Diverse: a SWE podcast

Jenna Henderson, co-lead of SWE’s Women in Government Affinity Group, explores how innovation aligns with this year’s theme of “Together We Rise” with FY25 SWE President Karen Roth. Interviewed by Jennifer Dalzell, co-lead of the Women in Government Affinity Group, the discussion explores the challenges and opportunities that come with embracing innovation in engineering, particularly in the publi...

Enjoy a fireside chat with two women who were recently recognized on the Forbes “50 Over 50” list in this episode of Diverse! Karen Horting, CEO and executive director of SWE, sits down with Dr. Carlotta Berry, professor at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and founder of NoireSTEMinist, to discuss their respective work to increase STEM access. Horting and Dr. Berry reflect on what they are most...

Explore an outreach success story from one of SWE’s 400+ Collegiate Sections in this episode of Diverse! Sofie Zalatimo, elementary outreach chair at Cal Poly SWE, and Shayne Conner, vice president of community outreach at Cal Poly SWE, dive into the details of Cal Poly SWE’s annual "Fourth Grade Days" event, which reached over 1,500 students this year. In conversation with FY25 SWE President Kare...

Sharon Hong, vice president of ecosystem solutions and video sales engineering at Motorola Solutions, explores how engineers can unlock fear, overcome imposter syndrome, and unleash their full potential in this episode of Diverse. In conversation with FY25 SWE President Karen Roth, Hong discusses her inspiring STEM journey and leadership roles in the security and safety sectors. She also provides...

Melissa Marshall, TED speaker and founder of Present Your Science, shares actionable advice to help scientists and engineers share their work to non-technical audiences in this episode of Diverse. Hear practical tips for improving your presentation skills, plus two key communication pitfalls to avoid. Marshall offers additional insights on the role of visual aids in slides, building confidence, an...

Dive into SWE’s award-winning Academic Leadership for Women in Engineering (ALWE) program with two inspiring engineers who are making their mark! Dr. Gisella Lamas, FY25 chair of SWE’s Women in Academia Committee, and Dr. Sanjana Yagnambhatt, member of SWE’s Women in Academia Committee, share their personal experiences as participants in the ALWE program. Hear what inspired them to pursue careers...

Negotiation happens every day in the workplace — from negotiating a job offer, to pushing back on a proposed initiative, to simply saying no. In this episode of Diverse, author, speaker, and leadership consultant Selena Rezvani shares actionable tips to help women engineers improve their negotiation skills and become their own self-advocates. Hear strategies and scripts to start tricky conversatio...

Learn how endowed scholarships work and how they make an impact on the next generation of women engineers in this episode of Diverse! Mary Zeis, SWENext coordinator for the SWE Pittsburgh Section, and Jessica Dresang, vice president & project manager with Carollo Engineers, share their personal motivations behind endowing scholarships with SWE in conversation with FY24 SWE President Alexis McKittr...

Every day around the world, engineers get dressed to go to work. But due to a variety of appearance-based biases, picking out what to wear can be complicated for some women in STEM. Dr. Lindarti Purwaningsih, principal process engineer, integration engineering at GlobalFoundries, delves into the societal norms, biases, and personal experiences that shape the way women engineers dress in the workpl...

In this episode of Diverse, Diniece Mendes, director of the office of freight mobility at the New York City Department of Transportation, and Monica Morales, water resources engineer and project manager at Jacobs, share their experiences of being featured in the IMAX film “Cities of the Future.” In conversation with Laurie Shuster, editor-in-chief of SWE Magazine, Mendes and Morales discuss the su...

On July 1, 2024, Karen Roth assumes the role of President of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), concluding Dr. Alexis McKittrick’s one-year term as SWE President. In this episode, McKittrick sits down with Roth to pass the torch, offer words of advice, and share her favorite moments and memories of helping over 47,000 women in STEM “Live Without Limits” over the past year. Roth discusses why sh...

Explore the many ways that engineers can get involved with public policy ― from learning about the issues, to speaking to legislators, to even running for office! Jenny Tsao, lead of the SWE Public Policy Affinity Group, provides tips for women in STEM who want to start getting involved in public policy. Katherine Culbert, engineer and candidate for Texas Railroad Commission, unpacks her decision...

