audio by album swe grassroots oral history project

Denise Griffin, an electrical engineer and past president of the Society of Women Engineers Boston Section, discusses her decision to become a stay-at-home mother after her company began downsizing during her maternity leave. She explains the role SWE has played in maintaining her professional identity while being out of the workforce.

This oral history interview was recorded October 16, 2009 at the Society of Women Engineers WE09 National Conference in Long Beach, California, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Diana Madden, a member of the Society of Women Engineers Philadelphia Section, discusses being the SWE Counselor for the Drexel University Collegiate Section, and the benefits both she and the Drexel students have received from the relationship.

This oral history interview was recorded October 15, 2009 at the Society of Women Engineers WE09 National Conference in Long Beach, California, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Jan Williams, a member of the Society of Women Engineers Central New Mexico Section, discusses the difficulties of being the primary caretaker for her children while working as an engineer and manager at Sandia National Laboratories, and how familial responsibilities affected the progress of her career.

This oral history interview was recorded October 14, 2009 at the Society of Women Engineers WE09 Annual Conference in Long Beach, California, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Sharon Cascadden, a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers, talks about her decision to study chemistry and engineering at UCLA despite a high school aptitude test which steered her toward traditional occupations for women. She also explains how raising her family interrupted her pursuit of a bachelor's degree, which she began as a chemistry major in 1956 at UCLA but did not complete until 1980 as an engineering major at California State University in Northridge.

This oral history interview was recorded October 13, 2009 at the Society of Women Engineers WE09 Annual Conference in Long Beach, California, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

George Brewster, a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers and a retired manager of salary recruiting at Corning, Inc., explains how his mother's experience as one of the very few women Postmasters in the 1940s and 1950s made him more sensitive to the discrimination women faced in traditionally male occupations. As an example he describes an incident early in his career as a recruiter for Corning in which male employees played a joke on a new female engineer which bordered on sexual harassment.

This oral history interview was recorded February 7, 2010 as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Jane Daniels. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remains the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Peggy Layne, an environmental engineer and past president of the Society of Women Engineers, discusses what led her to to be a Congressional Fellow on Capitol Hill in 1998 through a program run by the the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

This oral history interview was recorded November 5, 2010 at the Society of Women Engineers WE10 Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Jill Tietjen, a past president and Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers, discusses the road that led her to successfully nominate SWE Fellow and Achievement Award recipient Yvonne Brill for the National Medal of Technology and Innovation for her invention of the hydrazine resistojet propulsion system, which became the standard in the satellite industry. Tietjen explains that that women have to nominate other women for awards because female award recipients become role models for young women, and they generally won’t be nominated for those awards by men. She also explained that she’s nominated Brill for so many awards not only because of her technical achievements, but also because Brill herself has put tremendous effort into nominating other women for awards.

This oral history interview was recorded October 14, 2011 at the Society of Women Engineers WE11 National Conference in Chicago, Illinois, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Allison Machtemes Lunde discusses her job search following the completion of her master's degree in structural engineering in 2011. She describes the anxiety she felt after turning down a few career opportunities, why she ultimately accepted a position at Barr Engineering, and what qualities attracted her to the company. Machtemes Lunde is the FY12 Collegiate Director for the Society of Women Engineers.

This oral history interview was recorded October 12, 2011 at the Society of Women Engineers WE11 National Conference in Chicago, Illinois, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Prinda Wanakule discusses her experience as a woman engineering student at the University of Florida in Gainesville, including a male student who insisted in 2004 that women could not perform A-level work in engineering or math courses. Wanakule joined the Society of Women Engineers in 2004, and has held numerous leadership and committee positions at the local, regional, and national level. She received a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering in 2012 from the University of Texas at Austin.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2012 at the Society of Women Engineers WE12 Annual Conference in Houston, Texas, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Natalie Givans describes her experiences as an engineering student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the 1980s, including parting ways with the ROTC when it became clear that she didn't have a future with the U.S. Air Force and working full time to pay tuition. Givans, a senior vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton, is a life member of the Society of Women Engineers and recipient of SWE's 2012 Suzanne Jenniches Upward Mobility Award.

This oral history interview was recorded November 9, 2012 at the Society of Women Engineers WE12 Annual Conference in Houston, Texas, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Sue Parsons explains why she chose to pursue an MBA rather than a Professional Engineer license after working in a technical position for a few years, as well as the challenges of completing the MBA coursework while working full-time as an engineer. She also describes why she decided to follow a career path in engineering management over a technical career. Parsons is the Contracts Director at CGI Federal and is a Fellow Life Member of the Society of Women Engineers.

