Workshops
Workshop Descriptions
Dual Career Families and Work/Life Balance - Randel 238B
Women in the workforce face considerable pressure to balance their careers with their lives outside of work – particularly if they have a working spouse and/or children. In this workshop, a panel of successful female engineers will discuss how they have tackled the challenges of conflicting work schedules and geographical distance, child care, shifting priorities, etc.
Speaker Bios:
Gail P. Granoff joined the Law Department of Rohm and Haas Company in 1984. Her responsibilities have included legal expertise and advice in areas related to securities law, governance, compliance, finance, treasury, corporate law and general business law. She has served as Chief Compliance and Governance Officer since being elected to that position by the Board of Directors in 2003. Ms. Granoff holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Temple University (1973) and her law degree (J.D.) from the University of Pennsylvania (1976). She has a working spouse, two children (now teenagers), and has always worked full time.
Piper Trelstad graduated from Yale University in 1991 with a B.A. in English. After spending some time in Japan and working in Washington, DC, she returned to school and graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park in 1995 with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. She then went to the University of California at Berkeley, where she completed her PhD in Chemical Engineering in 2000. Piper is currently a Senior Process Engineer in the Vaccine Technology and Engineering group at Merck & Co. in Pennsylvania, where she leads a small group that supports media and sterile supplies manufacturing facilities. Her husband works in New York, and they live with their young daughters in New Jersey.
Jen Wetzel received her BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Lehigh University in 1993 and her MBA from Temple University in 2002. She is currently a project manager at the University of Pennsylvania. She has been employed there for 6 years, running capital projects (design and construction) for all of the schools/centers at the University. Her current project workload total is $27 million. Jen has been married almost 10 years and has two children under the age of 5. After her 3 month maternity leave for her second child ended, her husband Kurt left his position to stay home with their son full time. After 12 months Kurt went back to work part time coaching soccer and softball at a local high school. Twelve months later, he is now working part time at the school’s child care center, coaching, and taking classes towards his masters in education.
Communication with Non-Engineers - Randel 121
Sponsored by: Washington Group International
At some point in your career, you are likely to give a presentation to an audience that is non-technical in orientation. The group may consist of executives, students, or members of a community organization. As you structure your ideas, you may find it difficult to communicate them in simple, laymen's terms. You cannot seem to escape the language of engineering. You find it a daunting hurdle to translate the technical information you take for granted as an expert into everyday language. You may resort to detailed explanations and obscure examples, hoping this data will compensate for the lack of a compelling, easy-to-follow story. Your presentation lacks the quality of being interesting and comprehensible to ordinary people.
This workshop will help you develop the skills required to communicate effectively to people without technical training. You will be able to create speeches, presentations, and written materials that relate both the technical and universal significance of all your objectives.
Speaker Bios:
Julie Gennaro is a Structural Engineer for Washington Group’s Power Business Unit in Princeton, New Jersey, with more than 23 years of experience in structural engineering. She performs analysis and design for concrete and steel structures in the power industry, including analysis of foundations due to dynamic loading. Julie also serves as Corporate Coordinator of technical software programs for civil, structural and geotechnical disciplines. She holds a Masters of Science in Civil/Structural Engineering from the University of Michigan.
Shanna Pendleton is also a Structural Engineer for Washington Group’s Power Business Unit. She holds Bachelors of Science degrees in Civil Engineering and Architectural Engineering from Drexel University and is pursuing a Masters of Science in Engineering Management from Drexel as well.
Michelle Petteway is an Architectural Engineer for Washington Group. Her job duties include architectural code reviews, anti-terrorism and force protection design, and pharmaceutical design. She has a Bachelors of Science in Architectural Engineering from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
Nuts and Bolts of SWE - Randel 234
This workshop is for student sections to better understand section responsibilities and requirements, the structure of SWE, where to get help, and benefits of working with National SWE. It is especially good for anyone with a section leadership position or those interested in SWE leadership in the future as well as Faculty Advisors and Counselors.
Speaker Bio:
Karen Roth is a Software Engineering major at Rochester Institute of Technology and is one of Region E’s Collegiate Leadership Coaches. Her previous SWE leadership includes Co-Chair of the 2005 Regional Conference in Rochester, NY and section leadership for two years before that.
Networking for Success - Curtis 250A
Networking For Success will provide you with new tools that can immediately be used to grow your business or boost your career. You will learn:
What Networking Really Is
How To Build Strategic Alliances
Recognizing Opportunities
When and Where To Network Effectively
How To Get People To Love You In 30 Seconds
Come and grow yourselves and your business and learn powerful networking techniques.
