The energy surrounding WE22 led SWE’s social media postings in the run up and in the days during and following the event. With posts on each of the three outstanding keynote speakers, and highlighting key conference events and more, momentum built steadily.
Following WE22, the final months of the year contained some significant milestones in the SWE community.
Honoring a longtime friend and ally
In November, SWE Executive Director and CEO Karen Horting, CAE, attended the portrait unveiling ceremony for Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, longtime SWE friend and ally, who was preparing to retire after serving 15 terms in Congress representing Texas’ 30th congressional district.
Horting and SWE’s Washington representative, Della Cronin, were among the well-wishers at the Rayburn House Office Building, in the room occupied by the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. From 2011-2018, Johnson served on this committee as both its first Black member and first woman ranking member — the highest-ranking Democrat on the panel when Republicans controlled that chamber.
When Democrats took control of the House in 2019, she became both the first Black member and first woman to chair the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Johnson has been a champion for the rights of women and girls to pursue both STEM education and STEM careers and has fought for equal access, free of sexual harassment. Her support of SWE priorities, such as the STEM Opportunities Act and the Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act, have been unwavering. She fought for their inclusion in the final version of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 that was signed by President Joe Biden in August 2022— a crowning achievement for her impressive record. For more details, please see: https://bit.ly/3W9WWkO
Paving the way for a successful and productive 2023
Wrapping up the year, there was much to celebrate, from a growing membership of more than 41,000 across the globe to advancements in global programs, affinity groups, content, programs, SWENext, research, and publications. The 20th anniversary of the SWE Literature Review was published in March, and SWE Magazine garnered significant publishing awards for outstanding content and design, including the State of Women in Engineering edition, in which the literature review appears. Yet another notable accomplishment was the launch of the Women of Color in Engineering Collaborative, a collaborative effort of more than 20+ leading organizations whose vision is an inclusive engineering workplace where women of color thrive.
Bringing an upbeat and celebratory start to 2023, in early January SWE’s global affiliates reached 100. A SWE global affiliate is a community of women engineers outside of the United States who wish to expand SWE’s mission in their locale. To learn more, please see: https://bit.ly/33znLqt
Traditionally, the SWE Forum has provided an opportunity to respond to articles or comment on topical issues. Communications are included on a space-available basis; we reserve the right to edit for clarity or to meet space requirements. All opinions are those of the writer and in no way the responsibility of the Society of Women Engineers or SWE Magazine.
Send comments, opinions, or observations to swemag@swe.org or by regular mail to: Letters, SWE Magazine, Society of Women Engineers, 130 E. Randolph St., Suite 3500, Chicago, IL 60601.
Yet another way to engage with the material in SWE is through the Society’s social media — Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram, as well as the All Together blog.