Swe Podcasts

In this episode, SWE CEO and Executive Director Karen Horting sits down with Maryam Brown, the President of SoCalGas. Listen as Karen and Maryam discuss the clean energy transition, the most unexpected lesson of Maryam’s career, and what Maryam plans to share in her upcoming WE23 keynote address.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work as an engineer in the public sector? In this episode, join Jenni Dalzell and Jenna Lynn Henderson, Co-Leads of the SWE Women in Government Affinity Group, along with FY24 SWE President Alexis McKittrick as they discuss career paths for engineers in public service and government. You’ll also learn about the Affinity Group and how it creates connections and professional development opportunities for women engineers in this sector.

This episode was sponsored by Fortune Brands Innovations. Women in STEM can find themselves in a steady stream of challenges ― from juggling work-life balance to navigating organizational pressures to trying to “do it all” at the expense of their own well-being. In this episode, Teren Branson, Senior Director of Engineering at Fortune Brands Innovations, details her journey as an engineer and how to embrace the personal and professional challenges that occur along the way. Branson also shares the invaluable advice she received at her first SWE conference, a decision in her career that she would not make again, and how Fortune Brands Innovations is driving change worldwide.

On July 1, 2023, Dr. Alexis McKittrick assumes the role of President of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), concluding Dayna Johnson’s one-year term as SWE President.  In this episode, Dayna sits down with Alexis to pass the torch, offer words of advice, and share her favorite moments and achievements from her time as SWE President. Alexis discusses her top three areas of focus for SWE, as well as her career journey to this point and why she chose “Live Without Limits” as her theme for the upcoming year.

An active-duty lieutenant colonel and astronautical engineer in the U.S. Space Force, Bree Fram (she/her) is one of the highest-ranking out transgender officers in the U.S. military. In this episode, she sits down with host Sam East (she/her) to discuss her journey, both professional and personal. Hear how an early interest in Star Trek led to Fram's passion for space and STEM, what progress she has seen for the LGBTQ+ community in the military, and why organizations benefit from prioritizing diversity, vulnerability, and authenticity in the workplace.

June 23rd is International Women in Engineering Day ― a day to highlight the achievements of women in engineering, as well as to address the disparities that women experience in STEM fields.  To celebrate, Neeraja Ganesh, TEDx speaker and WE Local Bengaluru keynote speaker, sat down with SWE President Dayna Johnson to share her thoughts on mindset and leadership for women in engineering on this episode of Diverse: a SWE podcast. Hear Neeraja’s six tips to overcome imposter syndrome, how her 25-year career in STEM led to a passion for global gender equity, and what policies companies can adopt to better support women in the engineering workforce.

In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, this episode highlights the personal stories of Hang Loi and Dr. Tracy Nguyen, two Asian American women in STEM who escaped Vietnam as children during the fall of Saigon. They sat down with SWE Board Member Jennifer Chen Morikawa to share their unforgettable accounts of the refugee experience, what they went through to start a new life in the U.S., and how these experiences influenced them to pursue careers in STEM.

This episode was sponsored by the U.S. Space Force. In this episode, we speak with Major Melissa K. Bierma, Chief, Information Integration Branch HQ, United States Space Force (USSF), located in the Pentagon. Major Bierma shares about her early mentorship experiences as an engineer, the gifts that come with failure, and what advice she would give to women who are interested in a career in the U.S. Space Force. About Our Guest: Major Melissa K. Bierma is the Chief, Information Integration Branch, HQ United States Space Force, Pentagon. In this capacity, she is responsible for integrating the USSF into Joint and DAF future warfighting concepts, reviewing emerging technologies to implement CSO priorities, and aligning wargaming efforts across the USSF enterprise. Major Bierma earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and subsequently commissioned through Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corp, Detachment 643 in March 2006. In addition, she also earned a Master

On this episode of Diverse, a SWE Podcast, FY23 President Dayna Johnson is joined by Mandeep Gill the Technical Documentation, Labeling, and UXD Portfolio Manager from Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) Greater India R&D. They sit down to discuss her draw to STEM, her educational journey, and her work with coaching and mentoring young women.

Starr Ginn- the Advanced Air Mobility Lead Strategist at NASA- discusses the upcoming 2023 AIAA Aviation Forum and reflects on her journey to NASA.

Ana Sopalovic discusses how her upbringing ignited her passion for mechanical engineering which ultimately lead her to TAE.

What do STEM and the arts have to do with each other? Meet two women nonprofit leaders who say, "Plenty!" They're igniting interest in STEM for underserved kids and young girls through dance, music and theater, and having a lot of fun in the process.

Meredith Moore, CEO and President - Leverette Weekes is a Diversity Driver in many ways. Hosted by President Dayna Johnson, Meredith divulges in how to stay relevant and impactful in Corporate America along with helping corporations stay on top of the game by: simply listening. Meredith's extensive background as a DE&I enforcer brings knowledge and influence in this influential episode. Listen in...

On this episode of Diverse, a SWE Podcast, host Sam East is joined by Wan Leng Lim, a Senior Manager at Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) Greater Asia R&D. They sit down to discuss her draw to STEM, her educational journey, and her work with coaching and mentoring young women.

In this special episode for Black History Month, Anne Perusek, SWE’s director of editorial and publications and Troy Eller English, SWE’s archivist sit down to talk about a few events that took place in 1957 that led to a turning point in SWE's journey towards inclusion.

On this episode of Diverse, SWE President Dayna Johnson sits down with Nalini Subu, senior systems engineer principal at The Home Depot. Listen as they discuss Nalini's education background, her work with The Home Depot and the mentorship programs she is involved with.

SWE's Early Career Professional Affinity Group took over this special episode of Diverse, a SWE podcast, to talk about National Mentoring month. Former and current ECP AG Co-Leads, Amber Kreceman (she/her), Mahati Vavilala (she/her), and Marie-Pierre (MP) Delisle (she/her) sat down to chat about mentorship, sponsorship and creating an authentic and intentional personal Board of Directors.

On this episode of Diverse, SWE President Dayna Johnson sits down with WE22 Keynote Speaker Phyllis Schneck. They reflect on Phyllis's experience at WE22 and expand on her opening keynote speech.

On this episode of Diverse, SWE President Dayna Johnson sits down with Swapna Tom, the distinguished technologist for the Enterprise Data and Analytics team at HP Inc. They discuss her journey to becoming an engineer, her current role at HP Inc. and the various volunteer projects she is a part of.

This is an episode from SWE Stories, Tales from the Archives, a sub-series of Diverse a SWE Podcast. Hosts Anne Perusek, SWE's director of editorial and publications and Troy Eller English, SWE's archivist sit down with Carol Sutton Lewis, co-host of the The Lost Women of Science podcast series, and Nora Mathison, senior editor and social media manager for the series.