Speaker Bio:
Kevin Shulman was born and raised in New Jersey. His undergraduate work was completed at the University of Southern California, followed by graduate studies at Wayne State University. In the seventies, Mr. Shulman taught undergraduate psychology in Michigan. From the late seventies through the eighties he owned and operated a sales company taking it from zero to $20 million in sales. Since 1991, Mr. Shulman has been an affiliate of the Sandler Sales Institute and has been training business owners, sales managers, and sales people full time to help them grow their business and reach their full potential.
Professional Presentation Skills - Curtis 231
No matter how gifted or knowledgeable we are as engineers, if we lack the ability to effectively present our expertise, we will never be perceived as good as we really are. This inability is a major inhibitor to our professional growth. Presenting a message clearly and thoroughly is important, but delivery and style determine how well the message is received.
Professional Presentation Skills will provide you with new skill-sets to immediately make more effective presentations. Whether you are an entrepreneur or corporate employee, Professional Presentation Skills are a requirement in today’s competitive business landscape.
You will learn techniques to professionally grow and discover:
The first 10 seconds: How to get immediate audience attention
Channeling initial fear and butterflies into energy, enthusiasm, and more dynamic speaking
Effective use of vocal dynamics, body language, natural movement and eye contact
Getting action and commitment from the audience
Experiential exercises with group and instructor feedback for increased performance
Join us to expand your individual presentation skills and learn powerful presentation skills used by leaders in presentations, speeches, and when conducting meetings.
Speaker Bio:
Marc Baum has more than 20 years of diverse experience in sales training, marketing management and human potential training and development. Marc’s client development experience began with the large group division of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. During his tenure, Marc received honors from the mayor of the City of New York, Ed Koch, and Chairman of the New York City Partnership, David Rockefeller, for distinguished work for the City of New York.
Marc’s keen interest in psychology and the human condition led him to develop an experiential training program designed to teach people how to unleash their inner success, aligning their personal and organizations’ values for the achievement of their highest goals. His dedication to professional development led him to find success with all aspects of client development and management development training initiatives
Engineering as a Building Block for your Career - Randel 121
Sponsored by: Rohm and Haas Company
Have you begun to think about where an engineering career could lead you in the future? Are you concerned that engineering may narrow your opportunities? Come for an interactive panel session and draw from the experiences of women at Rohm and Haas Company who have crossed the bridge from being an engineer to a manager. How did the transition happen? How long, how many roles, and how many varied functions do you think it took? Grab this chance to ask or hear questions and real answers of how engineering helped these professionals advance in their careers. Discover how confidence, education, opportunities, and drive helped them in their journey.
Speaker Bios:
Dianne Carmody is the North American Region Business Manager for Rohm and Haas Company, a Specialty Chemicals and Materials company headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. She has responsibility for all sales and marketing activities for Rohm and Haas’ Personal Care products ranging from preservatives for home and beauty care products, to rheology modifiers for applications including shampoos and hair color, to hair fixatives used in hair sprays and hair styling products.
Dianne has more than 26 years of experience with Rohm and Haas and has held a variety of positions including Research Process Engineer, Marketing Manager, Global Product Manager, and Information Technology Director. Dianne earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University. Dianne is married and has two children.
Michele Dorris currently works as a Director of Information Technology for Rohm and Haas Company. In her current role, she is responsible for ensuring that IT services meet the company’s needs both short and long term. She started as a process engineer in one of our plants and over 25 years, worked her way through many functions in Sales, Marketing, Manufacturing, Customer Service, Supply Chain operations, and then into IT. Her roles included several with global responsibility as well as an international assignment in Mexico. Through her various positions she has developed a breadth of knowledge of all the business operations globally, developed strong teams, and has shaped the work of her teams to deliver results effectively to meet the business’ needs. She holds a bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering from Villanova University and a Masters of Business Administration from Temple University.
Theresa Kelso is Vice President of Operations and Services for AgroFresh Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Rohm and Haas Company. She completed her undergraduate engineering degree from Drexel University in 1987. She then earned her MBA in Production Management from St. Joseph’s Universityin 1989. In her career, she has worked for three large chemical companies. Although she started out as a Process Engineer, she has since undertaken several roles including Large Capital Project Manager, Materials Manager, Production Manager, Construction Manager, Global Demand Manager, International Commerce Manager and Director of Global Operations. Theresa is mother to 4 children.
Tuesday Rankin is the Order Fulfillment Manager for Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials, CMP Technologies, a leader and innovator in chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) technology for the global semiconductor industry in Newark, Delaware. In her current role as a Supply Chain Manager, she is responsible for the international Customer Service team as well as the Traffic and Logistics teams.