This oral history interview was recorded October 13, 2011 at the Society of Women Engineers WE12 Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Denise Griffin describes her experiences as an electrical engineering student at Tufts University, such as joining the Society of Women Engineers to make female friends and learn more about what she could do in her career. Griffin is an electrical engineer and past president of the SWE Boston Section.

This oral history interview was recorded October 16, 2009 at the Society of Women Engineers WE09 Annual Conference in Long Beach, California, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Denise Griffin describes how her work with volunteer groups and the Society of Women Engineers have allowed her to take risks and taught her how to motivate people and project teams. Griffin is an electrical engineer and past president of the SWE Boston Section.

This oral history interview was recorded October 16, 2009 at the Society of Women Engineers WE09 Annual Conference in Long Beach, California, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Diana Madden explains how her co-op experience with engineering consulting company Schiller and Hersh turned into a full-time position after she graduated with an electrical engineering degree from Drexel University. Madden is a member of the Society of Women Engineers Philadelphia Section, and the SWE Counselor for the Drexel University Collegiate Section.

This oral history interview was recorded October 15, 2009 at the Society of Women Engineers WE09 Annual Conference in Long Beach, California, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Diana Madden describes her experiences as a female electrical engineering student at Drexel University in the early 2000s. While there were many female students and professors in her mathematics courses, there were very few in her engineering classes. Madden is a member of the Society of Women Engineers Philadelphia Section, and the SWE Counselor for the Drexel University Collegiate Section.

This oral history interview was recorded October 15, 2009 at the Society of Women Engineers WE09 Annual Conference in Long Beach, California, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Diana Madden describes her involvement in the Drexel University Society of Women Engineers collegiate section in the early 2000s, including serving as the section president and starting a controversial Mr. Engineer pageant. Madden, an electrical engineer, is a member of the Society of Women Engineers Philadelphia Section and the SWE Counselor for the Drexel University collegiate section.

This oral history interview was recorded October 15, 2009 at the Society of Women Engineers WE09 Annual Conference in Long Beach, California, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

George Brewster recounts how he first became involved in the Society of Women Engineers in 1979 at the urging of colleague and woman engineer Jacqueline LaBarre. He discusses why his company thought it was important to participate in SWE, as well as the differences he noted between male and female engineers. Brewster, a retired manager of salary recruiting at Corning, Inc., is a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers and a recipient of its Rodney Chipp Award.

This oral history interview was recorded February 7, 2010 as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Jane Daniels. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remains the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

George Brewster discusses how some companies changed workplace policies and procedures in the 1980s and 1990s to attract and accommodate women engineers, particularly those who are mothers. He also describes how the local section of the Society of Women Engineers benefited women engineers at his company. Brewster, a retired manager of salary recruiting at Corning, Inc., is a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers and a recipient of its Rodney Chipp Award.

This oral history interview was recorded February 7, 2010 as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Jane Daniels. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remains the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

George Brewster describes how the Society of Women Engineers has changed since he first became involved in 1979, including its rapid growth and the move the annual conference from the summer to the fall to better match employer recruitment periods. He also laments how the number of women in engineering has plateaued over the past decade. Brewster, a retired manager of salary recruiting at Corning, Inc., is a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers and a recipient of its Rodney Chipp Award.

This oral history interview was recorded February 7, 2010 as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Jane Daniels. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remains the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Sharon Cascadden discusses a reentry program run by SWE member Dr. Bonita Campbell at California State University in Northridge in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The program was intended to quickly prepare women engineers who had not worked in the field for a long time to reenter the engineering workforce. In addition to updating their technical skills, the program also featured workshops such as one on assertiveness training, in which Cascadden recalls “One of the things we needed to learn to say was, ‘No, I don’t make the coffee,’ because that was sort of what was expected of any woman in the room at the time.” Cascadden is a retired materials engineer and a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers.

This oral history interview was recorded October 13, 2009 at the Society of Women Engineers WE09 Annual Conference in Long Beach, California, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Sharon Cascadden recalls her experiences as a reentering female engineering student at California State University in Northridge in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She explains how skills she developed while doing volunteer work as a stay-at-home mother transferred to the classroom and her career. She also recalls that the only female engineering faculty member at the time, Dr. Bonita Campbell, was given an office on a floor that did not have a women’s restroom. Cascadden is a retired materials engineer and a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers.

This oral history interview was recorded October 13, 2009 at the Society of Women Engineers WE09 Annual Conference in Long Beach, California, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Sharon Cascadden explains how contacts in the Society of Women Engineers helped her to find both her materials engineering jobs at Hughes Aircraft. She describes some of the materials testing projects she worked on for the missile and space programs. Cascadden is a retired materials engineer and a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers.

