audio by year 2008

Mary Anderson-Rowland and Troy Eller StoryCorps Interview, Clip 1, 2008


3:32 minutes (3.23 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Society of Women Engineers Archivist Troy Eller asks Mary Anderson-Rowland what obstacles and barriers still prevent women from pursuing engineering. Anderson-Rowland explains that it is still not “cool” for young girls to be smart, and proposes that a television show like LA Engineer might help to change young girls’ perceptions. Anderson-Rowland is an Associate Professor in Arizona State University’s Industrial Engineering Department. While serving as the first female Associate Dean in the ASU Fulton School of Engineering, Anderson-Rowland developed the Women in Engineering and Minority Engineering programs to help increase the number of underrepresented minorities in ASU’s engineering programs. Active in numerous professional organizations, she is a SWE Fellow and the recipient of SWE’s Distinguished Engineering Educator Award.

This recording is Clip 1 of 4. Click on the "Anderson-Rowland / Eller Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Mary Anderson-Rowland and Troy Eller StoryCorps Interview, Clip 2, 2008


5:14 minutes (4.79 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Mary Anderson-Rowland explains to Society of Women Engineers Archivist Troy Eller how she became an engineering faculty member at Arizona State University after being forced out of her position in the Mathematics Department. While happy with her career in the ASU Industrial Engineering Department, she reflects on the chilly reception she first received as the department’s first woman faculty member. Active in numerous professional organizations, Anderson-Rowland is a SWE Fellow and the recipient of SWE’s Distinguished Engineering Educator Award.

This recording is Clip 2 of 4. Click on the "Anderson-Rowland / Eller Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Mary Anderson-Rowland and Troy Eller StoryCorps Interview, Clip 3, 2008


5:22 minutes (4.91 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Mary Anderson-Rowland recalls how she used her promotion to Associate Dean in the Arizona State University Fulton School of Engineering to develop the Women in Engineering and Minority Engineering programs to help increase the number of women and underrepresented minorities studying engineering at ASU. Active in numerous professional organizations, she is a Society of Women Engineers Fellow and the recipient of SWE’s Distinguished Engineering Educator Award.

This recording is Clip 3 of 4. Click on the "Anderson-Rowland / Eller Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Mary Anderson-Rowland and Troy Eller StoryCorps Interview, Clip 4, 2008


2:51 minutes (2.62 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Mary Anderson-Rowland explains how strong leaders have made the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Arizona State University Collegiate Section thrive and describes the section’s activities. Anderson-Rowland became the section’s faculty advisor after she joined the ASU Industrial Engineering Department in 1974. She is a SWE Fellow and the recipient of SWE’s Distinguished Engineering Educator Award.

This recording is Clip 4 of 4. Click on the "Anderson-Rowland / Eller Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Elizabeth Bierman and Allison Pedersen StoryCorps Interview, Clip 1, 2008


2:12 minutes (2.02 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Elizabeth Bierman asks Allison Pedersen why she became an engineer, and then explains that she became an engineer because of her 4th grade lunch box. They discuss how their parents and teachers encouraged them to pursue their interests. Bierman is a product support manager at Honeywell Aerospace. Pedersen is a project manager at Goodrich Sensors and Integrated Systems.

This recording is Clip 1 of 4. Click on the "Bierman / Pedersen Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Elizabeth Bierman and Allison Pedersen StoryCorps Interview, Clip 2, 2008


4:45 minutes (4.35 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Allison Pedersen discusses her role as the chair of the Society of Women Engineers Outreach Committee. She and Elizabeth Bierman share stories about how they present engineering to students, parents, and school counselors. Bierman is a product support manager at Honeywell Aerospace. Pedersen is a project manager at Goodrich Sensors and Integrated Systems.