Tuesday has ten years of industrial experience and has held a variety of positions including Process Engineer , Product Development Engineer, Technical Service Engineer, Quality Engineer and Quality Engineering Manager. Tuesday earned her B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Lehigh University. Tuesday is married with one son.
Aina Zahari, the workshop moderator, received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2002. Immediately after graduation, Aina joined Rohm and Haas Company. Presently a Capital Deployment Process Engineer based at the Engineering Division in Croydon, PA, she supports process development and capital projects by various businesses in Rohm and Haas. Aina is currently pursuing an MBA from Temple University on a part-time basis. On the SWE Philadelphia board, she now serves as Co-Editor for the section’s bimonthly newsletter and as the SWE section counselor for Temple University.
Building Membership - Randel 114
Do you have more SWE members on paper than you see in person? Find out how to increase participation and why personal contact is essential.
Speaker Bio:
Melissa Zaczek is a BS/ME student in Mechanical Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY. She served as President of the RIT section for 2 years and the section received the Outstanding Student Section Award each of those years. She has also served as a Region E Conference Co-Chair. Melissa is currently a SWE Region E Student Leadership Coach.
Graduate School Panel - Randel 238B
Have you pondered continuing your education? Our panel will help you to learn about different options for graduate school, such as where and when to continue one’s education, including full and part-time programs and how to finance school.
Speaker Bios:
Alexis Wallen is a Staff Engineer in Vaccine Technology and Engineering at Merck & Co., Inc., where she works on technology transfer of new pediatric vaccines. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania through the Merck Educational Assistance Program. In addition, she serves as the Professional Counselor to the University of Pennsylvania Student Section of the Society of Women Engineers. Ms. Wallen received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering at Stanford University.
Amanda Herz is the Graduate Enrollment Coordinator for the Engineering Division of Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies in Malvern, PA. She is responsible for recruiting initiatives including corporate outreach and enrollment generation. Previous to working for Penn State, Ms. Herz was Director of Admissions and Marketing for the Division of Extended Learning at Holy Family University in Philadelphia, PA. She especially enjoys working with adult students who are full-time employees. Ms. Herz earned a B.A. from Bucknell University, an M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, and is working on a doctoral degree in Adult Education from the Pennsylvania State University.
Jessica Sinacola is a Process Engineer in Vaccine Technology and Engineering at Merck & Co., Inc., where she works on technology transfer for new vaccines. Previously, she provided in-line technical support for the formulation and filling of alum-based vaccines. She received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering at Michigan State University, where she was an Alumni Distinguished Scholar. Subsequently, she earned her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Delaware. Dr. Sinacola is married and has one son.
Athina P. Petropulu received the Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece in 1986, the M.Sc. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1988 and the Ph.D. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1991, both from Northeastern University, Boston. In September 1992 she joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Drexel University, where she is now a Professor. During Sept. 1999 - June 2000 she was Directeur de Recherche de 2eme classe at the Laboratoire des Signaux et Systemes, CNRS, Universite Paris Sud, Ecole Superieure d`Electricite, France. Her research interests span the area of statistical signal processing, communications, higher-order statistics, and ultrasound imaging. She is the recipient of the 1995 Presidential Faculty Fellow Award in Electrical Engineering Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, the US Army, the Whitaker Foundation and the National Institute of Health She has served as an associate editor for the IEEE Transaction on Signal Processing and the IEEE Signal Processing Letters. She is a member-at-large of the IEEE Signal Processing Board of Governors, member of the IEEE Technical Committee on Signal Processing Theory and Methods (SPTM-COM), and the IEEE Signal Processing Conference Board. She is the General Chair of the 2005 IEEE Conference on Acoustics Speech and Signal Processing.
Engineering for the Community - Randel 234
The workshop will describe ways in which one’s academic and professional experience as an engineer can directly benefit the community. Susan Sciarratta, owner and founder of Young Engin’uity, will describe how she provides hands-on science and engineering programs to children through her business. Additionally, Professor Joseph Wartman will discuss his experiences as a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers Levee Assessment Team, which investigated the performance of the New Orleans levee system during Hurricane Katrina. He will describe how his team worked with the media, grassroots organizations, and members of congress to educate the public and elected officials about infrastructure systems, risk and public safety.
