In 1950, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) was founded by 60 pioneering women engineers and engineering students to develop their abilities, express their potential, and contribute to society. Twenty-three years later, on October 1, 1973, Clarkson established the first chapter of the Society of Women Engineers in New York State. Recently, the chapter held its 50th anniversary celebration.
Over the weekend of October 14 and 15, the group held several events to mark the occasion, including a screening of the film “Trailblazers: The Untold Stories of Six Women Engineers” in the Student Center forum. The documentary, supported by the National Science Foundation, looks into the experiences of pioneering women engineers who graduated college in the 1970s. They held a Q&A session with the film’s producer, Dr. Laura Ettinger, as well. Later, the women shared memories of SWE and gathered for the main event, the “SWE Through the Decades Dinner” where they delved into the history of SWE, with a panel of alumni which included Diane DiFrancesco ‘77, Professor Emeritus Ruth Baltus, former SWE advisor, and Carolyne Shultes ‘23, who provided insights and answered questions about various decades of SWE at Clarkson. The dinner was attended by alumni from over the years; including some of the original founding members, as well as current students, faculty members, and Clarkson trustees.
“On Sunday, October 15, we started the morning with a tasty pancake breakfast at ‘Planetary Pancakes.’ This breakfast, co-sponsored by the Diversity and Inclusion office, set the stage for a morning filled with banter and inspiration. The highlight of the morning was the presence of Jena Garrahy, a representative from NASA. Each individual was involved in the engaging talk about all the exciting ventures and breakthroughs at NASA. Jena’s insights promise to be captivating, offering a glimpse into the cutting-edge work being done in space exploration. This was a great way to wrap up the weekend and celebrate Clarkson SWE,” said Alyssa Juliano, Clarkson SWE Chapter President, and Ayden Rollins, Chapter Vice President.
The women have been involved in SWE since their freshman year and have attended several conferences. They each had their own reasons for wanting to be a part of the group.
“I decided to join SWE because, during the accepted student’s open house, the girls were consistently welcoming at the tables,” Juliano said. “It felt reassuring to encounter women in STEM, especially in a school with such a skewed gender ratio. I aspire to empower women in STEM and create an inclusive environment, fostering the same sense of belonging that I experienced.”
Rollins agreed that finding a sense of belonging was important to her.
“To be around women, because my classes are primarily men I wanted a place where I belonged,” she said.
“SWE has a huge impact on Clarkson students, particularly females,” Longtime faculty advisor, Associate Professor Jan DeWaters said. “As a minority on campus, SWE offers female engineering (and other STEM majors but although membership is open to all genders and all majors, membership is predominantly female engineering students) a cohort group where they can feel welcomed and can share in their common experiences. Many SWE members develop close friendships and friend groups, they offer special group housing for members, and in general, the group gives students a chance to feel ‘at home’ on campus. Over the years students have commented that they joined SWE and found an immediate friend group, felt less alone, and less alienated; SWE was a place where they felt they belonged.”
The group’s mission is to stimulate women to achieve their full potential in careers as engineers and leaders, expand the image of the engineering profession as a positive force in improving the quality of life, and demonstrate the value of diversity. We hope to raise awareness of the transformative work engineers engage in, to provide solutions to problems and improve the quality of life. SWE members will work to show females of all ages that engineers work to solve real-world problems and improve the quality of life for all. By demonstrating the impact that engineering can have on lives around the globe, engineering will be seen as a top choice of education and profession for women. SWE will be a driving force for promoting a diverse workforce and inclusion of all, not limited to engineers. SWE will actively work to create a community where the profession welcomes and respects individual, personal, and career choices amongst all cultures.