Empower women to achieve their full potential in careers as engineers and leaders; expand the image of the engineering and technology professions as a positive force in improving the quality of life, and demonstrate the value of diversity and inclusion.
What is SWE?
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is a non-profit, educational service organization.
The objectives of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) are:
- To inform young women, their parents, counselors, and the general public of the qualifications and achievements of women engineers and the opportunities open to them;
- To serve as a center of information on women in engineering;
- To encourage women engineers to attain high levels of education and professional achievement.
More info can be found at www.swe.org
UK SWE strives to meet the goals set by the SWE Board of Directors and our section. The strategies to achieve these goals include five categories:
Leadership, Education, Visibility, Diversity, and Resources
We develop leadership and management qualities by holding open elections for officers and directors. We hold general meetings, typically ran by a company representative, that include topics such as building confidence in a male-dominated field, business etiquette, and career after college.
The Four Pillars
Our organization can be split up into -now- four primary categories: Professional Development, Networking, Outreach, Diversity and Inclusion. Read below to see what type of events we have for each!
Professional Development
- Monthly General Meetings: Each month, we bring in local company representatives to talk to us about a new professional development topic. We always provide dinner for you all at these meetings!
- Fall Career Fair: Every Fall semester, our organization organizes and hosts the entire Engineering and Computer Science Career Fair for UK with the help of the Career Center. This gives our members a chance to learn important organization and planning skills, as well as interact more closely with local companies!
- Evening With Industry (EWI): The night before the Fall Career Fair, our organization organizes and hosts an Evening with Industry for all graduating Engineering students. EWI is smaller than the Career Fair and gives full time job searchers a chance to talk to employers in a more professional, small-scale environment.
- Fall Society Conference: Every fall, our organization sends a group of our members to the Society of Women Engineers Conference! Each year the location changes, but the past few years have been hosted in LA, Philadelphia, and Austin, Texas! This conference is amazing and gives you the opportunity to hear from remarkable women engineers, sit in on impressive professional development sessions, and attend an INCREDIBLE career fair with some of the top companies in the world. ** Must be a Society Member (Learn how to here)
- Spring Retreat: The Spring Retreat is a new event for this year! We are hosting our own smaller-scale conference right here in Kentucky! Over two days, you will get the opportunity to sit in on professional development sessions hosted by local engineering professionals, attend a career fair with local companies, and network with your fellow SWEsters!
Networking
- Leaders & Learners Program: Our Leaders & Learners Program is our internal mentoring program. Through Leaders & Learners, we host fun, interactive activities that give you all the chance to get to know your fellow women engineers at UK! Previous activities include laser tag, Galentines Day movie and ice cream, ice skating, and Breakout Games!
Outreach
- Lets Do Lunch: This weekly program allows high school women touring UK College of Engineering to have a provided lunch with SWE volunteers with authentic conversation about starting college and pursuing a degree in engineering.
- After School Program: We are continuing an after school program at a local elementary school to promote the STEM field for young girls. This program meets every other week, and our members help the students with their homework as well as lead an engineering-related activity.
- Engineering Day: E-Day is hosted by the entire College of Engineering. Each organization and department hosts their own activity for visiting elementary school, middle school, and high school students. This year, we will be hosting a Rube Goldberg Competition!
- WIE (Women in Engineering) Day: Similarly to Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, this event is hosted in combination with the College of Engineering. This event is aimed at high school women.
- Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day: This event is hosted in combination with the College of Engineering. It is a half-day information/activity session for middle school girls.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Diversity Networking Night: This event is held before the Spring Engineering & Computer Science Career Fair and intended for companies targeting diverse engineering talent of all grade levels. It is jointly hosted by Society of Women Engineers (SWE), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Society of Professional Hispanic Engineers (SHPE) and STEMgiQueers (an organization for LGBTQIA*students and allies). Companies and students from these organizations network and make connections for potential recruitment and partnering.