Speaker Bios:
Susan Sciarratta has a BS in Chemical Engineering and an MS in Environmental Engineering, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in PA. Susan worked as an environmental engineer for the US EPA and in consulting for a total of 14 years before starting her own part-time business, Young Engin’uity. Currently, she provides hands-on science and engineering programs to children of all ages. When she’s not inspiring future scientists and engineers, Susan enjoys raising her two small children.
Joseph Wartman earned his doctoral degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and is an Assistant Professor at Drexel University. He conducts research and teaches in the areas of natural hazards, sustainable geotechnics, and composite geotechnical systems. As a member of ASCE's Levee Assessment Team, he and his colleagues performed a reconnaissance of the New Orleans levee system in the weeks following Hurricane Katrina. He is a co-author of the joint ASCE/NSF levee performance report presented to the United States Senate in November 2005. Dr. Wartman is currently serving on the National Science Foundation-sponsored Hurricane Katrina forensic investigation team.
Evaluating and Negotiating Job Offers - Randel 121
These days many working professionals change jobs several times during their career. As a result, there may be many times – beginning with your senior year of college – when you must call on your skills to evaluate and negotiate job offers. During this workshop we will discuss how to position yourself to attract job offers, choosing among them, influencing the job offer to align with your interests, and finalizing the job offer with salary, benefits and responsibilities.
Speaker Bios:
Tom McNamara is the Assistant Director of the Steinbright Career Development Center at Drexel University.
Janet Hammill is an employee of Rohm and Haas Company, a global chemicals company employing 16,700 people world wide and based in Philadelphia. In her current position as a Business Process Excellence lead she applies Six Sigma methodology to how the 12 major business units manage working capital. During the past 25+years she has worked for GE Plastics, Alcoa and ARCO chemicals as a senior Staff research engineer and i-procurement lead providing new materials and designs to the automotive, aircraft and computer industries. She is a graduate of the Carnegie-Mellon University Chemical Engineering Masters program with an undergraduate degree in Chemistry.
The Value of a Professional Engineering (P.E.) License - Curtis 231
Are you wondering if you should register for the Fundamentals of Engineering (F.E.) exam, the first step in licensure, or if you should pursue the second step to obtain the references and take the professional engineering examination? What’s the value of a P.E.? If your want to improve your professional credentials, start your own consulting practice or work on engineering projects that involve public safety (such as buildings or roads), you need to understand the process and value of a P.E. license. This presentation will help expand your vision of engineering and the importance of licensure to you as a professional! Your career success could depend on understanding the importance of licensure!
Speaker Bio:
Loraine Huchler holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Rochester and is registered as a professional engineer in the state of New Jersey. She recently completed her qualification for certified management consultant (CMC) in recognition of her professionalism in consulting. The Society of Women Engineers recognized her as a Distinguished New Engineer in 1992.
Loraine Huchler is the president of MarTech Systems, Inc., an engineering consulting firm specializing in improving water-related utility system reliability in manufacturing and commercial facilities. Her firm has been providing technical consulting services for owners and operators of water purification, steam generating, cooling, and wastewater treatment systems since 1997. She previously worked for BetzDearborn Water Management (now GEBetz) in the technical marketing department. She has also worked as a test engineer for gas turbine engines in the U. S. Naval Aviation Command and integration of new gas turbine engines into F-16 aircraft at General Dynamics. She has organized several technical colloquia, published numerous technical papers and currently writes a quarterly column on water treatment for Hydrocarbon Processing, an industry trade publication. She also serves as a mentor and counselor for the student section of SWE at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Bridging the World: Working Abroad
Studying abroad for a semester or year has become increasingly popular among college students, but many students may not be aware of the myriad opportunities for working abroad. International co-ops and summer internships offer students a chance to experience other cultures and possibly practice another language while enhancing their resumes and hopefully earning enough money to cover most or all of their travel expenses. Summer programs offer the additional benefit of allowing you to go abroad without the complications of sorting out your course schedule and transfer credits. In this workshop, we will discuss a variety of summer work abroad programs, ranging from engineering-specific internships to casual work.
Speaker Bios:
Danielle Dunn earned her bachelors degree in chemical engineering at Rice University in 2003 and now works for Merck in the Vaccine Technology & Engineering group. As a junior in college, she spent a summer working at a university in Finland through the American-Scandinavian Foundation’s internship exchange program. After her graduation from college, she obtained a work permit from BUNAC allowing her to work in Ireland for the summer – one more adventure before joining the workforce full-time.
Learning Leadership Styles - Randel 238B
This program is an interactive introduction to different styles of Leadership. It will give everyone who attends a chance to re-define the way they view interaction, motivation, and power inside of groups and organizations, through engaging dialogue.
