SWE - Conference 2008 - (Page 9)

PRESIDENT’S NOTE WE08 – Women Leading the Technical Revolution W elcome to Baltimore, host city for WE08, the largest, most comprehensive gathering of women in engineering and technology in the world! WE08 offers the opportunity to connect with friends, new and old; attend sessions and discussions that will build your skills; and give you the knowledge and confidence to grow in your personal and professional development. This year I look forward to meeting Capt. Paz Gomez, P.E., our keynote speaker. A high-ranking civil engineer in the U.S. Navy, Captain Gomez is also a mother, keenly aware of the work/life balance issues we all experience. If you are unfamiliar with Navy titles, a captain is a senior officer whose rank falls immediately below rear admiral. It is the equivalent of a colonel in the Air Force or Army. I learned about Navy titles while preparing for what could be the most unusual trip of my SWE presidency. The Navy, a longtime SWE supporter, offered me a unique opportunity over the summer: a daylong tour and ride on the USS Texas, one of its newest, fast-attack, Virginia-class submarines. I was invited as part of a group of people who work with students, including representatives from other diversity organizations and several nuclear engineering professors and deans. I believe I can claim the distinction of being the first SWE president to fulfill her duties at a depth greater than 600 feet in the Atlantic Ocean. Many of the crew had families, and while I expected them to talk about how difficult it was to be away, that was not the focus of the conversation. Advances in technology have helped make service on a submarine more appealing as crew now send and receive e-mail whenever the boat can send up an antenna. They also visit home more often than what I thought — not just once or twice a year. We were fortunate to have an admiral on board with us for the tour. He, along with the boat’s captain and the executive officer, spent a good deal of time discussing the crew’s career paths. Each crew member had detailed plans of his next steps and what he had to accomplish to get there. Perhaps this is a best practice corporate America could learn from the military. Yes, the crew of the USS Texas is all men at this time. While an assignment on a submarine or for submarine duty is one of the last gender barriers in the service, considerable progress has been made since SWE’s early pioneers served our country in the military. As little as a half-century ago, life for a military woman usually meant a life without even a romantic relationship, let alone a husband or partner and a family. For these reasons, I am especially eager to learn how Captain Gomez is balancing all the aspects of her life. WE08 has so much to offer. In keeping with our conference theme, take advantage of this opportunity to make it part of your personal revolution. Virginia Connolly. P.E. FY09 SWE President SWE CONFERENCE 2008 9

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

SWE - Conference 2008 Contents President’s Note View from the Executive Suite Editor’s Page Readers’ Forum ICWES14 Women of Courage Engineering’s Grand Challenges — What’s Your Pick? Diversity from the Ground Up Membership Information & Calendar A&B FY08 Membership Meeting Minutes Engineering World Point of View Career Toolbox Bookshelf SWE Smiles SWE Scrapbook Conference Sponsors and Program Overview Corporate Partnership Council Thursday Conference Program Friday Conference Program Saturday Conference Program Corporate Members Opportunity Index

SWE - Conference 2008

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