could live anywhere, where would it be? Honestly, I have lived in Iowa my whole life and like it. Nice and quaint and the communitiesare great to socialize and get to know people.

What might someone be surprised to know about you? For non-Epsilon Sisters, I am an Iowa State Fair award winning baker for the past 8 years. For all Sisters, I have never broken a bone.

What was your Most memorable vacation? My husband and I?s 5 year anniversary to Italy and Spain.

What is your Favorite book? Anything by Nicholas Sparks

When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried? Last summer when we were hanging out with our new neighbors. What one superpower would you want? Slow down time!

If you could only have one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Anything chicken related! I love chicken!

If you'd like to help make future issues of The Lioness Loop great, consider joining Jessica on the Newsletter Committee! Or reach out to share your stories and ideasat newsletter@ask-wits.com.

MeettheNBoD

Get to know the NDoE: Kellee Hartjen

What was your School/Chapter/Major? I graduated from the Epsilon Chapter at Iowa State University with degrees in Industrial Engineer and Spanish. I was initiated in 2013 in the Upsilon class!

Where are you now (and what are you doing professionally)?

I live in Des Moines, IA (although I?m still a Chicago girl at heart) and I work at a SAS(software as a service) company called Workiva as a tools and technology training manager!

What got you interested in your chosen career? The typical path for industrial engineers is in manufacturing, but I liked the process improvement and data side of my major more so I took a job as an analyst for an internal consulting team. My first manager was an incredible engineer and a super inspiring woman and she signed me up for some certifications that completely changed the trajectory of my career!

What?s your favorite thing to do with your free time? I love traveling, so the last year has been really tough for me! Throughout my four years on the board, I have been to 10 states and I used to travel for work as well. Next year, I?m hoping to take my mom to Poland for her family history research!

Can you share a favorite ??? tradition? I love Installation ceremonies! Founding a Chapter is a long and challenging process, so helping a group finally cross that finish line and celebrating their accomplishment is emotional, inspiring, and very fun.

If you had one piece of advice for a Sister just starting out in ??? what would it be? I believe that Sisterhood happens in the small moments, so that?s what I would encourage our new Members to focus on! The biggest moments that stand out in my mind when I think back to my time as an Active weren?t necessarily social events - a Sister washed all my clothes one weekend when my washing machine died, a big group of Members all texted me ?good luck, I know you can do it!?right before an interview started, my big drove me 45 minutes down to Des Moines because I didn?t have a way to get there. Find opportunities to make those small moments happen!

What advice would you give the next NDoE? Sadly, my time on the National Board is winding down and a new NDoEwill be elected this summer at Convention. Luckily for my successor, I have 4 incredible groups that I?m currently working with who are ready to hit the ground running in the fall and we?ll meet some new Founders and Chapters! My biggest piece of advice for the next NDoEis that our most difficult and most important job is to instill the ??? values on these new groups. A lot of the work in starting a new Chapter is administrative (petitions, bylaws, establishing the non-profit, university rules, etc.), but make sure to coach your leaders on building trust among Members, starting traditions, and founding a great Chapter culture.

Why should a Sister consider serving on the National Board of Directors? I was unsure if I was ready to commit to a two year term on the NBoD right after I graduated, but serving on the National Board has been the single most important role that has shaped who I am as a leader and it has taught me so much about myself. It has also been a great way to give back to an organization that has given me so much. Our National Organization is going through a huge transformation and growth spurt right now and the next few years are going to be instrumental in determining what the future of ??? will be, so now is a great time to serve!

The Inside L? p

Royal Blue or Silver? Royal Blue!

Do you know your Hogwarts House and, if so, what is it? Gryffindor

What is your Favorite branch of science? Chemistry

What was your First job? Soccer referee

Favorite season? Fall

Who is your Woman in STEM icon (living or dead)? My mom (labor and delivery nurse)

If you could live anywhere, where would it be? Valencia, Spain (I studied abroad there)

What might someone be surprised to know about you? I spend way too much time playing video games

What was your most memorable vacation? When my husband proposed in Key West

What is your Favorite book? IT by Stephen King

When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried? My wedding :)

What one superpower would you want? Slowing down time!

