Friday, December 28, 2012

Upcoming Event - SWE Region H Conference

Event: SWE Region H Conference
Dates: February 8-10, 2013
Location: University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Cost: Registration varies based on whether you are also paying for a hotel room, and whether you are a student, professional member, or corporate sponsor
Do you have questions about the conf and/or you're interested in attending? Please contact our SWE-D President, Stacy Thayer sthayer.swe@gmail.com or sweregionh13@gmail.com

Other info:

REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE THROUGH DEC. 23 JAN. 7!!!

General conf website: http://sweregionh.wordpress.com/
Conf schedule: http://sweregionh.wordpress.com/agenda/
Registration info: http://sweregionh.wordpress.com/registration/

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Harvard Business Review - Creating Slides People Will Remember

Have you ever experienced "death by ppt" before?  Then watch this two-minute video to help you do more effective presentations, so you're not contributing to the problem!

Harvard Business Review - The One Thing Your Team Wants You to Stop Doing

Here are some great tips about how to be a successful leader in the workplace (and outside of work!).

Upcoming Event - COMPES Professional Development Conference

Event: COMPES Professional Development Conference
Date: April 13, 2013
Time: TBD
Location: Nissan Technical Center North America, 39001 Sunrise Drive, Farmington Hills, MI 48333
Parking: Parking lot
Cost: TBD
Point of contact: Sena Hermiz info@compespdc.org

MORE INFO TO COME! :)

Thursday, December 13, 2012

NYTimes - Florida May Reduce Tuition for Select Majors

The state of Florida is debating whether tuition rates should be decided based on the current job market.  Students who choose majors in high demand would pay less in tuition, to incentive them into professions where they will more likely gain employment upon graduation.

Forbes - Tis The Season to Encourage Little Girls to Become Engineers

Here are a few ideas to encourage girls to pursue STEM professions.

STEM Scholarship Opportunity for Students in Michigan

Here is a scholarship opportunity for students in Michigan, as shown in this link.  The deadline is 2/28/13.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Upcoming Event - Networking Lunch

Event: Networking Lunch
Date: January 18, 2013
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location: Grand Traverse Pie Company, 1446 W. Maple Road, Troy, MI 48084
Parking: Parking lot
Cost: Everyone pays for themselves
Point of contact: Eve Vitale evitale@kettering.edu

Other info:
http://gtpie.com/location/troy/

Please RSVP by January 16.

Enjoy socializing with fellow SWE members.  All are welcome, and feel free to bring friends!

Upcoming Event - Networking Lunch

Event: Networking Lunch
Date: December 14, 2012
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location: Red Ox Tavern, 3773 East Walton, Auburn Hills, MI 48326
Parking: Parking lot
Cost: Everyone pays for themselves
Point of contact: Eve Vitale evitale@kettering.edu

Other info:
http://redoxtavern.com/

Please RSVP by December 12.

Enjoy socializing with fellow SWE members.  All are welcome, and feel free to bring friends!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Event Reporting - Detroit Parade Company

SWE-D took a tour of the Detroit Parade Company as our November event.  The tour was the Saturday before Thanksgiving, so it was timed just right to see behind the scenes right before the parade!

40 SWE members, friends, and family gathered at the warehouse.  Our tour guide was a cheery volunteer, who also stars in the Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade.  We were shown around the 110,000 square foot warehouse, which is an old automotive assembly plant that they bought for $1.  The artists were right in the middle of the parade preparation, and we saw volunteers painting floats and getting everything ready.  We toured the costume shop and saw some of the 3,000 costumes that are used in the parade.

The floats were phenomenal!  From the Bookworm to Mother Goose (which has been in every parade since 1924!), we saw them all.  The Three Little Pigs, Detroit Jazz Fest, as well as Santa's sleigh.  Floats can be custom made upon request, and the floats can be used for other local parades.

Did you know that you can be in the parade?  For $200 you can wear one of the 50-90 pound "Big Heads".  For $1000, you can be part of the Distinguished Clown Corps and walk as a clown in the parade.  The clowns that wear a top hat and cape are the ones who have been around the longest.  Participants can go through Balloon Handling School and Float Driving School.


The group poses for a picture at the end of the tour, with our complementary clown noses!


Faith Kurily poses with a few of the "Big Heads".

Upcoming Event - Watch "Betty, Girl Engineer" at the SWE Archives @ Wayne State


Event: Watch "Betty, Girl Engineer" at the SWE Archives @ Wayne State
Date: January 16, 2013
Time: 5:45 - 7:45 PM
Location for the tour: Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University, 5401 Cass Ave, Detroit, MI 48202
Location for optional dinner afterwards: La Pita Fresh (two blocks from library), 5056 Cass Ave, Detroit, MI 48202
Cost: $5 for SWE members, $10 for non-SWE members, $3 for students
Cost for optional dinner: Everyone pays for themselves 
Parking: Detroit Historical Museumm (right across the street, $4) or metered parking on the street
Point of contact: Faith Kurily faith.kurily@swe.org

Other info: 
Please RSVP by January 9th.
We will gather at the SWE Archives @ Wayne State for a viewing of an episode of the 1950's television show "Father Knows Best" called "Betty, Girl Engineer".  After viewing the episode, we will move to a local restaurant for networking and discussion about the episode, and how views of women engineers have (or haven't!) changed.

Upcoming Event - Ann Arbor Book Club

Event: Ann Arbor Book Club
Date: January 20, 2013
Time: 4:00 - 6:00 PM
Location: Nicola's Books in the Westgate Shopping Center, 2513 Jackson Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Parking: Parking lot
Point of contact: Janet Goldwasser JanetGoldwasser@peoplepc.com

Other info:

Discussing Kathleen Kent's "The Heretic's Daughter".

Upcoming Event - Royal Oak Book Club

Event: Royal Oak Book Club
Date: January 13, 2013
Time: 4:00 - 6:00 PM
Location: Red Fox English Pub, 100 South Main Street, Royal Oak, MI 48067
Cost: Everyone pays for themselves
Parking: Free on Sundays!
Point of contact: Jessica Makae jessica@themakaes.com

Other info:

Discussing Rebecca Skloot's "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks".