Plenary Sessions
Men as Diversity Partners
10 – 11:30am, Thursday, October 15
Diverse perspectives fuel innovation and creativity. Moreover, diversity in the workforce and in leadership is often cited as the reason for improved performance results within an organization. Creating an inclusive work environment requires a commitment and full engagement in all levels of an organization. A distinguished panel of senior male leaders will share their insights on the business case for gender diversity along with ways men can support gender diversity within organizations. Both men and women are encouraged to attend this lively and informative plenary session.
Engineering for a More Green and Sustainable World
8:30 – 10am, Friday, October 16
Creating and facilitating the transition to green technologies and processes requires a paradigm shift in how engineers think about and analyze problems, and ultimately design solutions. Strides made in engineering towards achieving a greener and more sustainable world will largely depend on the role of innovation. This plenary panel intends to focus on emerging green technologies and trends related to engineering. Questions around the strategies that companies have used and leveraged to drive green innovation will be addressed throughout the session. Panelists will discuss a number of challenges and opportunities that exist today when guiding innovation towards green and sustainable outcomes.
Innovative Approaches in Outreach Education and Evaluation
10 – 11:30am, Friday, October 16
A recent National Academies’ report, Raising Public Awareness (2002), estimated that engineering organizations had spent $400 Million on outreach, communications and educational activities, not including the value of volunteers’ time. Do we know if these programs are working? More importantly, do we know if these programs are having a positive impact with regard to generating more interest in STEM amongst K-12 girls? The panel, comprised of educators and outreach experts, will share stories from the field, highlight what they have learned about designing innovative outreach programs for girls, and provide information on the tools they are using to evaluate the impact of their programs.
Managing Transitions in Turbulent Times
1:30 – 3pm, Friday, October 16
The recent turmoil in the global economy has created many new challenges but also new opportunities. Engineers, like many other professionals, have not been immune to the impact of the recession where organizations across different industries and sectors have been forced to tighten budgets, trim the workforce and maximize efficiencies. This is a time that will require different strategies, relationships, and capabilities as professionals and leaders. Learn from our panel of experienced executives how to build on your strengths and emerge from these turbulent times as a leader who can proactively manage both workplace and personal career transitions.
Management in the Age for Globalization
8:30 – 10am, Saturday, October 17
Globalization is reshaping the skills and experience necessary to be an effective manager and leader. Differing cultures, both national as well as organizational, coupled with multiple time zones, languages or ways of doing business can make creating an inclusive environment where all employees are fully engaged difficult. The panel for this plenary session, comprised of leading women executives, will discuss the new issues, new challenges, and, most importantly, new opportunities for technical women in an increasingly complex and exciting international management environment.
Future of Women in Academia
1:30 – 3pm, Saturday, October 17
Across a variety of disciplines within academia women are very often the minority. This holds true especially within engineering programs where women are the minority as faculty members and as students. This panel will discuss the particular systemic issues related to the low numbers of women faculty in engineering and identify the strategies to better recruit and support more women within academia. Panelists will discuss the future of graduate programs in engineering and, more specifically, address questions on how these programs may be evolving to be more inclusive of women. Discussion will also be devoted to how graduate education for women in engineering has changed for better, or worse, from their perspective as current faculty members and former students.