This month, UNT SWE brings to you our female engineer of the month; UNT Alumnus Alejandra Sifuentes. During the summer, UNT SWE had the opportunity to interview Alejandra. Honestly, it was a great conversation and I could tell Alejandra was loving this new phase of her life. She is definitely on a path to greater achievements. Here's her engineering journey so far.
 
Alejandra was born and raised in Fort Worth Texas. She is a first-generation student, and recent graduate from the University of North Texas, with a degree in mechanical and energy engineering. At UNT, Alejandra was very involved with the different activities on campus. She was in a sorority “kappa delta chi” for 2 years, a member of the Society of Hispanic Engineers, Hispanic Student association and multicultural scholastic association. Alejandra was also in trio, where she tutored Physics, Math, Spanish and other engineering courses. These activities kept Alejandra busy, and added a lot of color to her college experience. In fact, these are the things she misses the most about her college years.
 
Alejandra’s desire to become a mechanical engineer was something she always experienced. From childhood, she was interested in Math, Science and the how’s and why’s of machines. Mechanical and energy engineering was something that tied her various interests together. She chose to study mechanical engineering because it used her passions and creativity to help the society.
 
Alejandra joined UNT SWE her freshman year. She said UNT SWE was a huge help in pursuing her degree. The resume workshops, connections with other students in similar career paths, and networking with people from the industry made her college years and career path seamless. In fact, Alejandra got the current coop she has at a SWE conference in Minneapolis.

3. Get a planner. Time management is key. Set daily and weekly schedules, deadlines, and expectations for your self. It is also helpful to have an accountability partner that will push you to achieve your goals. This brings us to the next tip.

4. Join a student organization, especially one related to your major. It is a good way to make friends and meet likeminded individuals. You can find an accountability partner through these organizations.

5. Don’t shy away from study groups. A study group is a good way to learn more and even teach others outside of the class. If you take classes that have Supplemental Instruction (SI) classes, attend them. You can also visit the math lab and writing lab for help! The link for their schedule will be below.

6. Do your assignments regardless of the percentage or how much it counts on your final grade. If your professor is taking the time to pick out questions to give as assignments, there is a reason! 
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7. Go to your professor’s office hours for help or clarifications on what was thought in class. It might be scary, but don’t worry they don’t bite! It is also an excellent way to build professional relationships. 
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​Let’s be honest, there are times we all feel like giving up. Maybe it’s a bad grade in one of your main courses, a stressful week/semester, or the voice in your head that says you will never be good enough. We have all been there. In low times like that, it definitely helps to have someone to look up to as a source of inspiration. We understand the struggle, and that is why we have decided to begin a new series on our blog. Every month, UNT SWE will present a female engineer in history, their journey and accomplishments. The goal is to encourage and inspire other women in STEM, as we bring to light these powerful women that helped shape the scientific world. That being said, Edith Clarke is our Female engineer of the month. 

​Edith Clarke was someone that marked a number of firsts for women in engineering. As we read further, we see that things weren’t always easy in her personal and career life; but she persisted. Her zeal and consistency is something we can all take from her story.
 
Clarke was born in Ellicott city, Maryland on February 10th 1883. Although she struggled with spelling and reading, she excelled in mathematics and card games. Orphaned by the age of 12, Clarke’s beginnings were quite difficult. She moved in with her uncle and was sent to a boarding school in Maryland. After she turned 18, things began to look up for Clarke. She inherited some money from her parent’s estate and used it to pay for college. She studied mathematics and astronomy at Vassar College. Clarke graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors in 1908. Afterwards, she worked as a mathematics and physics teacher in San Francisco and West Virginia (McFadden).
 
That was not the end of Clarke’s story. She recognized a desire to become an engineer and went for it. She enrolled as a civil-engineer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The summer break after her first year, she got a job to work as a computer assistant to Dr. George Campbell at AT & T. Little did she know that was the beginning of a different path for her. A summer job turned into a dream career and she decided to work full-time at
​AT & T. Her interest in the work she was doing with Campbell (applying mathematical methods to solve problems associated with long distance transmission of electricity) grew tremendously that, she decided to pursue an electrical engineering degree at Columbia University (McFadden). 

