SOCIETY OF WOMEN ENGINEERS

HONORED FOR EXCELLENCE

Medha Aiyah BS’21, graduate student in computer science, met engineer Lisa Depew when she worked on her Girl Scout Gold Award project to create a solar cars curriculum as a high school student in El Dorado Hills, California. She observed how Depew balanced motherhood with an engaging career at Intel and McAfee, and she also learned about Depew’s involvement in the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), an international organization that focuses on mentorship and career preparation for women in engineering.

In December 2021, Depew reunited with Aiyah, who had served as the president of The University of Texas at Dallas section of SWE. The section was recognized for achieving multiple strategic goals at the organization’s international conference last year in Indiana.

“It was a real honor,” Aiyah said.

The UT Dallas section of SWE received four major awards in support of the organization’s mission. The areas they were recognized for include the Boeing Company Collegiate Multicultural Award, the 2021 Gold Collegiate Mission Award, Strategic Goal #1 Leadership Development with the Group, and Strategic Goal #4 Mentorship.

 

SWE Team
In December 2021, the group was also recognized with the Million Women Mentors – Texas 2021 Collegiate Stand Up for STEM Award. The statewide event presented by the Texas Girls Collaborative Project recognized the group for their passion for STEM, their encouragement of others and their “willingness to share skills and knowledge through role modeling and mentoring others.”

“We really honed our focus on mentorship,” said Maaha Sakhia, president of SWE during the 2021-2022 academic year who is majoring in electrical engineering. “We have Ladies in Tech Mentorship and a competition within SWE match. They can all learn from each other. Outside of SWE, we have an education program.”

Areeba Qazi who currently serves as vice president of internal affairs and is majoring in biomedical engineering, added, “It was my first time in person. I was surrounded by so many hard-working women who have helped us accomplish so much.”

CENTERING INCLUSION
The Boeing Company Collegiate Multicultural Award in particular focuses on programs that have prioritized diversity, equity and inclusion, and SWE’s programs stood out for their commitment to high-quality programming.

UT Dallas is a diverse community with a high percentage of international students. Like many engineering programs, the school is working to achieve greater equity for students from underrepresented groups.

SWE at UT Dallas has aimed to provide a warm, welcoming place for students over the past several years, including sponsoring the University’s first hackathon for women and nonbinary students called WEHack.

“Alisa Thomas was so inclusive, and I wanted to maintain that environment,” said Aiyah about the former president.

Dr. Stephanie G. Adams, dean of the Jonsson School and holder of the Lars Magnus Ericsson Chair, is nationally recognized for her efforts toward diversity, inclusion and belonging in engineering education, and she provided advising and financial support to the group. Adams herself served as SWE president as an undergraduate student in 1987.

“SWE provided a critical leadership opportunity during my formative years,” said Adams, also a professor of systems engineering. “Inclusion extends to leadership and mentorship opportunities, particularly those that are extended to women and others who are underrepresented in engineering. I am pleased to support SWE’s offerings at UT Dallas.”

Society of Women's Engineering Logo
SWE Leadership team 2021-2022

Shreya Chauk, Maaha Sakhia BS’22 and Areeba Qazi served on the SWE leadership team during the 2021-2022 academic year. During their tenure, they focused on streamlining in-person and virtual events.

Areeba Qazi, Shreya Chauk, Maaha Sakhia BS’22, Medha Aiyah BS’21 and Alisa Thomas BS’21 MS’22 brought national recognition to The University of Texas at Dallas section of the Society of Women Engineers for exceptional programming aimed at inspiring and supporting women and nonbinary students as they pursue careers in engineering.

SWE Team brought national recognition
MENTOR MATCHING

Aiyah and Siyah and Aiyah have both faced challenges with running a student organization through the COVID-19 pandemic. With expanded programming and enhanced communications, they have created more mentorship programs even as they have had far fewer opportunities to plan in-person gatherings.

SWE Match is an initiative focused on pairing students with beginning and intermediate skills. Ladies in Tech Mentoring provides mentor matches between freshmen and sophomores with upperclassmen and graduate students, and the SWE Resources Education Virtual Program (SWERV) partners with the Plano Independent School District to provide an engineering fundamentals workshop for students in grades K-12.

The SWE website also provides study guides and a portal with resources so students have multiple ways to engage. SWE has also expanded corporate sponsorship, which has helped to enhance the UT Dallas section’s offerings to students.

CULTIVATING EXCELLENCE
Sakhia and Aiyah have embraced have embraced the mission goal of professional excellence using their own skill sets as leaders. Aiyah initiated many of the new programs, while Sakhia has streamlined processes as the University has transitioned back to campus.

“It’s crazy to see what we accomplished within a virtual environment,” Aiyah said. “It’s been a great ride, and it’s also been great to see Maaha stabilize some of these programs.

Sakhia continued, “We worked to solidify some of the programs, especially due to the shift from virtual to in-person events. I think the structure we’re developing also facilitates becoming better leaders. One aspect of leadership is passing the baton and ensuring that you’re enabling others to lead after your time is through.”

As the leaders aim to connect women to their future careers, they consider what women will need to know about success in STEM fields, including work-life balance and long-term career management.

“We host several different industry events,” said Shreya Chauk, vice president of external affairs who is a double major in computer science and cognitive science. “I particularly enjoyed hosting socials. There is constant communication and a level of contact. It really empowered me personally — we’re going to focus on that aspect in the upcoming semester.”

As Sakhia finishes her year as SWE president, she has also benefited from mentorship. She identifies as a Muslim and has connected with another Muslim woman engineer who has integrated her faith and personal life with her career. Qazi says that Sakhia has also mentored her and inspired her to take on leadership roles.

The team aims to continue the example of mentorship and professional excellence which has garnered both local and international recognition.

“It was very gratifying. Getting that recognition just showed the fruit of our efforts and how we have grown,” Chauk said.

SWE  President Alisa Thomas, Medha Aiyah and Maaha Sakhia

One, two, three! From the top, SWE presidents Alisa Thomas BS’21 MS’22, Medha Aiyah BS’21 and Maaha Sakhia BS’22 focused on creating inclusive mentorship programs and career preparation offerings over three years as they built upon each other’s leadership strengths.

Medha Aiyah BS’21 and Lisa Depew

Medha Aiyah BS’21 (left) reunited with mentor Lisa Depew at the SWE international conference held in Indiana in December 2021.

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