This recording is Clip 2 of 4. Click on the "Bierman / Pedersen Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Elizabeth Bierman and Allison Pedersen StoryCorps Interview, Clip 3, 2008


4:12 minutes (3.85 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Elizabeth Bierman and Allison Pederson discuss the challenges of balancing their career with their personal lives. Bierman is a product support manager at Honeywell Aerospace. Pedersen is a project manager at Goodrich Sensors and Integrated Systems.

This recording is Clip 3 of 4. Click on the "Bierman / Pedersen Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Elizabeth Bierman and Allison Pedersen StoryCorps Interview, Clip 4, 2008


1:44 minutes (1.59 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Allison Pedersen and Elizabeth Bierman discuss the Over the Hill Suite at the Society of Women Engineers National Conference, where they can talk to and learn about the experiences of some of the more “seasoned” women of SWE. Bierman is a product support manager at Honeywell Aerospace. Pedersen is a project manager at Goodrich Sensors and Integrated Systems.

This recording is Clip 4 of 4. Click on the "Bierman / Pedersen Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Margo Bubb and Stacey DelVecchio StoryCorps Interview, Clip 1, 2008


3:18 minutes (3.03 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Margo Bubb explains to Stacey DelVecchio what events led her to become an engineer instead of a hairdresser. Bubb and DelVecchio are both engineers at Caterpillar Inc. and active members of the Society of Women Engineers.

This recording is Clip 1 of 4. Click on the "Bubb / DelVecchio Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length and clarity. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Margo Bubb and Stacey DelVecchio StoryCorps Interview, Clip 2, 2008


2:37 minutes (2.4 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Stacey DelVecchio explains to Margo Bubb that, because of her parents’ strong support, she didn’t realize until she entered the workforce that it was unusual for women to become engineers. Bubb and DelVecchio are both engineers at Caterpillar Inc. and active members of the Society of Women Engineers.

This recording is Clip 2 of 4. Click on the "Bubb / DelVecchio Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length and clarity. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Margo Bubb and Stacey DelVecchio StoryCorps Interview, Clip 3, 2008


2:02 minutes (1.87 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Stacey DelVecchio explains to Margo Bubb that she better understood the purpose of the Society of Women Engineers after she received her first promotion at Caterpillar and no one, except a few friends from SWE, congratulated her because there was a perception that she was promoted because she was a woman. They discuss how things have changed at the company since then, and DelVecchio tells how she got the CEO of the company write a handwritten card congratulating another staff member who won a national award from SWE. Bubb and DelVecchio are both engineers at Caterpillar Inc. and active members of the Society of Women Engineers.

This recording is Clip 3 of 4. Click on the "Bubb / DelVecchio Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length and clarity. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Margo Bubb and Stacey DelVecchio StoryCorps Interview, Clip 4, 2008


3:56 minutes (3.6 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Margo Bubb and Stacey DelVecchio discuss the chartering of the Society of Women Engineers Central Illinois section, and how their employer, Caterpillar Inc., has increased its support of SWE during that time. DelVecchio suggests that it is difficult for women to get company support to attend SWE conference because there isn’t a comparable professional development conference specifically for male engineers. Bubb and DelVecchio are both engineers at Caterpillar Inc. and active members of the Society of Women Engineers.

This recording is Clip 4 of 4. Click on the "Bubb / DelVecchio Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length and clarity. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Ledo Lucietto and Anne Lucietto StoryCorps Interview, Clip 1, 2008


1:57 minutes (1.79 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Ledo Lucietto tells his daughter Anne Lucietto that she started asking about engineering at a young age. She would take apart her toys and other household objects to learn how they worked. Ledo and his family owned a machine shop. Anne is an engineer at Caterpillar Inc.

This recording is Clip 1 of 2. Click on the "Lucietto / Lucietto Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length and clarity. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Ledo Lucietto and Anne Lucietto StoryCorps Interview, Clip 2, 2008


2:50 minutes (2.6 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Ledo Lucietto and his daughter Anne Lucietto remember that she used to follow him around in the family’s machine shop when she was little. Anne is now an engineer at Caterpillar Inc.

