SHPE - Conference 2008 - (Page 10)

BROWSER ❚ News of Particular Interest to Society Members Seminar/Reception Core Program Launched in Atlanta Submitted by Conchita Jimenez-Gonzalez, Region VII Vice President During the 2008 National Institute for Leadership Advancement, SHPE unveiled a set of Core Programs that would be implemented in SHPE chapters across the nation. Core Programs are an outcome of this year’s retreat, where the National Board of Directors discussed a strategy and created plans to strengthen the Society by standardizing programs nationwide. One of the proposed Core Programs involved professional/student receptions. Prior to the retreat, Region VII had been working on a professional development seminar in Atlanta that would be followed by a student/professional reception. The goal was to increase the collaboration between local student and professional members as well as revitalize the Greater Atlanta Professional Chapter (SHPE-GA). The event was a result of collaborative planning on the part of IBM’s Region VII executive advisors Maria Azua and Joe Tano; past RSR VII Jordan Gorrochotegui; current RSR VII Manuel Bravo; and RVP VII Conchita Jimenez-Gonzalez. As it turned out, the execution of the Atlanta event served as an effective pilot and its business plan became a blueprint for the national program. The Leadership, Excellence and Networking Day took place in early September at the IBM facility in Atlanta. Participants included SHPE members from the Southern Polytechnic State University and SHPE-GA as well as Region VII leaders. Distinguished IBM presenters included Juan Caraballo and Maria Tapia, who discussed “derailment factors” to avoid when entering the workplace. Another IBMer, Maurice Carter, provided an animated overview of the ever-changing global workplace. GlaxoSmithKline’s Jimenez-Gonzalez joined RSR Bravo in explaining the life of a SHPE leader. Several of the presentations were recorded and will be posted as podcasts on OneSHPE to benefit the larger SHPE familia. The attendees enjoyed furthering the discussions with the presenters and other SHPE members during several networking sessions throughout the afternoon. The event culminated at a reception, where students and young professionals interacted with more experienced professionals and executives. All in all, the event was a great success as a Core Program pilot. We encourage chapters to organize student/professional receptions. The seminars, interaction and networking certainly add value to our members and to SHPE. ■ Apply Now for Bentley Scholarships Every year, the McCallum Leadership Scholar Program offers two unique scholarships for SHPE members to attend the McCallum Graduate School at Bentley University. The first one provides a qualified applicant with 100 percent tuition to the full-time, two-year MBA program. The deadline to apply for this scholarship is January 15, 2009. The second scholarship covers 50 percent tuition to any evening program, which includes an MBA program and seven Master of Science programs. The deadline to apply for this scholarship is March 15, 2009. For more information, visit http://www.bentley.edu/graduate/s cholarprogram.cfm ■ Hispanic Heritage Foundation Honors Latinas in STEM Cynthia Reyna NOTAR Mary Hernandez, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers’ General Counsel, was recently honored during the annual conference of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA). Elected in 1994 as HNBA’s third female president, she was recognized along with the four other female past presidents. During Hernandez’ tenure, the organization reached several milestones, including hiring its first executive director to lead the national office in Washington, D.C. She also commissioned a research project on the first Latina lawyers licensed to practice law in states with significant Hispanic populations, which resulted in a video documentary, “Las Primeras.” During the convention, Ramona Romero was sworn into office, becoming the sixth female president to lead the 35 year-old organization. She has created a Commission on the Status of Hispanic Women in the Legal Profession. Hernandez and the other Latina past presidents will serve as members of this special commission. SHPE member Anibal Franco has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Construction Outreach program for his commitment to teach Spanishspeaking workers in occupational safety and health. Franco has trained more than 100 people in the project and given safety training to more than 2,000 people in Spanish. In his letter of commendation, Don Guerra, Coordinator at OSHA Outreach Training Program, commended Franco saying, “We believe that efforts such as yours are very valuable in creating an informed and healthy work populace.” The OSHA training is being offered as a free service to the subcontractor community. From 1992 through 2006, more than 11,300 Hispanic employees died on construction sites. Hispanic fatalities at work have been linked to the language barrier, particularly in the construction industry, where lack of communication can lead to fatal mistakes. Grecia Margarita Gonzalez Two Latina high school students were recently recognized with STEM related awards as part of the 2008 National Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards. Winners were selected from 10,000 applicants and more than 250 regional recipients from across the United States. Each winner received a total of $8,000 in educational grants, a laptop computer and a trip to Washington, D.C., where all awardees were recognized during the 22nd Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards in early October. Cynthia Reyna, a graduate of Charles H. Milby High School (Houston, Texas) received the Engineering and Mathematics Award, sponsored by ExxonMobil. The AP Scholar and Honors/High Honor Roll student is also a two-time Science Fair first place winner and the recipient of second place in the Science Bowl Competition. In addition to her many scholarship awards and active community involvement, Reyna formed part of the Houston A+ Summer SHPE ❘ Conference 2008 10 http://www.bentley.edu/graduate/scholarprogram.cfm http://www.bentley.edu/graduate/scholarprogram.cfm

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SHPE - Conference 2008

SHPE - Conference 2008 President’s Letter From the Vice President News of Particular Interest to Society Members Calendar Making the Most of the Career Fair Grupos de Afinidad Phoenix Rising Advancing Hispanic Excellence in Technology, Engineering, Math and Science (AHETEMS) 2008 SHPE Conference Program Guide Welcome Letters Highlights Conference Schedule STAR Awards Company of the Year Chapter of the Year Awards Speakers Entertainment Hospitality Suites Advisor Program Professional Program Quick Guide Business Proposal Competition Professional Workshop Descriptions Technical Paper and Poster Competitions AHETEMS Design Competition Extreme Engineering Challenge National Academic Olympiad AHETEMS Teacher Program AHETEMS Pre-College Symposia Corporate Tours AHETEMS Graduate Program AHETEMS Distinguished Lecture Series AHETEMS Deans’ Summit Undergraduate Workshops Quick Guide Undergraduate Workshops Descriptions MUST Scholars Symposium Career Fair Exhibitors Sponsors Hotel and Convention Center Maps Regional Roundup Inner Circle Employer Profiles Advertisers Index

SHPE - Conference 2008

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