In this episode of Diverse, SWE Senator and Global Ambassador Blanca Rosa Navarro Piedra shares her inspiring journey, from being the first SWE member in Costa Rica to establishing two SWE affiliates in the country In conversation with FY24 SWE President Alexis McKittrick, Ph. D., Navarro Piedra details her advocacy work in Costa Rica, including several joint outreach projects with international p...

Working moms in STEM face a unique set of challenges, and they don’t always get the support they need in the workplace. Heather Ulrich, new product introduction program manager at Caterpillar, joins us on this episode to share how she started a moms group in her company to provide connection, resources, and support for working moms. Hear the steps Ulrich took to bring this group to life, the bigge...

Prachi Tomar, associate engineer and AI research analyst at Exelaration, shares how she pivoted from mechanical engineering to software engineering on this episode of Diverse: a SWE podcast. Hear practical steps that engineers can take to enter the software field, how women in STEM can position themselves to succeed in the world of AI, and Tomar’s reflections on moving to the U.S. as an internatio...

Carey Smith, chair, president, and CEO of Parsons Corporation, joins us on this episode of Diverse: a SWE podcast to discuss her journey from engineer to corporate leader. Hear which skills from Smith’s engineering background were most valuable as she took on higher leadership roles, the global infrastructure trends and challenges she sees on the horizon, and her reflections on how diversity leads...

Vidhya Thiyagarajan, FY24 SWE collegiate director and an associate scientist in chemical commercialization technology at Merck, joins us on this episode of Diverse to shine a light on the SWE collegiate experience. Interviewed by Karen Horting, CEO and executive director of SWE, Thiyagarajan reflects on starting a SWENext Club at her high school and getting involved with SWE at the University of P...

To celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month while acknowledging that May is also Mental Health Awareness Month, the SWE Asian Connections Affinity Group shines a light on mental health stigmas in Asian cultures in this episode. Vandana Khanna, head of global digital finance transformation at Kenvue, shares her personal experiences and discusses how companies can better promote...

Mrinal Karvir, senior software AI engineering manager at Intel, joins us on this episode of Diverse to shed light on the different types of biases that exist in AI systems and the impacts of each one. Hear how Karvir became passionate about the field of responsible AI and her reflections on what is being done across the industry to reduce bias in this technology. You can learn more about bias and...

In addition to her role as process development manager at Boston Scientific, Nichole Elff (she/her) is one of the fastest drag racers in the world! She joins us on this episode of Diverse to discuss her journey and share how hobbies can improve your leadership potential in the workplace. Hear how Elff got started with drag racing and modifying cars, how to integrate your hobbies into your professi...

Wendy Cocke, founder of Engineering Leadership Solutions, shares actionable advice on how to run your engineering career like a small business, embrace flexibility, and navigate the future of work in this episode of Diverse. In conversation with FY24 SWE President Alexis McKittrick, Cocke also reflects on the impact SWE has had on her career, including a story of how several SWE members helped ref...

Inaas Darrat (she/her), director of chemical sector services at Trinity Consultants, joins us on this episode of Diverse to share her journey as a chemical engineer and her insights on how to make STEM fields more welcoming to all. Darrat reflects on her experiences as an Arab American woman in engineering, including common misconceptions, the positive changes she has seen over time, and ideas for...

Two accomplished STEM leaders joined us live in the WE23 Diverse Podcast Studio to share emerging trends and career advancement tips in the public and private sectors. Tamika Abbott, director, office of security technology at the U.S. Department of State, discusses innovations in the security space and details her career journey in the public sector that included missions across the globe. Jackie...

Dive into the stories of Nora Stanton Blatch Barney and Elsie Eaves, two pioneering women engineers who shaped the landscape of STEM, in this episode of “Tales From the Archives,” a sub-series of Diverse. Troy Eller English (she/her), chief archivist at SWE, explores how these women defied the norms of their time and blazed the trail for the women engineers of today. She shares the career advice E...

This episode is sponsored by NASCAR. Andrea Mueller, engineer with Penske Racing, and Brandon Thompson, vice president of diversity and inclusion at NASCAR, joined us on this episode of Diverse to discuss how NASCAR is fostering diversity in motorsports. Interviewed by Larry Guthrie, director of content strategy at SWE, Mueller reflects on her career journey and details how she pivoted from aerosp...