This recording is Clip 2 of 2. Click on the "Lucietto / Lucietto Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length and clarity. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Jill Tietjen, Sandra Scanlon, and Kristy Schloss StoryCorps Interview, Clip 1, 2008


4:57 minutes (4.53 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Jill Tietjen asks Sandra Scanlon how she has balanced her engineering career with her family. Scanlon explains that after realizing that she didn’t want to juggle it all, she started her own company in order to be in charge of her own destiny and have the ability to control how she spends her time. Kristy Schloss notes that the three of them are bound by their unique decisions to leave large corporations and start their own engineering firms. Tietjen and Scanlon explain that by owning their own companies they have more flexibility to volunteer for the causes that are important to them.

Tietjen is the president and CEO an electrical engineering consulting company. She is a Fellow and past president of the Society of Women Engineers and has received the Society’s Distinguished Service Award. Scanlon is the president of an engineering consulting firm. She is a Fellow of SWE and has received the Society’s Distinguished New Engineer and Entrepreneur awards. Kristy Schloss is the president and CEO of an environmental equipment design and manufacturing company. She is also SWE Fellow and a recipient of the Society’s Distinguished New Engineer and Entrepreneur awards.

This recording is Clip 1 of 4. Click on the "Tietjen / Scanlon / Schloss Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length and clarity. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Jill Tietjen, Sandra Scanlon, and Kristy Schloss StoryCorps Interview, Clip 2, 2008


3:53 minutes (3.56 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Sandra Scanlon explains why it’s important to host career guidance events for young girls and women to introduce them to opportunities that engineering offers. Jill Tietjen explains that more work needs to be done to help the public understand what engineering encompasses and describes a poll in the early 2000s that found that two-thirds of women and one half of men did not know what engineers did. Kristy Schloss discusses the varied industries that engineering touches.

Tietjen is the president and CEO an electrical engineering consulting company. She is a Fellow and past president of the Society of Women Engineers and has received the Society’s Distinguished Service Award. Scanlon is the president of an engineering consulting firm. She is a Fellow of SWE and has received the Society’s Distinguished New Engineer and Entrepreneur awards. Kristy Schloss is the president and CEO of an environmental equipment design and manufacturing company. She is also SWE Fellow and a recipient of the Society’s Distinguished New Engineer and Entrepreneur awards.

This recording is Clip 2 of 4. Click on the "Tietjen / Scanlon / Schloss Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length and clarity. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Jill Tietjen, Sandra Scanlon, and Kristy Schloss StoryCorps Interview, Clip 3, 2008


4:12 minutes (3.85 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Jill Tietjen, Sandra Scanlon, and Kristy Schloss discuss the aspects of their careers that they are proudest of. Tietjen explains the satisfaction she feels when prospective power plants that she has provided consultation services for are certified by regulatory agencies. Scanlon recalls a time when she received letters from a third grade class after she designed the electrical system for a computer lab in a poor school. Schloss describes how she feels after hearing from women who succeeded after taking her advice.

Tietjen is the president and CEO an electrical engineering consulting company. She is a Fellow and past president of the Society of Women Engineers and has received the Society’s Distinguished Service Award. Scanlon is the president of an engineering consulting firm. She is a Fellow of SWE and has received the Society’s Distinguished New Engineer and Entrepreneur awards. Kristy Schloss is the president and CEO of an environmental equipment design and manufacturing company. She is also SWE Fellow and a recipient of the Society’s Distinguished New Engineer and Entrepreneur awards.

This recording is Clip 3 of 4. Click on the "Tietjen / Scanlon / Schloss Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length and clarity. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Jill Tietjen, Sandra Scanlon, and Kristy Schloss StoryCorps Interview, Clip 4, 2008


4:08 minutes (3.79 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Sandra Scanlon recalls that early in her career she was frequently mistaken for being an administrative assistant instead of an engineer and felt that her knowledge was tested more because she was a woman. She explains how she overcame those perceptions by ignoring these pressures and doing her job well. Jill Tietjen explains that during her first job at a power company she had to walk through a men’s locker room to get to the control room because the building designers had not considered that a woman would need access to the room. Kristy Schloss explains that women engineers earn their stripes by surviving these encounters and working to change negative perceptions of women engineers.

