Hello all you female IEEE MTT-S readers out there...
It's time to lean in. If you don't know what I'm referring to, read on.
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead is a book written by Sheryl Sandberg, CEO of Facebook, and Nell Scovell, TV and magazine writer. Sandberg is ranked on Fortune’s list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business and as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. Lean In examines why women’s progress in achieving leadership roles has stalled, explains the root causes, and offers solutions that can empower women to achieve their full potential.
I've become involved over the past couple of years in the IEEE Women in Engineering movement to recruit and retain more women in STEM fields. For me the most compelling idea Sandberg offers is a call to action to get involved and step up to the challenges that lie ahead.
In the field of Women in Microwaves (WIM), key ways we can get involved and boost the number of female engineers are to increase the visibility of women in engineering and create networking opportunities for female engineers. This means more mentoring and role models, and creating more awareness of women achieving greatness in technical fields. And, most important of all, it means working to broaden the number of social and networking opportunities for women. We need to feel part of a community and to know that we have each others’ backs and we are not isolated in our roles as women engineers.
With IMS 2015 nearly here, here’s how you can lean in and get involved.
We'll be hosting our annual WIM social networking event Tuesday evening, May 19 at the Sheraton, 2nd Floor Terrace (Oculus), across the street from the convention center. Starting at 6pm, you can find me there. Women and men alike can enjoy great food, refreshing beverages and warm conversation while making new friends and colleagues and connecting with old ones. Don't leave this event without making a new connection to at least one other WIM advocate so we can use this event as a springboard for growing a framework for WIM mentoring.
In addition to the networking activities, we are also sponsoring an all-female technical session followed by a panel session on Tuesday afternoon, May 19 starting at 1:30pm in Room 126ABC
Technical session details include:
| Session: TU3E | Women in Microwaves Special Session: On the Leading Edge of 5G Technology and Beyond |
|---|---|
| Chair: | Olga Boric-Lubecke, UH Manoa |
| Co-Chair: | Lora Schulwitz, MDA Information Systems |
| Abstract: | The session will include 5G emerging technology talks on the technical areas relevant to the MTT community. All the papers in this special session will be presented by women in microwaves leading the development in those areas. |
Panel session details include:
| Session: | Diversity in Microwaves: Let's Talk About the Demographics |
|---|---|
| Chair: | Kate Remley, NIST |
| Abstract: | Having an inclusive work or academic environment that allows for diverse membership leads to new ideas and thoughts for solving problems. IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) seeks to recruit and retain women in technical disciplines related to the mission of IEEE, which is to foster technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. Women in Microwaves (WIM) desires to bring a diversity of thought into the MTT-S community by discussing global concerns. |
Women in engineering and microwaves in particular are still a small minority. We all need to participate in order to make a difference. Lean in and get involved—you’ll be amazed how many new friends and colleagues you'll make!
You can find out more about WIM and the events being held by visiting IMS2015.org.