The Society of Women Engineers Delivers Professional Development Opportunities at WE10 Annual Conference
CHICAGO – November 10, 2010 – The Society of Women Engineers (SWE), the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career aspiration for women, welcomed more than 5,300 women engineers and technologists at its WE10 Annual Conference, November 4-6, in Orlando, FL.
“WE10 presented women engineers and technologists with numerous opportunities to advance their careers, develop leadership skills and honor SWE’s legacy as we culminated our 60th anniversary year,” says Siddika Demir, SWE president. “The Society is grateful to our members, sponsors and exhibitors, all of whom contributed to making this a highly successful event.”
From interactive workshops to an industry-leading career fair to educational, Orlando-area technical tours, WE10 empowered women engineering professionals and collegiate to launch their own innovations and define their own successes – the theme of this year’s conference. Workshops and seminars focused on seven tracks: Career and Life Transitions, Careers in Academia, Careers in Government and Military, Inclusion and Cultural Awareness, Innovation in Technology and Business, Management and Strategy, and Outreach. For a first-hand experience, attendees also had the opportunity to participate in technical tours featuring leading, innovative companies throughout the Orlando area. Providing attendees with even more ways to participate this year, many conference sessions were available via virtual participation. These sessions were also recorded for attendees to replay following the conference.
Attendees had access to the WE10 Career Fair, where more than 250 exhibitors – including industry-leading corporations, government agencies and graduate schools – recruited job candidates and conducted on-site interviews.
One year ago at the WE09 Annual Conference, SWE kicked off SWE60, its yearlong 60th Anniversary Celebration. This year, WE10 served as the SWE60 finale and featured the ways in which members commemorated the occasion over the past year.
WE10 attendees also celebrated individual member achievements through the Celebrate SWE! and Awards Banquet events. Thirty-eight individuals were honored for demonstrated success, leadership and initiative in their areas of expertise. Included was Dr. Chieko Asakawa, recipient of the 2010 Achievement Award, the highest honor given by the Society.
Next year’s annual conference, WE11, will take place October 13-15, 2011 in Chicago. For more information on SWE, visit swe.org, or for more information on the SWE Annual Conference, visit swe.org/WE10.
