When: Wednesday, April 3rd

On April 3rd our Professional Development committee organized a workshop titled Imagine Your Next Chapter: Using Design Thinking. At this event, sponsored by LPL Financial, attendees spent time networking over dinner and learning from Aliza Carpio's workshop how to use design thinking it to identify a problem, dissect it, and strategically develop solutions. 

When: Saturday, April 13th

We participated in the Barrio Logan Science and Art Expo on Saturday, April 13th! We are very grateful for our volunteers who facilitated an electric circuit activity! 

When: Saturday, March 2nd

On March 2, 2024, the Outreach and Member Engagement committee partnered up and participated at the SnapDragon STEM Fair, where they hosted a table and facilitated the simple machines activity!

When: Tuesday, March 5th

Dr. Tracy Nguyen led the "Be The Change" Women in STEM Forum 2024, where SWE Professional role models, such as SWE President, and SWE San Diego role models, collegiate students, and SWENexters engaged in important conversations about women in STEM.

When: Friday, March 8th

We celebrated International Women’s Day by participating at the Women Who Inspire Conference on March 8, 2024. Dr. Tracy and Dr. Mimi spoke about Shaping Resilience to high school students.

When: Friday, March 8th

On March 8, 2024, we participated at the Adobe Bluffs STEM Night where we had a table and facilitated a Light It Up Activity! 

When: Saturday, March 9th

This STEM conference is for girls in grades 6-10, and connects 350-450 girls from around San Diego County with STEM professionals in the San Diego community.  We presented the topic of electricity to middle and high school students and facilitated a Light It Up Activity.

When: Wednesday, March 20th

We are very proud of Westview SWENexter, Julia Smith, for spearheading the Women in STEM Panel with the help of Dr. Tracy. Three out of the five panelists were from SWE San Diego: Dr. Tracy, Sahana, and Mirella. The panelists talked about their career as women in STEAM, their journey, advice for listeners, and the impact of belonging in communities such as SWE San Diego. The event was very successful!

When: Wednesday, February 7th

SWE-SD Vice President Tracy Nguyen and Outreach Co-Chair Aileen Fahme traveled to the IME WEST Conference in Anaheim to represent SWE San Diego. Aileen was a panelist during the Women in STEM Panel Discussion hosted by the Society of Women Engineers. This marked the inaugural year of SWE's presence at IME West, a collaborative effort between SWE-SD, SWE-OC, and SWE-LA. IME West is the largest annual advanced manufacturing event in the United States. It brings together suppliers and buyers from every part of the product development cycle. This collaboration exemplifies our collective commitment to working together to fulfill SWE's mission.

When: Thursday, February 22nd

The February happy hour took place at Karl Strauss Brewing in Sorrento Valley. It was great to meet new SWEople and and catch up with friends over food and drinks. These happy hours provide a casual environment for networking and building relationships with other engineers in the industry.

When: Friday, February 23rd

Dr. Tracy Nguyen, Dr. Mary Bonk Isaac, and Mirella Cruz Trinidad presented to over 200 WE Local Vegas attendees on February 23rd about music’s impact on women engineers: Shaping Resilience Through the Lens of Engineering and Music. This workshop delved into the transformative journey of women in the male-dominated fields of engineering and technology over the past 50 years as perceived through the music of the time.

When: Saturday, February 24th

Engineering Day at the Mall is a fun and interactive way for young students to learn about the many disciplines of engineering in a fun and interactive environment! Hosted by ASCE YMF at the Chula Vista Center, several engineering organizations led hands-on activities that aimed to spark interest in pursuing STEM-related fields. SWE San Diego hosted a "Power Up" activity where attendees got to build a simple circuit using a battery, an LED, and copper tape on cardstock. The kids had a great time figuring out how to make their LED light up!

When: Saturday, January 13th

SWE-SD members kicked off the year strong with a team hike at Cowles Mountain in early January!