If you could only have one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Pierogi or golabki or some other Polish food

photo by Erik Christensen

National Organization Updates National Organization Updates

Traditions Committee

This year the Traditions Committee worked on finalizing Chants and a Symphony to be voted on at Convention. They also put together gifts for new Initiates this spring. The committee sent out little packages to each new Member, hoping this gift would express some of the joy we feel as an organization to have these wonderful new ladiesas apart of our ??? family. Each package contained an ??? sticker (made by a Xi Sister!), a flower keychain, handmaid bracelets with our motto on them and a letter welcoming them to the Organization.

Census Underway

Alpha Sigma Kappa - Women in Technical Studies is completing our first census! We are hoping to get a better picture of the individuals who make up our great organization to better inform expansion decisions, improve communication, and build a vision forward with everyone in mind.

Access to the ??? Census Link can be found here: https://redcap.link/7nfjwrhu. The link has been sent to all Chapters and Members may receive a personal email asking to complete the census.

The census began May 1, 2021 and runs until November 1, 2021.

Exploratory Committee

The Exploratory Committee collected information this year about the structure of the Organization from the National Board of Directors and Sisters, including both Actives and Alums. They are presenting different plans for structural changes at this year's virtual Convention and want to get everyone's input on how to move forward. If you are interested in learning more, you can contact the committee (ask.exploratory.committee@gmail.com) or reach out to your Delegate.

2021 National Convention

The time has come for the 2021 National Convention. This year's virtual Convention will be held via Google Suites and links were sent to all registered Members.

Convention includes Open and Closed meetings, break out sessions, the National Foundation Annual Meeting, and activities at night to get to know other Sisters. This year there will be some different activities and a great speaker! On Friday of Convention, participants will have the opportunity to get an Intro to Unconscious Bias, in a professional development session featuring speakers Dorcedar Glover and Yang Xiong.

Kayla Nelson shared the following advise for how attendees can make the most of their Convention experience: "Participate and be present!"

National Calendar

July 22-24 - National Convention

July 24 - National Educational Foundation Annual Meeting

September 13 - Beta Chapter Founder's Day

September 15 - Nu Chapter Founder's Day

October 23 - Epsilon Chapter Founder's Day

EducationalFoundationEducationalFoundation

Ways to Donate

For information on ways to donate to the National Educational Foundation, visit www.askwits.org/donate/.

All donations (big or small) are tax deductible and provide scholarship assistance to Active Members of Alpha Sigma KappaWomen in Technical Studies.

The Alpha Sigma Kappa Educational Foundation is also a listed charity for Facebook fundraisers and AmazonSmile! Consider helping raise money for this worthwhile cause the next time you want to crowdfund or whenever you shop online.

You can help us to provide scholarships within our organization. Every donation counts!

SnapshotfromCampusKappa Chapter

UNIVERSITYOF CALIFORNIASANTA BARBARA GOLETA, CA EST 02.09.2019

It'sbeenover ayear

since the Xi Chapter had to bid a brief farewell to each other and their beautiful campus by the sea, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. They were just gearing up for Winter Quarter finals and preparing for end of the year activities when they received orders to stay home and suspend all in-person activities.

The Xi Chapter is one of Alpha Sigma Kappa - Women in Technical Studies' newest, having been installed as a Chapter in February of 2019. However, they have already developed the strong bonds of Sisterhood necessary to weather the storm.

Even though it was extremely difficult for everyone to adjust to online classes and activities, over the past year they were able to implement new ideas to keep Actives engaged and bring in new Candidates! As President Mia Bartolotti explained: "We wanted to make sure that our newest Members in particular were welcomed with virtual open arms. To do so, we encouraged our Actives and Officers to attend as many virtual events as they could, helped each Candidate class to schedule weekly check-ins with each other, and our Delta Class even started their own text buddy program to encourage each other and offer help during midtermsand finals!"

The Chapter was happy to announce that attendance for events was significantly improved across the board in comparison to Spring of 2020. The Chapter's previous and current VPs of Communications and Recruitment did an excellent job of maintaining Xi's online presence, leading to the Chapter welcoming 4 new Members in Winter and 8 new Candidates in the Spring of 2021!

