Once again, SWE Magazine posed this important question: “Who are the women engineers we should know?”
Beginning in 2015, SWE Magazine asked the question: “Who are the women engineers we should know?” As we noted back then, “With little fanfare, women engineers make significant contributions every day and lead interesting and fulfilling lives, giving to their profession and communities.” We further explained, “Quite often, those who are behind the scenes, out of the limelight, make real change … It is our intention to recognize such women and make their efforts better known.”
Each year since, in the late fall and early winter, we have put this same question forward through SWE’s social media channels. Nominations are carefully catalogued by volunteer members of the editorial board, who, along with magazine staff, form the team that takes on the challenge of picking 10 women engineers to recognize in the spring.
We are pleased to announce the 2021 Women Engineers You Should Know. Representing a wide variety of disciplines and diverse backgrounds from across the globe, they embody the notions of women engineers as change agents and contributors to a better world. While some of these women perform their work in the public eye, none of them are famous, household names.
Quite often, those who are behind the scenes, out of the limelight, make real change … It is our intention to recognize such women and make their efforts better known.
With the ability to provide secure COVID-19 vaccine infrastructure, blockchain technology has garnered increased public attention. Our feature story, “Is Blockchain Technology Coming into Its Own?,” examines present usage, future possibilities, and aspirations. As envisioned by some proponents, this technology is poised to help solve complex global problems in ethical ways. For that to happen, however, privacy and governance issues must be resolved.
Our third feature, “Onboarding During a Pandemic: A Virtual Experience,” can be found in our digital issue. This “digital exclusive” looks at how the new world of remote work — resulting from the pandemic — led companies to re-evaluate orientation practices for new employees and discover better solutions in the process.
The News & Advocacy section covers promising developments in sustainability, the immediate impacts of SWE’s congressional outreach, and the development of an exciting new organization from the National Science Foundation that seeks to change the way engineering research priorities are developed.
Lastly, Voices & Views offers personal reflection and insights from SWE members on daily life topics ranging from vacationing during the pandemic to an evolving view on what diversity, equity, and inclusion really means.
Anne M. Perusek
Director of Editorial and Publications