This oral history interview was recorded October 13, 2009 at the Society of Women Engineers WE09 Annual Conference in Long Beach, California, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Peggy Layne describes how her desire to clean up the environment led her to pursue an environmental engineering degree at Vanderbilt University in the late 1970s. Layne is the director of the AdvanceVT program at Virginia Tech and is a past president of the Society of Women Engineers.

This oral history interview was recorded November 5, 2010 at the Society of Women Engineers WE10 Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Peggy Layne describes the policies and programs instituted by the AdvanceVT at Virginia Tech in the 2000s to support women science and engineering faculty members, including supporting a childcare center and modifying duties and stopping the tenure clock to accommodate faculty members who use maternity or paternity leave or who need to take time off to care for sick family members. Layne is the director of the AdvanceVT program at Virginia Tech and is a past president of the Society of Women Engineers.

This oral history interview was recorded November 5, 2010 at the Society of Women Engineers WE10 Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Peggy Layne recalls that she the Society of Women Engineers as an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University in a show of support and solidarity and attended a few meetings at large SWE sections during her professional career. However, she explains that she did not become deeply involved in the society until she moved to North Carolina and the small section their actively recruited her for leadership positions. Layne is the director of the AdvanceVT program at Virginia Tech and is a past president of the Society of Women Engineers.

This oral history interview was recorded November 5, 2010 at the Society of Women Engineers WE10 Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Peggy Layne describes her work on the Society of Women Engineers statistics committee and the Board of Directors in the 1990s, including the financial difficulties SWE faced in the mid-1990s and the long search for an executive director for the society. She explains that her involvement in SWE was important because it developed skills that transferred to her career and because it provided and professional and social network as she moved around the country for her career. Layne is the director of the AdvanceVT program at Virginia Tech and is a past president of the Society of Women Engineers.

This oral history interview was recorded November 5, 2010 at the Society of Women Engineers WE10 Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Jan Williams talks about the nontraditional route she took to become an engineer, after first receiving a degree in Spanish. She describes her experiences as a reentry engineering student while working and raising a family in the 1980s. Williams is an engineering manager at Sandia National Laboratories and a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers.

This oral history interview was recorded October 14, 2009 at the Society of Women Engineers WE09 Annual Conference in Long Beach, California, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Jan Williams explains that she became so involved in the Society of Women Engineers because she did not have many role models or mentors when she first started her career. She talks about the importance of outreach projects to young women and children to help them understand what engineers do. Williams is an engineering manager at Sandia National Laboratories and a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers.

This oral history interview was recorded October 14, 2009 at the Society of Women Engineers WE09 Annual Conference in Long Beach, California, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Stacey DelVecchio describes how her interest in math as a child led her to pursue mechanical engineering at the University of Cincinnati. She explains how she struggled to find her career path and place in engineering until she went on a plant trip during an interview at Caterpillar, Inc. DelVecchio, a manager at Caterpillar, Inc., is the 2013-2014 president of the Society of Women Engineers.

This oral history interview was recorded November 3, 2010 at the Society of Women Engineers WE10 Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Stacey DelVecchio describes her transition into management at Caterpillar, Inc. She explains that she volunteered to be a shop foreman to better understand production processes and gain the respect of the production workers. DelVecchio is the 2013-2014 president of the Society of Women Engineers.

This oral history interview was recorded November 3, 2010 at the Society of Women Engineers WE10 Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Stacey DelVecchio explains that she had a supportive family and did not particularly feel gender discrimination as a female engineering student in the 1980s. She started to understand the need for organizations like the Society of Women Engineers after she was passed over for a promotion, received a cold shoulder from coworkers after receiving a promotion, and heard male coworkers say that they didn’t care if their daughters got degrees because they were going to marry wealthy boyfriends. She offers a story about her five-year-old nephew deciding that women could be engineers “as long as the boys get the corner office.” DelVecchio, a manager at Caterpillar, Inc., is the 2013-2014 president of the Society of Women Engineers.

This oral history interview was recorded November 3, 2010 at the Society of Women Engineers WE10 Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Stacey DelVecchio describes what skills women engineers should develop in order to advance in their careers. She offers the example of the different confidence levels exhibited by a male intern and a female intern reporting on their projects. DelVecchio, a manager at Caterpillar, Inc., is the 2013-2014 president of the Society of Women Engineers.

This oral history interview was recorded November 3, 2010 at the Society of Women Engineers WE10 Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.