SHPE - Winter 2009 - (Page 4)

PRESIDENT’S LETTER NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Diana L. Gomez ❚ California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS) Vice President Manuel Hernández ❚ Raytheon Company Secretary Yulianna Porras ❚ Bureau of Reclamation Treasurer Annette Jimenez ❚ IRS Headquarters (Retired) National Undergraduate Representative Alejandra Hernandez ❚ University of Florida Vice National Undergraduate Representative Francisco Rivera ❚ University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez National Graduate Representative Enrique Arce-Larreta ❚ University of Utah VICE PRESIDENTS Region I Vice President Kathleen Gonzales ❚ PG&E Region II Vice President Ricardo Carlos ❚ IBM Corporation Region III Vice President Ismael Mendoza ❚ Tetra Tech Region IV Vice President Dora Maria Abreu ❚ Pershing LLC Region V Vice President Michael E. Gutierrez ❚ Lockheed Martin Corporation Region VI Vice President Adriana S. Ocampo-Senior ❚ The Boeing Company Region VII Vice President Concepción Jiménez-González ❚ GlaxoSmithKline NATIONAL STAFF Chief Executive Officer Enrique Gomez ❚ Enrique.Gomez@shpe.org Director of Operations Armando Apodaca ❚ Armando.Apodaca@shpe.org Meetings & Events Coordinator Beatriz Garcia ❚ Beatriz.Garcia@shpe.org Meetings & Events Manager Johanna Belsuzarri ❚ Johanna.Belsuzarri@shpe.org IT Administrator Frank Barragan ❚ Frank.Barragan@shpe.org Membership Lead Valerie Valenzuela ❚ Valerie.Valenzuela@shpe.org Professional Development Officer Fred Muñoz ❚ Fred.Munoz@shpe.org Executive Assistant Lourdes Romero Arce ❚ Lourdes.Arce@shpe.org Receptionist Violeta Lopez ❚ Receptionist@shpe.org Bookkeeper Marilyn Cruz ❚ Bookkeeper@shpe.org SALES Director of External Affairs Rafaela Ornelas-Schwan ❚ Rafaela.Schwan@shpe.org Corporate Affairs Manager Carmen Peralta ❚ Carmen.Peralta@shpe.org Sales Associate Stacy Dees ❚ Stacy.Dees@shpe.org Sales Intern Keith Norman ❚ Keith.Norman@shpe.org Director of Programs ❚ Rafaela Ornelas-Schwan Rafaela.Schwan@shpe.org Assistant Director of Programs ❚ Gary Cruz Gary.Cruz@shpe.org Higher Education Coordinator ❚ Berenice Rodriguez Berenice.Rodriguez@shpe.org K-12 Coordinator ❚ Luis H. Mendoza-Natividad Luis.Mendoza@shpe.org SHPE, magazine of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, is published quarterly, four times per year. Annual subscription rates; SHPE members, included in dues; non-members, $20. Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers 5400 E. Olympic Blvd., Suite 210 Los Angeles, CA 90022 © Copyright 2009 by SHPE Magazine For information regarding the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers: (323) 725-3970 For subscription request, editorial inquiries and information: shpemag@shpe.org or telephone (949) 673-7925 For advertising rates and information: John Goodrich, telephone (434) 244-9776 john.goodrich@shpe.org AHETEMS FOUNDATION Visit our website at http://www.shpe.org here was no way I could have predicted how I’d feel speaking to the 3,250 Hispanic engineering students and professionals in attendance at SHPE’s 32nd annual conference − my last formal address as president. I knew my goal was to convey just how far we’ve come as an organization, but I was surprisingly taken with a sense of melancolía. Still, after six years at SHPE’s helm, my pride for what has been accomplished far outweighed any bittersweet feelings. For me, the outstanding success of this conference epitomizes SHPE’s victories and the impact we are making as a community. There is no doubt that we have acquired strength as an influential and powerful national organization. Sensing our presence and visible success, corporations and government agencies are eager to climb on board. Along with communities and other organizations, they have granted stronger faith in us to deliver the best Hispanic technical talent in the nation. We have heard the call to address the shrinking inventory of engineers and scientists and responded with a rousing “Sí se puede,” proving that we are the answer to this shortage of technical talent. These accomplishments, combined with resources and programs that have evolved through time, prove the strength of SHPE in numbers and expertise. We have raised the bar in terms of expectations … and delivered. Our National Board and committee chairs as well as professional, student and graduate members have excelled in motivating everyone interested in SHPE and those already on board. I believe it began at NILA 2008, where we set out to develop an aggressive membership goal and recruitment tools. As a direct result of that groundwork, three of SHPE’s regions have surpassed their membership goals for the year. Several new chapters have been established, and many inactive chapters have returned to operative status. As we prepared for the conference in the midst of an election year, dialogue never strayed far from the immediacy of rebuilding America, not just economically, but also physically since highways, school buildings and infrastructures throughout the nation are in desperate need of attention and repair. Even as the impact of the global economy made daily headlines, it did not dampen our attendance, our enthusiasm or our commitment to our goals. Be assured that in these difficult times, we are exercising fiscal responsibility, preserving our flexibility and making sound management and financial decisions to assure the future of SHPE. Our small, dedicated staff will continue to emphasize this efficiency. We are entering an age of great challenge but also one of great unity. I am proud to be part of a generation that has placed 13 Hispanic astronauts in space and witnessed the inauguration of the first African American President. Many of you have shared my story, which started in Parlier’s agricultural fields in California’s central valley. Along the way, I have been lucky enough to build bridges − from across the canal in front of our house to across the great state of California. I know that SHPE will continue to build a society where it feels good to do the right thing − to help ourselves so we can help others who come after us. In inspiring our Hispanic youth, we offer a sense of optimism and purpose that there are better days ahead. This is the soul of SHPE, and I am proud to have led an organization that will contribute to keeping the United States of America the strongest nation on earth. Diana Gomez President T 4 SHPE ❘ Winter 2009 http://www.shpe.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.