SWE Spotlight
Interested in becoming a leader in the SWE-OC community? Nominations are NOW OPEN! We have a number of roles open and unopposed for the FY25.
 
Important Dates for Officer Role*:
March 18 – Last day to express interest in an officer role via interest form
March 19 – Nominees are posted for members & the petitioning period opens.
March 26 – Last day to petition to be a nominee on the ballot.
March 27 – April 10 –  Open Voting.
 
*Chair roles are not part of the voting process, but we collect interest via the same form.
 
⭐️Have any questions about any of the open positions? Check out our YouTube video (What it’s like to lead at SWE-OC) providing some role insight. For more information on the roles, you can also DM us or email our Nominations Chair at nominating@swe-oc.org
 
⭐️Ready to submit your interest? Fill out our Leadership Interest Form linked above.

*The instructions to petition to be on the ballot AFTER the March 18th deadline:
1. The member is eligible for the position (i.e. must be voting member of the Society);
2. The member has given written consent to being placed on the ballot;
3. A minimum of two percent or five of the voting members of the section, whichever is greater, have signed a petition or endorsed an email to place the candidate’s name on the ballot; and
4. The petition, together with the written consent, is submitted to the chair of the nominating committee by March 26th, 2024.  Please send all petitions to nominating@swe-oc.org.

SWE @ IME WEST


Society of Women Engineers presented Women in STEM: Panel Discussion at Informa Markets, IME West Conference. The panel discussed emerging technologies like AI, IoT, and robotics transforming manufacturing processes. The impact of having more diversity, particularly more women, in STEM fields on the quality and direction of research and innovation. The role of professional organizations and societies play in supporting women in STEM

A joint effort by the Society of Women Engineers – Los Angeles, the Society of Women Engineers Orange County Professional Section, and the Society of Women Engineers – San Diego (SWE-SD).
 
Scholarship & Certificate of Merit
 
2024 SWEOC Scholarships Applications and Certificate of Merit nominations are open!
 
SWE-OC offers scholarships for high school seniors, undergraduate students and graduate students with plans to pursue or currently pursuing a degree in engineering, engineering technology, or computer science.
 
We also offers a Certificate of Merit recognition for Orange County high school students (Jr or Sr) who have demonstrated excellence in STEM fields. Students must be nominated by their teachers.
 
Start your application today. Applications close Saturday, March 23rd. Winners will be notified in early April and celebrated at our Spring Banquet. 
 
– Scholarships: https://lnkd.in/gaiVThpX
– Certificate of Merit Nominations: https://lnkd.in/gRxqk5hU
Scholarship & Certificate of Merit

 
SWE-OC is turning 39! Please join us to celebrate the special occasion with an evening of fun & socializing. Please RSVP for this FREE event ASAP https://lnkd.in/gwgtQCmh

Rocket Building Workshop Volunteer (UPDATE)

The virtual build with engineers will be held on February 21st and the rocket launch will be on February 24th at the STARBASE facility at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base.  The times will still be the same. Please view the information below.
 
February 21st  – Rocket Build
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM, Virtual on Zoom
February 24th – Rocket Launch!
8:30 AM – 12:00 PM, STARBASE Los Alamitos
 
To volunteer please reach out to our Outreach Chair, Mariel at cisnerom@gmail.com.

SWE-OC Calendar
Our SWE-OC website and calendar is up and running! To see all of our upcoming events, check out our EVENT calendar. https://swe-oc.swe.org/events/
⭐️Follow our social media accounts (Instagram LinkedIn)


Community Outreach
* Troop 9287 GSOC Women in STEM Career Day*

 
Never know what to do with all those girl scout cookie boxes? 
Always wanted to be part of a car derby?
Enjoy iterating on designs to come up with ways to make them better?
Want to be part of National Engineers Week?
Then come help Brownies make cars out of cookie boxes and race them! We are looking for a few more volunteers to help us on Saturday February 24th! See the attached flyer for more info and respond if you would be able to help!  For more information please reach out to our Outreach Chair, Mariel at cisnerom@gmail.com

Planning Meeting

The SWE OC monthly planning meeting is a time to plan upcoming events, discuss priorities, and connect as a group. Whether you’re an officer, committee chair, or brand new to SWE OC and want to get involved, join us! The meeting is usually on the first Tuesday of the month. Book here for the next meeting or contact president@swe-oc.org to join.
Fundraising
Corporate fundraising has been difficult throughout the pandemic and into the recent inflationary economic cycle.  Please consider general donation to support programs in the greatest need. To support us today, please visit here.

External
Vital Link: Construction 101 Project
Vital Link & the McCarthy Building Companies are putting on a free event to attract, inspire, and encourage young women (ages 14-18) to consider the construction industry, and employment at McCarthy, as a potential career opportunity.
Students will be working alongside experienced industry leaders and trade contractors to learn hands-on construction activities while gaining firsthand experience and insight into various construction career paths, developing a safety-first mindset, and building self-confidence they can apply in all aspects of life.
The date for this event will be on Sat, April 20, 2024, at McCarthy Newport Beach headquarters office. Flyer & registration information will be made available at the end of January. Focal Contact: Dinh Thai, dinh@vitallink.org

End of Year Banquet Committee

End of Year Banquet Committee – Looking for volunteers.
Link to interest form: Target Date: April / May Time frame https://forms.gle/Zj6miViT8ussfVKdA

FY2024 Officers
President: Rosario Maltbia, president@swe-oc.org
Internal Vice President: Cynthia Hernandez, vpinternal@swe-oc.org
External Vice President: Brittany Galliers, vpexternal@swe-oc.org
Treasurer: Natalie White, treasurer@swe-oc.org
Secretary: Dr. Vinita Palaniveloo, secretary@swe-oc.org

Keep up with SWE OC by subscribing to our email list at Weekly Emails.