SHPE - Winter 2009 - (Page 14)

MEET THE PRESIDENTS Region III Colorado Region IV Baltimore, Maryland Gustavo Barajas Beginning as a student at Purdue University and continuing over the last 15 years of his professional membership, Gus Barajas has held a variety of leadership positions within SHPE. In Barajas is addition to serving two terms as president of preparing SHPE-Phoenix, he has also been chairman of the Hispanics for National Student Affairs Committee and Region today’s fastII vice president. . paced work “Coming from a low income minority area, environment. East Chicago, Indiana, ‘white-collar’ opportunities were unheard of, let alone attractive,” Barajas said. “SHPE offered many opportunities to prepare for these opportunities while still enjoying the comforts of our Hispanic and social upbringings. I joined because I realized how valuable the SHPE professional conferences and career fairs were to the job search during my bachelor’s degree.” Two decades later, Barajas continues to recognize the role that SHPE plays in his career. “In today’s fast-paced environment, you need every advantage to stay ahead of the competition,” he explained. “SHPE offers me the resources, information and support I need to reach my future educational and career goals. I have enjoyed the friendships, networking and professional development but, most importantly, the memories of all SHPE members that I have met across our country.” A 20-year SHPE veteran, Gus Barajas is a senior industrial engineer with Allosource Inc. Mairim G. Ramos-Lebrón After relocating from Puerto Rico to Maryland in 2006, Mairim G. Ramos-Lebrón found SHPE as a way to connect with other local Hispanic engineers. “I have not only grown my network,” she Providing said, “but I am also taking my career farther, faster, developmental through continuous professional and leadership opportunities development, while the outreach activities allow is the chapter’s me to make a difference.” responsibility, During 2007-2008 Ramos-Lebrón worked as says Ramossecretary for SHPE-Baltimore. Since then, she has Lebrón. formed initiatives for chapter communications that have yielded a new position on SHPE-Baltimore executive board. Ramos-Lebrón believes that professional chapters are responsible for providing members with training and development opportunities. “By expanding and enhancing their skill set, both professionals and students are better prepared to face the currently unstable and highly competitive workforce environment,” she explained. “Well-prepared professionals are more likely to keep their jobs in uncertain times, since they bring quantifiable value to their companies. Furthermore, companies are looking for students that have a better understanding of the workplace environment and demonstrate leadership skills. Professional chapters must invest in training both of these groups.” A SHPE member for two years, Mairim Ramos-Lebrón is a systems engineer at Northrop Grumman and the recipient of this year’s Promising Engineer STAR Award. Region IV New York City Region IV Rochester, New York Danny Cardenas Being SHPE-NYC president during the last several months has given Danny Cardenas a unique perspective on the recent troubles in the economy. “These are challenging times for our nation Cardenas’ and especially for NYC, as much employment and priority is to revenue come from Wall Street and supporting build SHPEroles,” he explained. “SHPE-NYC has stepped up its NYC’s presence communication initiatives. This translates into in the Hispanic building up our Web presence in social network community. websites and building a forum on our website at www.shpe-nyc.org. We have also stepped up the number of events with the goal of increasing communication among our members as well as between corporate partners and members.” Cardenas previously served on the executive board of his student chapter and, as a professional, part of the Eastern conference committee and treasurer of SHPE-NYC. Yet he enjoys growing an organization where Hispanic professionals can meet, exchange ideas and support each other in their “endeavors to make it to the corner office” while preparing the next generation of technical leaders. For example, he noted that “this year the board is 70 percent new, and through this learning curve, we still managed to have the greatest and most productive first quarter in years.” Danny Cardenas is an application systems engineer at Northrop Grumman Corporation. He joined SHPE 12 years ago while a student at Polytechnic University. Arnel Alverio Arnel Alverio lists his role in creating Rochester’s Latino Inter-Network Council (LINC) among his most outstanding achievements. LINC is a partnership among various Hispanic Alverio has professional organizations within local corporareached out to tions as well as with SHPE and the National other Latino Society of Hispanic MBAs. Together they develop organizations in events that serve local Hispanic professionals. the Rochester Foremost among these is an annual professional area. development conference, which most recently carried the theme “Achieving Peak Performance.” In addition to the opportunities provided through LINC, SHPE-Rochester enables members to develop skills and relationships that expand beyond just the engineering and technology communities. According to Alverio, SHPE-Rochester allows members to develop soft skills that are critical in any industry, especially when seeking a new job. He added, “In addition, the chapter connects members to other professionals and gives them an opportunity to expose their skills.” In a sense, LINC epitomizes why Alverio was drawn to SHPE in the first place: for its ability to “improve the Hispanic outlook in our communities, while at the same times solving a national problem of a shortage in engineers.” A SHPE member for two years, Arnel Alverio is an engineering manager at ITT Space Systems Division. SHPE ❘ Winter 2009 14 http://www.shpe-nyc.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SHPE - Winter 2009

SHPE - Winter 2009 Contents President's Letter Browser Calendar Professional Chapter Leaders - Providing the Right Resources at the Right Time Closing the Expectation Gap - Summit Addresses ‘Diploma to Nowhere’ Conference 2008 A Career Building Diversity in Engineering Education Graduate STEM Degrees Extend Technical Reach Programs & Services Inner Circle Employer Profile Regional Roundup Annual Report Advertisers Index

SHPE - Winter 2009

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.