When: Wednesday, January 24th

This panel discussion with leaders in industry and academia covered the latest research being conducted and innovative tools being developed that leverage AI technologies. The event kicked off with “What Does It Mean for Artificial Intelligence to be Responsible?”, shared by Dr. Amanda C. Muller, followed by the AI Panel Discussion with Yinyin Liu, Mohit Gadkari, & Sachiko Matsumoto. Wrapping up with an engaged Q&A session, it was a great evening of learning and networking!

When: Saturday, January 27th 

The 2nd Annual Canyon View Elementary School STEAM Festival was a free, family-friendly event that featured hands-on activities, interactive challenges and experiments to inspire kids (and kids at heart!) to engage in all things science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM). SWE San Diego volunteers led TK-5th grade students through the hands-on activity of building towers out of uncooked spaghetti and marshmallows to spark their interest in engineering. Thanks to Westview SWENext Club for sponsoring this hands-on activity!

When: Saturday, December 9th 

We had the pleasure of collaborating with FIRST Robotics California and Tech Trek at the Girls in STEM Meet-up event, where we hosted a session on creating a successful and noticeable LinkedIn account for high school girls. It was an incredible opportunity to synergize efforts and showcase the power of collaboration in driving STEM education and outreach initiatives. We  accomplished our goal of creating a like-minded community! A special Thank You goes out to all the SWE Members who actively participated in the icebreaker bingo networking session - your passion is what makes our outreach committee thrive. Our members are the backbone of our committee 

When: Saturday, December 2nd  

We were extremely happy to collaborate with Girl Scouts to bring building gingerbread houses to young girls but with a STEM twist! It was a blast to help the kids build their structures by providing insights from volunteers who are engineers within the industry with real-world experience.

When: Saturday, December 9th 

The recent rendition of our happy hour took place at New English Brewing in Torrey Pines/Sorrento Valley area. It was a great time being able to connect with each other over a couple drinks and good conversation. These happy hours are a favorite as they provide a casual environment for networking and building relationships with other engineers in the industry to build that support network.

When: Saturday, November 11th 

During Fleet Week 2023, the Port Pavilion Building becomes home to the Fleet Week Innovation Zone.  This space showcases some of the latest High-Tech equipment used in both Military and Civilian applications, and is an exciting attraction for all ages. Debuting in 2017, the Innovation Zone is a Fleet Week San Diego "Original" Event and has since been copied by Fleet Weeks all over the county. This event showcases San Diego’s “High Tech Economy”, Research Institutions, and San Diego’s Military Community’s use of that technology in the operational environment. SWE-SD Professionals volunteered to help table that encompased both a healthy networking environment and an engaging activity for kids of all ages. The activity that challenges participants to build the highest structure they can with only dry noodles and marshmallows. 

When: Wednesday, December 8th 

Cuyamaca College hosted a STEM Fair where SWE-SD professionals volunteered to table at the career fair and talk to interested collegiate students.

When: Saturday, December 9th 

The goal of this UCSD led summit is to promote access to higher education by partnering up high school students with current UCSD undergraduates that will act as resource advisors and workshop facilitators. SWE professionals volunteered at the event to help strengthen the mission of supporting young girls in their journey through STEM.

When: Monday, October 23rd

WE23 convened Oct. 26-28, gathering more than 21,600 women engineers, aspiring engineers and allies in person and virtually from across the globe. At WE23, attendees were able to explore cutting-edge technology advancements via hands-on demos and unique showcases. The event featured panel discussions on emerging trends, data, and best practices led by top experts, content creators, and innovators. Dedicated sessions were tailored for early-career professionals and aspiring leaders to nurture growth, networking, and career development. It was a great weekend to connect over these amazing sessions and get the opportunity to spend time with those we don't get to see throughout the rest of the year.

When: Thursday, October 26th - Saturday, October 28th

Thanks to our Membership Engagement committee chairs, SWE-SD hosted a WE23 Prep session intended for our vast San Diego collegiate membership to prepare themselves for the annual SWE conference in Los Angeles this year. The prep session focused on cleaning up and optimizing participants' resumes while learning new tips and tricks about how to differentiate themselves on LinkedIn. Several of us were definitely able to go home afterwards and immediately leverage a lot of the new learnings from the session!