​Clarke left AT & T to earn a master’s degree in electrical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In 1919, she became the first woman to have an electrical engineering degree from MIT. After her graduation, she got a job at General Electric. She worked there for 26 years. Clarke excelled in her career. She “became an authority on the manipulation  of hyperbolic functions, equivalent circuits, and graphical analysis” (AgnesScottCollege). Clarke wrote a paper on "steady-state stability in transmission systems which described a mathematical technique to model a power system and its behavior. This allowed engineers to analyze longer transmission lines” (AgnesScottCollege). She became the first woman to present a paper at the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. Clarke published about 20 technical papers in 20 years and wrote the book “Circuit Analysis of A-C Power Sytems” (AgnesScottCollege).

After Clarke retired from AT & T, she became a full-time professor at the University of Texas, Austin. This made her the first female professor of Electrical Engineering in the United States. In 1948, she became the first woman elected for a Fellow of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. Furthermore, she received a Society of Women Engineers Achievement award due to her original work in stability theory and circuit analysis. Edith Clarke died on October 29th 1959 (AgnesScottCollege).
 
Edith Clarke paved a way for other women in engineering. Her story is simply the result of hard work, dedication, and passion. She is someone that shows us that in the end, it all pays off. The summer is gradually coming to an end. It’s not too early to start preparing for the new school year. In what way were you lacking in your work, dedication or zeal last year? How do you want to fix that?


Works Cited
​AgnesScottCollege. Biographies of Women Mathematicians. 2016.
McFadden, Christopher. Edith Clarke: The First Female Electrical Engineer and Professor of Electrical Engineering. 25 March 2018.
 

​We have now crossed the half way mark of our summer break. This is definitely a good point to reflect on how we have spent this time; what we would like to do differently or leave as it is. Some of us have been able to keep up the pace with the plans we had for the summer. However, this may not be the case for most of us. It’s time to take a deep breath and reboot. Time is precious, and the last thing we want to do is waste it.
 
Summer brings its positives like rest, good weather, and family time, but we often allow boredom and laziness get the best of us. Engineering is more than a career choice but a way of life. To live like an engineer means to use innovation, design and technology daily to solve problems, enhance the quality of life, or simply put smiles on people’s faces. This is not an easy task, but it is worth it. At this point, you may be thinking of ways you can #livelikeanengineer; it’s okay, UNTSWE got you covered.
 
For the mechanical Engineers out there, maybe there is something in your car that is not functioning as it should be or could be better. It’s time to cancel the appointment you have with the auto repair, roll up your sleeves and put your skills to work. If you enjoy programming, put your love to action and write a program to solve the last problem you just complained about. If gaming is your hobby, how about you create your own video game.
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​Now, if this is the first time you have ever thought about taking up a project, you don’t have to go all out. You can #livelikeanengineer in the small stuff too. This includes, adding sensors to your napkin dispenser, putting wheels on certain house hold objects to make movement easier, adding bells to your wall clock and turning it into an alarm clock. Don’t limit yourself. There are a number of things around us that could be so much better if we let our imagination run wild.
 
Also, if working with people is where you thrive, there is still something for you to get your hands dirty with. Members of UNT robotics club are currently working to motorize a sofa (sofabot). This is something you don’t want to miss out on. The link to become a paid member and join this project will be below. Another opportunity to use your skills, especially for the construction engineers, would be to volunteer for an organization like Habitat for Humanity. This is a nonprofit organization that helps build decent and affordable housing for families across the country. A link to their website to see how you can be part of this act of service will also be below.
 
Taking up these tasks is fun and challenging. However, safety is paramount. Read instruction manuals, wear the correct personal protective equipment, and always consult the material safety data sheet (MSDS). Also, you can get trained and certified to use the equipment in the engineering technology lab at UNT. Contact UNTrobotics through their link below to be put into a group and get shop certified.
 
This is not supposed to be like a coerced assignment; have fun with it. When a plan goes awry, think of something different. Feel free to stop, take breaks to hang out with friends and family. Think about engineering like a piece of art work; The finished product makes it beautiful, but the process makes it a masterpiece. We are excited to see what you all come up with.

