Diverse: a SWE podcast

Women and people of color have often been hidden figures in STEM, with their important contributions going unrecognized. In honor of Women’s History Month, Karen Horting, CEO and executive director of SWE, sat down with Dr. Jess Wade, physicist and faculty member at Imperial College London, who has been working to change this. Dr. Wade has created thousands of Wikipedia pages that highlight the ac...

In this episode, Gabriela Coe and Dr. Mary Bonk Isaac of the SWE Late Career & Retiree Affinity Group share important insights from their engineering careers, including their personal experiences with navigating the underrepresentation of women in STEM. Hear their advice for women engineers approaching late career and retirement — plus, learn about their advocacy work that is encouraging women and...

Author Elaine Lin Hering (she/her) joined us in the WE23 Diverse Podcast Studio to dive into what allyship truly means and its relationship to learned silence. Interviewed by Larry Guthrie (he/him), director of content strategy at SWE, Lin Hering explores the ways that individuals and organizations unintentionally silence marginalized voices and how to change course. She also offers ways to suppor...

Engineer, TV host and STEM advocate Tamara Robertson (she/her) joined us in the WE23 Diverse Podcast Studio to discuss her efforts to instill hope in the next generation of tinkerers and engineers. Interviewed by FY24 SWE President Alexis McKittrick (she/her), Robertson shares the story of walking away from her corporate engineering job to focus on getting more women into STEM careers. Hear the ev...

Deysi Melgar, a longtime facilitator of SWE’s Invent It. Build It. pre-college outreach program, joined us at the WE23 Diverse Podcast Studio to discuss her inspiring career journey and her passion for introducing students to engineering. Interviewed by Larry Guthrie, director of content strategy at SWE, Melgar reflects on how she balances multiple passions such as dance, STEM outreach and her ful...

Neema Nair (she/her), design & analysis engineering leader for the engine business of Cummins India, joined us live in the WE23 Diverse Podcast Studio to share her experiences of living and working as an engineer in both the U.S. and India. Interviewed by Laurie Shuster (she/her), editor-in-chief of SWE Magazine, Nair sheds light on the key similarities and differences for women pursuing STEM care...

Alden Sherrill and Eleanor Lyons, two inspiring high school students, joined us live in the WE23 Diverse Podcast Studio to share their journeys, including their mentors in STEM. Interviewed by Karen Horting, CEO and executive director of SWE, Lyons and Sherrill reflect on their hands-on experiences in programs such as SWENext, FIRST, and Apple’s Engineering Technology Camp. Also, hear about their...

In this episode, explore how two women engineers navigated workplace stress and imposter syndrome and ultimately found fulfillment by helping others. Yanet Borrego (she/her), self-mastery coach and speaker, shares about the challenges of high-stress STEM environments and her career pivot from chemical engineering to self-mastery coaching. Cary Kaczowka (she/her), program manager at RTX, reflects o...

Early career engineers face a unique set of challenges, from navigating new jobs to approaching unfamiliar tasks to assessing whether a workplace is truly the right fit. In this episode, sit in on a mentoring session with Jenni Johnson (she/her), co-lead of the SWE Early Career Professionals Affinity Group, and her real-life mentor Liz San Miguel (she/her) of the SWE Mid-Career Professionals Affin...

This episode is sponsored by Fortune Brands Innovations. In this episode of Diverse, we dive into the world of international engineering projects with Gretchen Curry, director of quality, North America, at Fortune Brands Innovations. Curry shares her inspiring journey from chemical engineer to leading global projects, including a notable plant startup in Singapore. Hear her insights on navigating...

Morénike Giwa Onaiwu joined us live in the WE23 Diverse Podcast Studio to share insights on inclusion and equity, particularly for the neurodivergent community. Interviewed by Laurie Shuster, editor-in-chief of SWE Magazine, Giwa Onaiwu discusses their journey as an advocate, educator and founder of the nonprofit Advocacy Without Borders. Learn the best piece of advice Giwa Onaiwu ever received, w...

This episode is sponsored by Tetra Pak. When you sit down to enjoy your favorite food and drinks, do you ever think about the engineers who made that meal possible? Meet Samantha Bzdawka and Alexus Heldt, two Tetra Pak engineers at different points in their careers who specialize in the equipment that makes cheese and other dairy products. On this episode of Diverse, they discuss the important rol...

Dr. Ashley Huderson, STEM and CS Equity Fellow with the U.S. Department of Education*, joins us live in the WE23 Diverse Podcast Studio to share about building STEM education and career pathways for individuals in underrepresented communities. In conversation with Karen Horting, Executive Director and CEO of SWE, Dr Huderson details policies and programs that increase STEM access and exposure, suc...

