Community of women engineers

In October and November, with support from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, electrical engineering and computer engineering majors attended the Grace Hopper Celebration, the world’s largest gathering of women technologists, and WE19, the Society of Women Engineers’ 2019 national conference.

WE19 is the world’s largest conference and career fair for women in engineering and technology, organized by the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). Hosted in Anaheim, California, more than 14,000 engineers attended tours, networking events, and talks on topics that ranged from cultural intelligence to the science behind managing stress. Through networking opportunities, both formal and informal, Tufts students were able to glean insights and advice from young professionals and set up job interviews with top companies.

Senior Kelsey Foster, E20, appreciated the opportunity to talk with recent graduates as she considers whether to go straight to graduate school or into the workforce. “It was also nice to see Tufts alumni representing their respective companies at the conference,” she says.

Emily Calandrella, E20, agreed. “At WE19, the best connections I made were with alums,” Calandrella says. “Every year at the conference we organize a lunch with Tufts SWE alums. They are always really happy to tell us about their work experience and also to take resumes and recommend us to hiring managers.”

“What I love best about SWE conferences is that there is always an attitude that we are all there to support each other and help each other achieve our goals,” says Katie Elliott, E20. “I leave conferences with a feeling of, ‘Yes, I can do whatever I set my mind to!’ ”

At the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) in Orlando, Tufts ECE students Sabrina Miller, Emily Moise, and Sophie Saunders heard from influential leaders in the field, participated in career building workshops, and connected with other accomplished women in STEM. They met with companies during the GHC’s large-scale career fair and learned about the kinds of jobs that could fit their particular interests.

“I was inspired by seeing so many women in tech,” says Miller, E20. “It’s easy to get lost in statistics, but seeing everyone there made me confident that the number of women in tech will just continue to rise.”