Join UNTrobotics club: https://www.untrobotics.com/
Volunteer at Habitat for Humanity: https://www.habitat.org/

WE18 ended a few weeks ago, and was an amazing experience. As a first-time goer, I HIGHLY recommend you all to go! But now that conference is over, you might be wondering: what other SWE options are there? 
And my answer to that is: there are so many ways to stay active within your section and with national SWE!
The main SWE event coming up is WE Local. For UNT SWE, we are planning to go to St. Louis on March 1 and 2. More information is to come as the date approaches, but this is another great opportunity to network, show your resume to recruiters, and meet fellow engineers. If you want to know more information now, welocal.swe.org/st-louis/location/ has all the information you need!
Another way to stay connected with your local section is to participate in our Outreach Programs. The main ones hosted by UNT SWE are our Brain STEMs program and Girl Scout events. We also volunteer at the football concession stands and have multiple fundraising events. Be sure to follow us on social media and be part of our email list to receive details and dates about these events.
As for National SWE, there are many resources for professional development and networking. There are multiple webinars hosted by SWE professionals, and an entire calendar of events based on region, which can be found at: http://societyofwomenengineers.swe.org/calendar.
Staying active with SWE and learning about all the resources they offer is important. These will contribute to your professional development, and help connect you to SWE professionals. All of you know the importance of networking, and SWE is a great place to start developing a list of professionals, or maybe even get a SWE mentor!
For more information about our section, be sure to visit untswe.org, or email us with questions at [email protected].

Ever since LinkedIn launched, it has rose to be the #1 platform to connect to professionals and gain jobs. With over 240 million active users right now out of more than 300 million registered members, LinkedIn has paved the way for an easier way to put yourself out there. As students, it is vital to create an active presence on the platform. Here are a few reasons why:

​1) Connect with Professionals:

​LinkedIn is a perhaps the great, and only, platform that is dedicated to connecting with people in your field. From professors, to student alike, LinkedIn allows you to ask questions, share knowledge and gain a mentor.

2) Promote Yourself:

Who knows you better than you know yourself? As the direct source of all 'you things', LinkedIn allows you to show off your skills, your experience and what you bring to the table before even getting to the interview. 

Note: Keep your profile updated because you never know who is looking!

3) Gain and Internship/Job

LinkedIn remains the best platform to gain a job. With recruiters always on the lookout, switching your profile to 'looking for a job' gives you an upper-hand and better chance to recruiters to reach out to you or for you to get updates on job openings.

4) A Learning Aspect:

LinkedIn also allows you to learn new skills by sending you emails about courses that 'LinkedIn Learning' is offering. From project management certificate to other professional development units, it allows you to learn more on the side without feeling as if you are on a time crunch. 


The era of digital age allows job seekers and students such as yourself to showcase your skills without the pressure. It is an excellent way of being find and noticed and with all these students competing for the same job, its a nice way to have something that they do not.

-Until next time!

Last weekend, UNT SWE partnered with Girl Scouts to put on an Engineering Journey Day. During these events, local Girl Scouts came to Discovery Park to earn most of a large badge. The badges the girls worked on are part of Girl Scouts’ new STEM program.

49 Brownies (7-9 year olds) and Juniors (9-11 year olds) came up to Discovery Park to invent, design, and create all sorts of cool projects.

The Brownies made grabbers (that actually worked), learned about the water cycle, and created water collection devices.

The Juniors made structures that could hold up three engineering textbooks (with 8 sheets of construction paper and some tape), made structures that could withstand an earthquake (with only toothpicks, marshmallows, and gumdrops), and built emergency shelters by lashing poles together. After these activities were over both the Brownies and Juniors came together for a large catapult tournament.
Each of the two events had their ups and downs but the girls had a blast and got to learn how to think like an engineer from real engineers. Without the fantastic volunteers who helped out, neither of these events would have been possible.

Until next time!

 Anne Hathaway once said ,"A man told me that for a woman, I was very opinionated. I said, 'For a man, you're kind of ignorant.'”

Today we gather to celebrate the wide range of women and their accomplishments. Strong women, dedicated women, confident women that put themselves in positions that not only further themselves but all women together.

This years theme "press for progress" aims to highlight the strides we still have left to make in order to bring women up to the standards that they deserve. 

Let us raise our daughter and our sons in a way that the next generation can appreciate and respect each others unique qualities rather than their gender expectations. and let us not be ashamed of stating our opinions, our beliefs, for we matter.

To all the women in the world, we thank you