This episode is sponsored by Bechtel. Dive into the intersection of manufacturing, leadership, and technology with Catherine Hunt Ryan, President of Bechtel’s Manufacturing & Technology business. Recorded live at the WE23 Diverse Podcast Studio, Hunt Ryan explores recent legislation and trends that are shaping the manufacturing landscape in this interview with SWE Past President Dayna Johnson. Hun...

Jay Flores, founder of Invent the Change, joins us live at the WE23 Podcast Studio to discuss his mission to engage more students in STEM. Interviewed by FY24 SWE President Elect Karen Roth, Flores shares the moments that propelled him into the world of STEM outreach and advocacy. Hear about his experience on NBC’s "American Ninja Warrior," his vision for empowering the next generation of engineer...

Claudine Schmuck, founder of the Gender Scan survey, joins us live in the WE23 Podcast Studio to share the latest data on the gender balance in STEM across the globe. In conversation with FY24 SWE President Alexis McKittrick, Schmuck sheds light on the challenges and opportunities faced by women engineers worldwide. She also shares data-driven practical steps to foster inclusivity in STEM at both...

This episode is sponsored by RTX. Layra Reza, Associate Director of Operations and Supply Chain at RTX, joins us on this episode of Diverse to share her insights on taking risks, embracing challenges, and overcoming personal and professional adversity. We delve into Reza’s story of immigrating to the U.S. at age 19 and how that experience influenced her as a leader. She also shares tips on how to...

Peek behind the curtain of SWE’s eXXec program in this episode of Diverse! FY24 SWE President Alexis McKittrick and Lauren Kegley, Automotive Marketing Manager of Discrete Power Devices at Wolfspeed, share their experiences as participants in the eXXec program. Dr. Kim Warren-Martin moderates this conversation as the facilitator of eXXec. Hear about the lessons from eXXec that influenced them the...

This episode is sponsored by BD. In this episode of Diverse, we sit down with Grisel Quiles, Senior Director of Reagents Manufacturing at BD Biosciences. Learn how working the night shift early in Quiles’s career changed the course of her life, her favorite self-coaching tools for professional success, and the emerging manufacturing industry trends that she finds the most exciting. Plus, she share...

Joannie Fu, Vice President of the Network & Edge Group (NEX) Execution Office at Intel, joins SWE CEO & Executive Director Karen Horting on this episode to discuss building a more inclusive tech sector. Fu reflects on her experience of being out at work as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in the early 2000s, along with the industry changes she has seen since that time. Hear the best career advice...

In this episode, TEDxWomen speaker and leadership coach Tanya Geisler dives into the phenomenon of the imposter complex and provides actionable tools to help women in STEM cultivate more confidence. Geisler shares why she doesn’t call it “imposter syndrome” along with tangible ways to identify your unique version of imposter complex in the moment and overcome these thoughts when they strike. Plus,...

In this episode, Diverse features Kate Maxwell, CTO, Defense & Intelligence, Worldwide Public Sector, Microsoft. Interviewed by FY24 SWE President Alexis McKittrick, Maxwell delves into the worlds of artificial intelligence and defense, reflects on her experiences as one of the “Top 100 Women in Tech,” and gives a sneak peek of her WE23 keynote. She also shares about SWE’s impact on her career and...

This episode is sponsored by BD. Explore the realm of STEM recruitment and youth outreach with Mel Fisher, Training & Development Leader at BD Plymouth UK, on this episode of Diverse. She shares her insights on the STEM workforce skills gap and what she is hearing from young women in her outreach efforts, as well as a personal anecdote on imposter syndrome and BD’s innovative programs to support t...

Welcome to an episode of “Un Cafecito With a Woman in STEM,” a sub-series of Diverse: a SWE Podcast. In this episode, Lennis Perez, the Hispanic Heritage Month Lead within SWE’s Latinos Affinity Group, speaks with Dr. Justina Sanchez, Quality Engineer at TÜV SÜD. Dr. Sanchez shares about how she started her STEM journey as an administrative assistant, what a typical day looks like for a product sa...

This episode is sponsored by The Aerospace Corporation. Dr. Debra Emmons, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at The Aerospace Corporation, joins SWE Executive Director and CEO Karen Horting to discuss diversity initiatives in the aerospace industry, including the Space Workforce 2030 pledge. Dr. Emmons also reflects on her favorite space-related moments, emerging aerospace trends, and her...