Speaker Bio:
Patrick Gage Kelley is a fifth year student in Computer Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology and has been working with the SWE Collegiate Leadership Coaching Committee (CLCC) for three years along with being active in his local section. He has presented nationally on Leadership, and also runs workshops on reflection and journaling.
Roundtable Discussion - Student Section Best Practices - Randel 234
This workshop is a roundtable discussion specifically for current and future collegiate section presidents with the current and future Region Officers (however, all are welcome to attend). Section presidents will discuss issues they have encountered as well as share best practices with one another. Other specific items covered are review of regional collegiate programs and budget. This workshop is one of two annual section president meetings; the other being at National Conference.
Speaker Bio:
Arwen Wright is preparing for graduation from the Rochester Institute of Technology, with a degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology. She will begin her career with Caterpillar, Inc. in Peoria IL in June of 2006. Her work experience includes a leadership position in the Women Engineering Program at RIT, a manufacturing engineer at Cummins, Inc., and as a junior designer for NH Soil Consultants, Inc. Arwen has been an active member of SWE for five years and is finishing a second year as Region E’s Collegiate Representative on the National SWE Council. Her interests include, travel, sailing, dancing, knitting, reading, volunteer work and spending time with family and friends.
Roundtable Discussion – Professional Section Best Practices - Curtis 162
This workshop is a roundtable discussion designed primarily for section presidents, officers, and committee chairs, although all are welcome to attend. Attendees will discuss issues they have encountered as well as share best practices with one another regarding volunteers, attendance, membership, events, and activities.
Speaker Bio:
Diana Joch is a Senior Systems Engineer with the Missions Systems Division of Northrop Grumman Corporation. She has 14 years of experience in the IT industry designing, building and maintaining distributed systems. Diana holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from Boston University, a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from American University, and is currently working to receive her certification as an Intelligence Analyst, in pursuit of a Master of Science degree in Applied Intelligence.
Diana has been active in the Society of Women Engineers for over 15 years as both a student and a professional member. She is a past president of the Baltimore-Washington Section and worked on the 2000 Conference Student Activities committee. In addition to her responsibilities with the local section, she is currently a member of SWE’s Council of Representatives, Region E Secretary, and on the national conference program board. Diana and her husband, Charles, have three children: Ethan, Braeden and Rebecca.
Resume Writing and Interviewing Skills - Randel 238B
Sponsored by: Accenture
A discussion of how to effectively display one’s resume at both a personal level and to ensure its selection by automated software search processes. Also, how to use the resume to effectively prepare for the interview process and the type of questions to prepare for. This workshop will be geared toward professionals who have been in the workforce for a few years and are looking to change jobs.
Speaker Bio:
David Bennett—Graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with an MBA from Marymount University. Employed by Lockheed Martin for 9 years, most recently as Director of the Delaware Valley Regional Recruiting Center, responsible for staffing over 2000 positions annually in NJ, PA, NY, Ohio, Wisconsin, and parts of CA.
Personal Growth: Finances and You - Randel 114
Whether it’s your student loans, an increase in your tuition, credit card debt or your goal to save for a down payment on a house or car, students today face many financial obstacles. There are a variety of things to consider when developing your financial plan. This workshop will get you started on the path to creating an effective financial plan by providing you with the tools and knowledge needed to help you create a healthy financial future.
Speaker Bio:
Maria Veyon is a partner in Accenture’s Global Technology Consulting division specializing in Data Center Technologies and Operations. She runs large infrastructure programs spanning the server, storage network and desktop areas as well as IT Operational improvements including expertise on strategy and business case financials. She leads Accenture’s global Data Center Technologies and Operations offering development. Her clients have included a large US pharmaceutical manufacturer, larger telecommunications equipment provider, and a global software development firm.
Business Etiquette - Randel 121
Appearance and behavior are very important parts of the job in the business world. This workshop will focus on the do’s and don’ts of behavior and dress in the business world. It will include tips on interacting with coworkers and peers in both business and social situations.
Speaker Bio:
Elizabeth Armani has worked in management at Ann Taylor for the past 3 ½ years. Prior to her current position, she worked on interviewing and recruiting for various corporations.
Conflict Resolution - Curtis 231
How do you handle debates? Conflict is healthy and reflects differences of perspective. Learn to use conflict and people’s passion to make better decisions for your section.
Speaker Bio:
Melissa Zacze is a BS/ME student in Mechanical Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY. She served as President of the RIT section for 2 years and the section received the Outstanding Student Section Award each of those years. She has also served as a Region E Conference Co-Chair. Melissa is currently a SWE Region E Student Leadership Coach.