"Our goal is to keep up this trend and ensure that we continue to present ourselves as a welcoming and empowering group of women in STEM at UCSB!" stated Bartolotti.

She further explained what things will look like for the Chapter moving forward: "At this point, we are likely returning to in-person operations this Fall, and we?re all super excited to get started! Our VPs of Recruitment are already planning an amazing Fall Recruitment cycle, and our Social Chairs are gathering ideas for fun and COVID-conscious in-person events. I, for one, cannot wait to see everyone again because it?s been over a year since I?ve seen everyone. We all miss each other so much and are eager to see everyone again when it is safe! Despite being online this year, many of our Members were able to stay connected beyond the scope of ??? through virtual meetups and movie nights. These little events definitely strengthened our bonds and ideals of Sisterhood and family."

Executive Mia Bartolotti Sarah VPof Lily Partida VPof Weiqi Malia VPsof

Executive Members: Bartolotti - President Sarah Tappinof Operations

Partidaof Communications

Weiqi Mei - VPof Finance Malia Camacho & Tiffany Guanof

Recruitment

Captured at their most recent Bid Day, this Chapter's group photo (at left) is a bit different than those previously featured in The Lioness Loop, but it serves as a reflection of how the Members really came together as family during an unprecedented year. Here are some final thoughts from Chapter President Mia Bertolotti:

"Throughout my time in ???, I've asked others what the sorority means to them. When asked the same question, I instantly thought that, beyond being a part of an empowering group of women in STEM, being in ??? meant being a part of a family.

I joined the sorority during my first quarter at UCSB. At the time, I was a freshman and had no idea what I was doing and was having a very hard time adjusting to college life. When I heard about ???, I was eager to learn more about the sorority and sought to become a Member as soon as possible. Little did I know that about a year later, I would become the President of ???.

I was extremely fortunate to meet some of my closest friends through the sorority. They helped make Santa Barbara feel like home and I'm super honored and proud to call each and every Member my friend. They are easily the most kind and smart people I know and they encourage everyone around them to be the best version of themself every day. We are one big happy family that was founded upon love and appreciation for one another, and it's easily my favorite part about the sorority.

I'm very excited to see how this sorority and Chapter evolves during my presidency and beyond. Each person I?ve met through ??? has made a significant impact on my life in so many ways, and I want more people at UC Santa Barbara and beyond to experience the amount of love and support I?ve felt from the sorority as well.

On behalf of the Members of the Xi Chapter of Alpha Sigma Kappa - Women in Technical Studies, I wish everyone a happy and healthy Fall Term!"

Sister Spotlight

Ariel Jacobs | Beta Chapter

In September 2020, Ariel Jacobs, a Member of the Alpha Sigma Kappa - Women in Technical Studies Beta Chapter at the University of OklahomaNorman (OU), became a published author! She was the primary author on the paper "The Effect of Climatological Variables on Future UAS-Based Atmospheric Profiling in the Lower Atmosphere", published in the peer-reviewed journal Remote Sensing. Her article covered results from research examining how surface visibility, cloud base level height and wind speed impact the hypothetical success rates of weather observing unmanned aircraft systems (WxUAS) and their maximum heights reached.

This Spring, before graduating with her Bachelor of Science degree, Ariel received the Mark and Kandi McCasland Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Research for her work from the University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology. These accomplishments are impressive for any undergraduate student, but especially as Ariel is also a person with dysgraphia... who has now won a writing award!

We checked in with Ariel to get the info on her research, her award and, of course, ???.

L?p: Why did you choose to attend University of Oklahoma ? Norman?

It has a great program for meteorology and is home to the National Weather Center.

L?p: What was your major? And why did you choose it?

Meteorology! I have always been fascinated with the weather since I was a kid.

L?p: What did winning the research award mean to you?

It meant that my hard work was recognized and gave me confidence in myself as a scientific researcher.

L?p: What isdysgraphia?

Dysgraphia is a learning disability associated with the mental and physical processes of writing.