Tietjen is the president and CEO an electrical engineering consulting company. She is a Fellow and past president of the Society of Women Engineers and has received the Society’s Distinguished Service Award. Scanlon is the president of an engineering consulting firm. She is a Fellow of SWE and has received the Society’s Distinguished New Engineer and Entrepreneur awards. Kristy Schloss is the president and CEO of an environmental equipment design and manufacturing company. She is also SWE Fellow and a recipient of the Society’s Distinguished New Engineer and Entrepreneur awards.

This recording is Clip 4 of 4. Click on the "Tietjen / Scanlon / Schloss Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length and clarity. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Renee Weisman, Marge Inden, and Bernice Brody StoryCorps Interview, Clip 1, 2008


6:53 minutes (6.31 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Renee Weisman, Marge Inden, and Bernice Brody discuss the difficult first days they each had as women engineers in a male-dominated profession in the late 1960s and 1970s, and how they succeeded despite rocky starts. Weisman describes how rooms would suddenly become quiet when she walked in, and how women engineers posed a change for industry. Inden recalls that she was given a desk but no actual job assignments when she first started, and Brody remembers that her manager would not talk to her. Weisman is envious of Inden's desk, explaining that she originally had to use the desks of whichever colleagues were on vacation. Despite the rough start, she explains how a crisis on her second day of work led her to quickly take on leadership roles. Inden confesses that when male colleagues didn't believe her when she pointed out their mistakes, she quickly learned to pretend to be ignorant to force them to explain something to her and hopefully discover their mistakes in the process. She also recalls how she stunned her male colleagues by cobbling together a needle threader to fish a frayed rope through a plumb-bob.

Weisman, Inden, and Brody all began their engineering careers at IBM. After nearly 40 years with the company, Weisman retired in 2007 as a distinguished engineer and director of engineering and has since started a leadership consulting firm. Inden transitioned from a career in engineering to one in the financial sector and is currently a senior registered client service associate at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Brody is currently an executive project manager at IBM Global Services. Inden is a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers and a member of the Board of Trustees. Brody has served in numerous positions within SWE and is currently the Speaker of the Senate.

This recording is Clip 1 of 5. Click on the "Weisman / Inden / Brody Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length and clarity. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Renee Weisman, Marge Inden, and Bernice Brody StoryCorps Interview, Clip 2, 2008


4:58 minutes (4.55 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Bernice Brody asks Renee Weisman how her involvement in the Society of Women Engineers has helped her professional life. Weisman describes how she gained a better sense of her strengths and weaknesses and how the Society has provided her with a professional network. Brody explains that her involvement in SWE has strengthened her public speaking skills, provided her with a support network in difficult times, and has helped her to handle large projects. She and Marge Inden recall when SWE members encouraged Brody to pursue a new career opportunity. Weisman explains that women’s professional networks provide women with the support they need to break the glass ceiling. Inden explains how her leadership positions in SWE allowed her to hone her project management skills and reiterates the importance of the professional network that SWE provides.

Weisman, Inden, and Brody all began their engineering careers at IBM. After nearly 40 years with the company, Weisman retired in 2007 as a distinguished engineer and director of engineering and has since started a leadership consulting firm. Inden transitioned from a career in engineering to one in the financial sector and is currently a senior registered client service associate at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Brody is currently and executive project manager at IBM Global Services. Inden is a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers and a member of the Board of Trustees. Brody has served in numerous positions in SWE, and is currently the Speaker of the Senate.

