100+ Women Strong newsletter summer 2016

100 Women Strong +

The force to recruit, retain and reward Auburn women in engineering

July 2016

Greetings 100+ Women Strong Members, The first half of 2016 has been extremely productive for 100+ Women Strong. We have even outgrown our logo! Please note the + that has been added to the number 100. Currently, we have 132 members and are in communication with others who have expressed interest in joining 100+ Women Strong. Each of you are our most valuable recruiting tool and I welcome your assistance in recruiting other engineers to further our mission of recruiting, retaining and rewarding the bright young women who choose to major in engineering at Auburn University. Please contact me at myra.girard@auburn.edu or 334-844-9130 if you would like for me to send 100+ Women Strong information to a prospective member.

Other points of interest so far this year include: • The 2016 Leadership Development Conference was held in the Shelby Engineering Center on April 1. The conference was attended by 95 students and more than 50 members.

Post conference surveys revealed that an impressive 100 percent of the students completing the surveys stated they would attend a similar event. Of those, 100 percent of the responding Early Engineering Track and 93 percent of the Early Professional Track indicated they would consider joining 100+ Women Strong. Many students shared positive comments regarding the Member/Student Speed Mentoring Session.

• In view of the positive feedback 100+ Women Strong has received about the mentor/mentee program, it is now being expanded to include more options. Freshmen and sophomores may choose to be paired with a 100+ Women Strong member or an upperclassman engineering student.

Juniors and seniors may mentor a freshman or sophomore and/or be paired with a 100+ Women Strong mentor. The information regarding new mentor/mentee assignments will be distributed in July.

• According to the American Society for Engineering Education, the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering is ranked 36th among public institutions for undergraduate degrees awarded to females and 47th among all universities, placing the college in the Top 50 for the past three years.

• 100+ Women Strong would like to welcome new Samuel Ginn College of Engineering female faculty members: Asha Dee Celestine, aerospace engineering; Frances O’Donnell, civil engineering; Jakeeta Thomas, computer science and software engineering; and Adriana Vargas-Nordcbeck, National Center for Asphalt Technology.

• The call for nominations for a development position on the executive committee may be found at aub.ie/100ws1.

The development position will serve as an understudy to executive committee members for two years, and then assume a five-year executive committee voting position.

Nominations are due by July 7.

• The 100+ Women Strong website is currently being updated and we will be seeking photos from members who do not have one posted. Please keep us informed of any job title, employer and/or location changes. Additionally, we will be updating our resources and events webpages on an ongoing basis. Please go to eng.auburn.edu/giving/ areas/100-women-strong for the latest 100+ Women Strong information.

• Finally, and most importantly, a heartfelt thank you to each of you for the hours you volunteer, encouraging words you share and funds you so generously provide. You are making all the difference in the lives female engineering students as we carry out the 100+ Women Strong mission to recruit, retain and reward the bright young women who choose to study engineering at the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. As we continue to grow, so will our impact.

• 100+ Women Strong hosted a luncheon June 28 for the Women in Engineering camp. 100+ Women Strong mementos were shared with the campers. Kate Champion, Laura McCartney, Molly McCartney, Kelli McCullough, Mary Moore and Margaret Neyman of 100+ Women Strong hosted tables during the lunch and engaged the campers in Thank you. discussions about careers in engineering.

Recruiting, Retaining and Rewarding Women in Engineering In cohesion with our vision to recruit, retain and reward women in engineering, the 100+ Women Strong program has awarded numerous female students and faculty members, including: • Two study abroad awards • Four female leadership and diversity awards • Four undergraduate research awards • Excellence in Diversity Faculty Award to Dr. Cheryl Seals, associate professor of computer science and software engineering • Six Helping Hands Scholarships • Two fellowships • 16 undergraduate scholarships for 2015-16 • Four All Girls Engineering Summer Camp scholarships • Four Computer Science Camp for Girls scholarships • Sponsored 100+ Women Strong membership attendance at the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame, where member Nelda Lee was inducted Additionally, 100+ Women Strong has been actively involved with numerous events and fairs in 2016, including: • The 2016 100+ Women Strong Leadership and Development Conference • Sponsored a luncheon that provided interactive discussions with members for students attending the Women in Engineering summer camp • E-Day • Greater East Alabama Regional Science and Engineering Fair (GEARSEF)

Member Spotlight:

Jacque Cole

Jacque Cole, ’01 mechanical engineering, is an assistant professor in the joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina, as well as the director of the Orthopaedic Mechanobiology Lab. She spends much of her time researching ways to treat and prevent medical issues that affect many women, including bone loss with aging, stroke and diabetes.

who may be as shy as I was to step outside their comfort zones and take on challenges they may not have considered otherwise.”

She also devotes much of her time to women in engineering and 100+ Women Strong. Cole joined the program in 2014 as a way of giving back not only financially, but with her time as well.

During her time at Auburn, Cole was involved in almost anything and everything she could join.

She was a member of the AU Concert Choir, Women in Engineering mentoring program, Society of Automotive Engineers, Cupola Engineering Society, Baja and Formula SAE teams and the Society for Women Engineers. It was with SWE that Cole was introduced to many of the other activities, lifelong friends and mentors who encouraged her to go to graduate school. Now, she wants the same experience for future women engineers.

“Young women need to see many different examples of successful paths in work and in life and the many forms their careers can take with an engineering degree,” Cole said. “By contributing not only our money, but more importantly our time and experiences, to 100+ Women Strong, hopefully we can guide young students

“The goals of 100+ Women Strong really resonated with me, and I wanted to be a part of something that will connect Auburn women engineers across the board — from students to early career professionals to managers and even retirees — to enrich the culture of Auburn Engineering,” Cole said.