L?p: What is one thing you wish people knew about dysgraphia?

Dysgraphia also affects fine motor skills. This can impede tasks such as cutting with scissors and buttoning up a coat.

L?p: What skills/tools/etc. have you developed that led you to publish a peer-reviewed research paper as a person with dysgraphia?

Outlining beforehand helps. Even if it is just a collection of thoughts on paper, it helps organize what I want to say.

L?p: What did you enjoy the most in your research?

I enjoyed the entire process! I learned quite a bit about myself as a scientist and a writer through the process.

L?p: Who has had the biggest influence on who you are today?

Career wise, my biggest mentor has been Dr. Amanda Kis. She is a great instructor and mentor, and she is who I aspire to be as a professor someday.

L?p: What was the best advice you ever received?

Be kind to yourself and show yourself grace.

L?p: Why did you join ????

I loved meeting like minded people, and the recruitment eventswere really fun!

L?p: What isone great memory you have of ????

In Spring 2019, we participated in the OU Big Event where we volunteered at the botanical gardens in Oklahoma City. It was fun to help out and the gardenswere really pretty.

L?p: Do you have a favorite ??? tradition?

Being a Big was one of my favorite part about ???!

L?p: You graduated this year, what?s next?

During the summer, I will complete my internship through the SOARS program. In the fall, I will attend the University of Washington to pursue my PhD in atmospheric sciences! ?

The Inside L? p

Royal Blue or Silver? Royal Blue

Do you know your Hogwarts House and, if so, what is it? YES! Gryffindor

What is your favorite branch of science? Atmospheric Science!

What was your first job? I was an information security intern at Experian. Favorite season? Spring

Who is your Woman in STEM icon (living or dead)?

I have two: My former instructor Dr. Amanda Kis at OU and my advisor at UW Dr. Shuyi Chen.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

I am honestly not sure! I am excited to move to Seattle though.

What might someone be surprised to know about you?

I used to rock climb as a kid, and I am trying to relearn. What was your most memorable vacation? Visiting New York City with my family.

What is your favorite book?

I do not have a favorite book, but my favorite genre is mystery.

When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried? Probably the last time I watched the movie Knives Out. What?s one superpower would you want? I would love to fly.

If you could only have one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Pizza!

SnapshotfromCampus

Alpha Chapter

The Alpha Chapter had a successful second virtual recruitment thisspring, welcoming 6 new Members into the Beta Mu class.

Although the majority of events were held virtually, they had several in-person events throughout the semester. Their spring Special Event included an in-person scavenger hunt around the University of Minnesota campus, which wasthe first opportunity for many of the older Actives to meet the (then) Candidates in-person.

The Chapter held a virtual Initiation Celebration to welcome the Beta Mu class as Actives, as well asto celebrate the Beta Kappa and Beta Lambda classes, who hadn't been able to formally celebrate their transition to Active status.

Through the semester, they held virtual game nights and study nights and started to host virtual exchangesagain with Greek chapters and other student groups on campus.

The Alpha Chapter closed out the year with two small Alum Ceremoniesfor the 10 new Alum, as a way to celebrate all of their contributions to the Chapter!

Looking ahead, Katie Marusich stated "We are looking forward to the fall semester when we will hopefully be able to return to in person operations full or most of the time!"

CandlePass

Career andAcademics

Katrina Fauser (Epsilon Alum) was accepted into the entering class at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where she will start her studies at the beginning of August.

MarriageandEngagement

WE

TIED THE KNOT!

Emma Schildgen (Alpha Alum) & Will Treacy | December 28, 2020

Katelynn Orona (Eta Alum) & Hunter Wheeler | May 2, 2021

WE SAID ?YES?!

Mackenzie Bochart (Epsilon Active) & Paul Hallbick | March 22, 2021 The couple is planning to marry in the Summer of 2023

FamilyandBirth

IT'S A GIRL!

Alicia O'Donnell-Lines (Epsilon Alum), husband EJand dog Daisy are expecting a baby girl, due to arrive in mid-September

photo by Skye Studios

photo by Irina Grotkjaer