Society Of Women Engineers

The Society of Women Engineers is a national organization that was established at Lehigh in 1975. In the Lehigh section, we function on what we consider to be a three pillar system: outreach, professional development, and social. We host many outreach events to help destigmatize women in STEM both within Lehigh and in the surrounding communities. We largely do this through our CHOICES event, where we host middle school girls from the Bethlehem community at Lehigh to perform experiments, answer their questions about engineering majors, and organize engineering faculty members and professionals to speak with the girls. Within our professional development pillar, we host networking events with various companies such as Lutron and Merck, in addition to hosting resume building workshops, mock interviews, and LinkedIn workshops. We also co-host the Women and Non-Binary in STEM Dinner with Alpha Omega Epsilon, in which undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, staff, and STEM professionals alike join together for an evening of discussion and networking followed by a keynote speaker or panel. Our last focus is on social events, with the goal of bringing our Lehigh women engineers closer together. We host a variety of events, including movie nights, cookie decorating, fall picnics, metal rose making, and more.

The Society of Women Engineers is a national organization that was established at Lehigh in 1975. In the Lehigh section, we function on what we consider to be a three pillar system: outreach, professional development, and social. We host many outreach events to help destigmatize women in STEM both within Lehigh and in the surrounding communities. We largely do this through our CHOICES event, where we host middle school girls from the Bethlehem community at Lehigh to perform experiments, answer their questions about engineering majors, and organize engineering faculty members and professionals to speak with the girls. Within our professional development pillar, we host networking events with various companies such as Lutron and Merck, in addition to hosting resume building workshops, mock interviews, and LinkedIn workshops. We also co-host the Women and Non-Binary in STEM Dinner with Alpha Omega Epsilon, in which undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, staff, and STEM professionals alike join together for an evening of discussion and networking followed by a keynote speaker or panel. Our last focus is on social events, with the goal of bringing our Lehigh women engineers closer together. We host a variety of events, including movie nights, cookie decorating, fall picnics, metal rose making, and more.

Increased funds would allow SWE at Lehigh to expand its impact across all three pillars: outreach, professional development, and social engagement. With more financial support, the chapter could enhance its outreach initiatives, such as CHOICES, by reaching more middle school girls, providing better materials for experiments, and inviting a wider range of engineering professionals to inspire future STEM leaders. For professional development, additional funding could help bring in high-profile speakers, provide travel stipends for members to attend national SWE conferences, and offer more resources for networking events, resume workshops, and mock interviews. On the social side, increased funds would enable SWE to organize more events that foster a supportive community among women engineers at Lehigh, strengthening their connections and sense of belonging. Overall, greater financial support would allow SWE to grow its programs, increase accessibility, and further its mission of empowering women in STEM.