There she is . . .

Stella Kontos, student liaison and sophomore in chemical engineering, represented 100+ Women Strong in the Miss Alabama pageant. Kontos’ pageant platform was “S.T.A.G.E. – Science, Technology, And Girls in Engineering.”

Congratulations, Stella, on a top 12 finish.

For her work through this platform, she received the Briana Kinsey STEM Scholarship.

“This may be one of the most valuable scholarships I have ever received because not only does it recognize my dedication and work with STAGE and 100+ Women Strong, but it was given to me by someone I am blessed to call my friend,” Kontos said.

Mentor/Mentee Spotlight:

Katie Brown

Katie Brown, senior in polymer and fiber engineering, was an incoming freshman when she first heard about 100+ Women Strong. Not knowing anyone in the college, she decided to attend the annual freshman welcome event.

“I was blown away,” Brown said. “The luncheon was awesome and I knew this was something I wanted to be invested in.”

It was then that Brown met her mentor, Rachel Moss, ’96 industrial and systems engineering. Since that day, Brown said Moss has been with her “every step of the way.”

“She has shared her life with me, encouraged me and helped me through so much,” Brown said of Moss.

“She really helps me keep perspective about what I deal with on a daily basis.

She is so inspiring and she has always been there for me.”

Not only have the two developed an engineering relationship, but they’ve developed a strong friendship as well.

The two get together every time Moss is in town, and they’ve even been skydiving together. They also have purchased hang gliding tickets for a future outing.

Brown credits getting involved with 100+ Women Strong early as a

freshman as a catalyst of forming the close relationship she has with Moss.

“We are very close, but we have had time to cultivate our relationship,” Brown said. “The longer you have a mentor, the better the relationship will be. You really reap the rewards if you find a great mentor early on.”

Brown believes so firmly in the mentor process that she has become one herself. As one of the first student mentors, Brown has begun mentoring Emma Owens, a sophomore in mechanical engineering, and the two have already built a friendship and support system that will benefit them for years to come.

“My experience with Rachel has not only given me the tools to mentor, but it has really shaped me and my character,” Brown said. “I hope I can be half the mentor she is. This program has been so worthwhile, and I fully plan to continue my involvement and mentorship after graduation.”

#Graduation Chris Moody, vice president of data strategy at Twitter, spoke at the spring 2016 commencement ceremony May 7 in the Auburn Arena.

In his message to graduates, Moody, ’90 electrical engineering, emphasized the difference between being good and great, and how some extra effort can make the biggest difference.

His closing remarks included three pieces of advice, one of which got a chuckle from the audience: “Work hard.

Be kind. Follow me on Twitter.”

Female Faculty Member Spotlight:

Hulya Kirkici

Hulya Kirkici, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and 100+ Women Strong member, joined the Auburn University Samuel Ginn College of Engineering faculty in 1992. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics at Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey, and her doctorate in electrical engineering at New York University. Kirkici has also served as a visiting scientist and engineer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and as a visiting scholar and consultant at the Air Force Research Laboratory on the Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.

Kirkici’s research interests include electrical insulation and highfrequency dielectric breakdown in space and aerospace environments; cold plasmas; repetitive pulsed power; and high-voltage engineering. She is a member of numerous engineering and scientific associations and societies, including the American Association of University Women.

She has received the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers William G. Dunbar Award for continuing contribution to highvoltage and high-frequency insulation research and engineering education and the Sol Schneider Award for continuing technical and administrative leadership in the power modulator and high-voltage communities.

Corporate Partner Spotlight:

Southwire

Since 2013, Southwire has been a visionary sponsor of 100+ Women Strong and a committed partner with the program. Southwire is one of North America’s leading manufacturers of wire and cable used in the distribution and transmission of electricity.

Members of 100+ Women Strong that are employed by Southwire embody the company’s vision of building worth, growing green, living well, doing right and, especially, giving back.

Diane Anderson, Southwire professional staffing specialist, said Southwire firmly supports women’s initiatives in engineering, and the company is proud to partner with this prestigious group of female leaders of today and innovators of tomorrow.

“At Southwire, it is our priority to have a strong commitment to education through our partnership with academic institutions that promote sustainability initiatives. 100+ Women Strong encompasses these initiatives by recruiting, retaining and rewarding women in engineering throughout their educational career, as well as preparing

them for a sustainable and successful future. At Southwire, we see the impact and power of diversity in the workplace and support the mission of growing this initiative through organizations like 100+ Women Strong. Southwire supports the vision and direction that this organization promotes to young women in engineering.”

We would like to thank all of our corporate partners, including visionary sponsors Alabama Power, Brasfield & Gorrie, Harris and Southwire, and innovator sponsors Figg and Lockheed Martin.

UPCOMING EVENTS Carol Godfrey, ’86 industrial engineering and Southwire vice president of armored products, will be our keynote speaker for the Freshmen Welcome event Aug. 13 at 1 p.m. in the Broun Hall auditorium. Parents are invited to attend with their daughters. Please save the date for this important event in the lives of our incoming freshmen and transfer students.

Other upcoming events include: • Executive Committee meeting – Aug. 12 • Member meeting – Aug. 13 • Welcome Freshmen Event – Aug. 13 • Engineering Parents’ tailgate – Oct. 1 • 100+ Women Strong Birmingham high school recruiting event – Nov. 8 • Engineering and Technical Career Fair – Sept. 13 • South’s BEST Robotics – December TBA