When: Saturday, October 14th

For the past twelve years, Battle at the Border has served as Southern California's largest off-season FIRST Robotics competition, and has been co-run by Teams 1538 - The Holy Cows, 2485-W.A.R. Lords, and Pacific Steel 5025. Currently held annually on the campus of Cathedral Catholic High School, the competition is an opportunity for offseason fun and allows new team members to experience some of the thrill of an FRC competition. Off-season competitions are a great way for teams to get extra playing time with their robots as well as train new members. In addition, pre-rookie teams can use off-season competitions to see what FRC is all about. SWE-SD Professionals volunteered to help raise awareness and promote #HeForSWE which is a SWE affinity group. The purpose of the HeForSWE Affinity Group is to grow inclusion and advocacy efforts by way of increasing male allies in STEM fields. HeForSWE aims at being a meaningful resource for SWE members by providing multiple perspectives on gender inclusivity. 

When: Saturday, October 14th

Wilson Middle School hosted a scrimmage where SWE professionals volunteered to judge, referee, run scores, emcee, and chat with students. The goal of this event was to give Wilson Robotics members a chance to experience an unofficial QT since not all students will be selected to compete in the official FLL qualifying tournament. Wilson Middle School is a Title 1 school located in the low socioeconomic community of City Heights; the majority of students are on free/reduced lunch; families of refugees or immigrants. Since 2018, Wilson Robotics is thriving in its 6th year but due to limitations of coach and funding, Wilson Robotics teams are competing in the scrimmage to represent their school at the official competition.  Out of 50 Wilson members, only a limited number will compete in the official QT. This was an opportunity to give these students an experience like an official QT!

When: Saturday, October 14th

The East County Economic Development Council hosted their 8th Annual East County Manufacturing Expo. This year's theme was "Explore, Learn, Innovate- What Does A Future In Manufacturing Look Like?" This year's event allowed attendees to:

• Meet local manufacturers

• Learn about products being created in their backyard

• Explore career opportunities

• Engage in hands-on activities

• Resume Resources for job seekers

• Connect with work-based learning opportunities and resources

• Meet our local education and training providers

When: Wednesday, September 6th

The Open House is always an opportunity to kickstart the hear strong with an event that is a mix of networking, learning about SWE, and discussing what is coming for the upcoming year. This year we had a record of 100+ attendees which was sponsored by Carollo and hosted by BD. The presentations section also featured the SWE collegiate sections and a couple SWENext sections from the San Diego greater area allowing greater visibility to the whole SWE mission.

When: Saturday, September 23rd

This Junior Scientist Day incorporated stations scattered throughout the Cabrillo National Monument park where participants experienced a "Cabrillo Adventure" (scavenger hunt) activity that leads them to these stations. The scientist(s) at each station included a "I'm a Scientist/Engineer - ask me anything!" sign next to them and will answer questions as well as do an activity that corresponds to their station's theme. Some of the stations and activities included the following:

• Biodiversity of San Diego - biologists, ecologists

• Native Plants of San Diego - ethnobotanists, botanists, biologists

• Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo - archaeologists, anthropologists

• Military History - engineers, mathematicians (gun battery)

• Lighthouse - chemistry, physics (fog, lighthouse lenses, etc.)

• Kelp Forest - marine science

When: Saturday, August 12th

The 2023 Southeast San Diego Science & Art Expo incorporated interactive science shows and demonstrations provided by UC San Diego, the Southeast San Diego STEM Ecosystem, and other local partners like SWE-SD, as well as live musical performances, and art stations. Some examples of demonstrations confirmed include exploration of engineering/physics behind low-riders and various exhibits that bring together science, art, and culture! Our SWE-SD booth, which was manned by both SWE professionals and SWENexters, showcased an engaging activity where participating kids were challenged to build the highest structure they could with only dry noodles and marshmallows. It was amazing to be a part of hosting such an interactive station helping young children get more engaged with various aspects of STEM. The event was designed to inspire and engage the community in STEAM where all partners provided the opportunity for hands-on learning, ranging from pre-K to adults.