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.”

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.

“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.