Society of women engineers: Holds ‘A Dinner With Industry”

On Friday, May 11, EvCC’s Society of Women Engineers (SWE) held “A Dinner With Industry” at the college’s Nippon Business Institute.

The first-ever event, which took place from 6-8 p.m., gave students the opportunity to talk with and ask questions of experienced professional engineers in the surrounding community. High school and college students were invited to the event so they could learn about engineering from practicing engineers.

About 12 professional engineers and 14 students came to the dinner. Four male students who are in EvCC’s engineering program but not members of SWE attended.

EvCC Physics Professor Kristine Washburn is the club’s adviser.

“The dinner was a great success,” she said. “It was such a great opportunity to meet engineers.”

Each student brought a potluck dish for the dinner. Foods served included four roasted chickens, fried rice, spaghetti, cheesecake and cookies.

“The dinner went really well,” commented EvCC student Rachel Brennan, president of SWE. “We got really good feedback from the professionals and students. It was fun and the engineers were really friendly!”

Brennan said that she got a woman who hired her for an internship this summer to come to the event as one of the professional engineers.

 “I was very happy with how many people showed up,” said student Stefanie Lutz, secretary and treasurer for SWE. “All the students brought food. There was a lot of interaction.” Lutz is working towards a math major.

 “A lot of times the connection between the professionals and the students is lost, so we’re trying to strengthen that connection,” said Brennan. “A lot of women don’t have contact with engineers.” Brennan is an engineering major at EvCC and plans to go to the University of Washington to major in aerospace.

This was the first time SWE has presented “A Dinner With Industry” because they are a brand new club. Washburn says that the club was started about midway through last quarter.

“SWE basically tries to make engineering and related areas more appealing to women,” Washburn explained.

There are about 12 members in the club, all of whom are female. But SWE is not just a club for female students who intend to major in engineering. It is open to anyone who is interested in science, technology, math or engineering, regardless of the student’s gender.

Washburn says that about half of the club members are interested in astronomy in addition to engineering.

Brennan explained that the Puget Sound chapter of the Society of Women Engineers is comprised of two sections: professionals and students.