SWE-D Member Jessica Mattis Awarded SWE Distinguished New Engineer

Please pass on your congratulations to SWE-D member Jessica Mattis!

Here is her bio:

Jessica Mattis has been active in the Society of Women Engineers since she joined at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) in 2000 while studying Chemical Engineering, and she became a life member in 2007.  She completed her MBA in 2008 with honors at the University of Michigan (Flint).  She was a SWE nominee in the E-Week competition for the 2009 "New Faces in Engineering".  

She has held elected positions in SWE-Detroit, including Treasurer, Secretary, Section Representative, President during the 60th anniversary, and is currently Vice President of Professional Development.  She has volunteered for many SWE activities, including Professional Development conferences and outreach events.  She has found SWE to be a rewarding experience, and it has helped develop her leadership skills.  As a change agent, she's led the Detroit section to adjust as their needs have changed, creating new positions and inactivating others, forming an Alliance Council, and supporting joint local events with SHPE and NSBE.  Jessica has also volunteered at the SWE National level, for the National Finance and Awards Committees.  She was involved in General Motors' Women in Manufacturing (WIM), where she was co-chair of the Pontiac Assembly chapter and initiated re-starting the Orion Assembly chapter.

Her technical and leadership capability in the workplace have led to her being one of the youngest and one of the only female shift leaders in General Motors.  She is currently Shift Leader for Paint Production at the Flint Assembly Center, which assembles the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra, where she manages a workforce of approximately 80 direct and indirect employees.  She was previously at Pontiac Assembly, where she worked on energy management, process optimization, and cost-savings projects that resulted in several million dollars of savings.  Jessica was also previously the VLT Launch Coordinator at Orion Assembly, where she supported the validation and launch phases of a new $180M paint shop project.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and her SWE friends.  Her energy comes from being grounded through her involvement at church, which includes being a Dynamic Catholic Ambassador. 

Volunteers needed for Motor City Maker Faire this weekend!

Motor City Maker Faire is THIS WEEKEND at The Henry Ford.  Ashley Prescott and Kristine Lott are the booth coordinators, and currently have only eight volunteers for the 2-day event.  If you are not afraid to get a little slimy we would love to have you volunteer with us!  We are also passing out a scavenger hunt for the students to find engineering in the museum, as well as chatting up the booth visitors about engineering and SWE.  More details can be seen on this previous blog post.

 

Upcoming Event - Royal Oak Book Club

Event: Royal Oak Book Club
Date: August 11, 2013
Time: 4:00 - 6:00 PM
Location:  One-Eyed Betty's, 175 W. Troy Avenue, Ferndale, MI 48220
Cost: Everyone pays for themselves
Parking: Free on Sundays
Point of contact: Jessica Makae jessica@themakaes.com

Other info:
Discussing Tanner Colby's "Some of My Best Friends Are Black: The Strange Story of Integration in America".

Spots still available for local girls 8-13 years old - Smarter Girls Day Camp at Kettering to Introduce Girls to Science, Math, Engineering

Event: Smarter Girls Day Camp
Date: July 27-28, 2013
Time: 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Location: Kettering University, 1700 University Avenue, Flint, MI 48504
Cost: $20 for both days

Other info:
This article talks about this great program to encourage girls in STEM.  You can learn more at the program website.

Upcoming Event - Royal Oak Book Club - TIME/LOCATION CHANGE FOR THIS SUNDAY!

Event: Royal Oak Book Club
Date: July 21, 2013
Time: 4:00 - 6:00 PM
Location:  Amici's Living Room, 3249 12 Mile Road, Berkley, MI 48072
Cost: Everyone pays for themselves
Parking: Free, but be wary of parking spaces designated for other businesses or non-parking areas along the side street
Point of contact: Jessica Makae jessica@themakaes.com

Other info:
Discussing Sheryl Sandberg's "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead".

Upcoming Event - Networking Lunch

Event: Networking Lunch
Date: July 19, 2013
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location: Champps Americana, 301 W. Big Beaver, Troy, MI 48084
Parking: Parking lot
Cost: Everyone pays for themselves
Point of contact: Lisa Perazza Lmperazza@yahoo.com

Other info:
http://champps.com/restaurantinfo.aspx?location=champps-troy

Please RSVP by July 18.

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

Upcoming Event - Networking Happy Hour

Event: Networking Happy Hour
Date: July 31, 2013
Time: 5:30 - 8:00 PM
Location:  Bar Louie, 12 Mile Crossing @ Fountain Walk, 44375 W. 12 Mile Road, Novi, MI (located across from Lucky Strike and The Liquor Store)
Cost: Everyone pays for themselves
Parking: Parking lot
Point of contact: Faith Kurily faith.kurily@swe.org

Other info:
RSVP by July 30th!

Spend a summer evening with some SWE friends at happy hour!  Look for the table with the green & yellow balloons!

Bar Louie has Happy Hour specials from 4:00 - 7:00 PM ($3 draft, 1/2 price wine, $5 martinis, and 1/2 price apps and flatbread).

CNN World - Google Exec to Girls: Tech Needs You

A great article that talks about why diversity is important to the technology field, and ways that Google is reaching out to promote gender equality.

US News & World Report - Colleges Work to Retain Women in STEM Majors

SWE is mentioned in this article about how women in STEM majors find support on college campuses.  Go SWE!