This recording is Clip 2 of 5. Click on the "Weisman / Inden / Brody Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length and clarity. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Renee Weisman, Marge Inden, and Bernice Brody StoryCorps Interview, Clip 3, 2008


4:35 minutes (4.2 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Renee Weisman, Marge Inden, and Bernice Brody recount the events that led them to charter the Mid Hudson Section of the Society of Women Engineers. Inden recalls that after she presented a speech to a women’s group, several of her colleagues stayed to chat afterward. Among them was Brody, who suggested that while the men at their company could network through their golf league, the women did not have similar networking opportunity. Brody and Inden discuss how SWE allowed the women of their company to network at a time when companies did not have networking or affinity groups. Weisman explains that she originally went to the meetings hoping to provide her younger colleagues with advice but soon found that SWE would benefit her as well.

Weisman, Inden, and Brody all began their engineering careers at IBM. After nearly 40 years with the company, Weisman retired in 2007 as a distinguished engineer and director of engineering and has since started a leadership consulting firm. Inden transitioned from a career in engineering to one in the financial sector and is currently a senior registered client service associate at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Brody is currently and executive project manager at IBM Global Services. Inden is a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers and a member of the Board of Trustees. Brody has served in numerous positions in SWE, and is currently the Speaker of the Senate.

This recording is Clip 3 of 5. Click on the "Weisman / Inden / Brody Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length and clarity. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Renee Weisman, Marge Inden, and Bernice Brody StoryCorps Interview, Clip 4, 2008


4:04 minutes (3.73 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Bernice Brody asks Renee Weisman and Marge Inden what legacy they hope to leave the Society of Women Engineers. Renee Weisman explains that by talking about her professional experiences she hopes to guide and support the careers of younger generations. Brody explains that she wants to strengthen the Society's diversity and inclusion program so that women from underrepresented groups in SWE can have their voices better heard. Inden argues that while sexual discrimination in the engineering workplace is far more subtle than it used to be, organizations like SWE are still necessary to help women address those subtleties.

Weisman, Inden, and Brody all began their engineering careers at IBM. After nearly 40 years with the company, Weisman retired in 2007 as a distinguished engineer and director of engineering and has since started a leadership consulting firm. Inden transitioned from a career in engineering to one in the financial sector and is currently a senior registered client service associate at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Brody is currently and executive project manager at IBM Global Services. Inden is a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers and a member of the Board of Trustees. Brody has served in numerous positions in SWE, and is currently the Speaker of the Senate.

This recording is Clip 4 of 5. Click on the "Weisman / Inden / Brody Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length and clarity. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Renee Weisman, Marge Inden, and Bernice Brody StoryCorps Interview, Clip 5, 2008


2:19 minutes (2.13 MB)
Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Renee Weisman, Bernice Brody, and Marge Inden recall an event held in the early 1990s by the Mid Hudson Section of the Society of Women Engineers. Weisman describes the feedback she received after giving a talk on how to “balance the guilt” of raising a family and holding a professional career at the same time. Brody describes how much she related to a SWE member who announced at the event that her professional career made her a better mother at home. Inden explains that while their event normally would have been covered in the women's section of the local paper, she was able to get it covered in the paper's business section.

Weisman, Inden, and Brody all began their engineering careers at IBM. After nearly 40 years with the company, Weisman retired in 2007 as a distinguished engineer and director of engineering and has since started a leadership consulting firm. Inden transitioned from a career in engineering to one in the financial sector and is currently a senior registered client service associate at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Brody is currently and executive project manager at IBM Global Services. Inden is a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers and a member of the Board of Trustees. Brody has served in numerous positions in SWE, and is currently the Speaker of the Senate.

This recording is Clip 5 of 5. Click on the "Weisman / Inden / Brody Interview" link above to find all clips from the interview. Click on the "2008 StoryCorps Interviews" link above to find all audio recordings from the 2008 SWE StoryCorps interviews.

This oral history interview was recorded November 7, 2008 at the Society of Women Engineers WE08 National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland as part of StoryCorps (www.storycorps.net), a nationwide initiative of Sound Portraits Productions to record and collect oral history interviews. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length and clarity. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.