WE24 conference, by Sapna Natarajan
On Wednesday, Oct 23rd, 10 Dalhousie Engineering students travelled to Chicago, Illinois to attend the 3-day WE24 conference hosted by the Society of Women Engineers. This conference is hosted in a different US city each year and is the world's largest conference for women in engineering and technology. This conference offers women in engineering from around the world the enriching experience of attending various professional development sessions, networking events, a career fair and other advancement opportunities. This year’s conference theme was ‘Together We Rise’, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, unity and collective empowerment among women in engineering.
This year was a special year for the annual conference as there was a record number of attendees, with over 20,000 in-person conference delegates. There were numerous sponsors, the largest contributors being: The Human Energy Company, Intel, Exxon Mobil, PepsiCo and many more. The keynote speakers included: Sharon Hong, Vice President, Ecosystem Solutions and Video Sales Engineering, Motorola Solutions; Catherine Hunt Ryan, President, Bechtel Manufacturing & Technology and; Shelley Knust, Vice President – Product Compliance and Regulatory Affairs (PCRA) Cummins Inc. The keynote speakers shared personal experiences mainly surrounding themes of being a woman in a male-dominated industry. They were incredibly moving and inspiring, especially to the delegates who were current women completing an engineering degree, as all three were once in their shoes.
I attended various insightful networking and speaker sessions, but the one that stuck with me the most was “The Power of Perseverance: Managing the Unexpected” by Eileen M. Velez-Vega. Eileen's presentation presented a detailed roadmap to her success, beginning with college internship programs in civil engineering leading to her being named the first woman to serve as the Secretary of Transportation and Public Works in Puerto Rico. She spoke about her struggles with sexism, being labelled a “feisty Latina” anytime she tried to voice a strong opinion, and learning how to navigate that through mindful communication. However, the most impactful part of her presentation was her rawness in sharing her battle with stage IV Lymphoma at the height of her career, and how that shifted her view on her life and career. She shared the important message that she does have a lot of pride and love for the advancements she made in her civil engineering career, however, pointed out the importance of having that work-life balance. She noted how important her family was to her during that time, and how, no job would be more important to her than that. She has now been in remission for over 10 years. She noted that since the experience she has been very involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and noted how her involvement with this organization is just as important, if not more, important to her than her work in her career.
Next year's conference will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, and if it seems like something you would be interested in, please apply! This year, the Dalhousie Women in Engineering Society was able to send 10 delegates who were selected based on a written application and interview process. This process considered the individual candidates' personal and professional experiences, particularly those related to promoting women in engineering. Applications for next year’s conference will likely be out in the summer of 2024, check your emails! If you want to increase your chances of being selected, check out ways to get involved with the women in engineering society by following @dalwie!
I would also like to take a moment to thank the Dalhousie Engineering Dean’s office for being the primary funding source for this conference. Additionally, the Sextant Publishing Society for their contributions in sending two additional delegates. This support was greatly appreciated by the 10 delegates and the experience and lessons learned will be reflected by their involvement on Sexton campus.
If you have any questions about the conference or the Dalhousie Women in Engineering Society, please send me an email at Sapna@dal.ca or dalwie@dal.ca!