May 2024 – Events

May 17th – Women’s Panel on “Journey to Board Leadership” with Jane Arnold and Erika Peterman.
Click here for more information.

May 30th – “The Rockstar Experience” presented by Amy Gerhartz
Click here for more information.

April 2024 – Earth Day Event

SWE CM is inviting to join for an in-person volunteer event:
Litter Cleanup AND MORE at Mason Wallace Park – EARTH DAY 2024

Where? Mason Wallace Park, 7301 Monroe Road, Charlotte, NC 28212
When? April 20th 10am-12pm EST

March 2024 Meeting

March is Women’s History Month! Please join us for a relevant topic with Jill Tietjen!

When: March 20th @12pm EST

Title: Amazing Women in STEM

Summary: The square bottom paper bag. The first effective childhood leukemia drug. The computer compiler. The field of industrial engineering. Water quality standards. What do each of these have in common? A woman championed or invented each one. Unfortunately, few members of the public know these women’s names or know of their accomplishments. Ms. Tietjen will discuss these amazing and diverse STEM women through history and bring their accomplishments to light. The presentation will close with a Q&A session.

Presented by: Jill S. Tietjen, P.E.

Speaker Bio:

Ms. Tietjen is the President and CEO of Technically Speaking, Inc. An electrical engineer, she has spent more than 45 years in the electric utility industry here she provided planning consulting services to electric utilities and organizations comprising the electric utility industry and served as an expert witness before public utility commissions and other government agencies. In 2015, she served as the CEO of the National Women’s Hall of Fame, based in Seneca Falls, New York (the birthplace of women’s rights). Today, she is a worldwide advocate for telling women’s stories and writing women into history.

An author (14 books published to date) and international speaker, Tietjen is the co-author of the award-winning and bestselling books Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Changed America and Hollywood: Her Story, An Illustrated History of Women and the Movies. Her latest award-winning book (2022) is Over, Under, Around, and Through: How Hall of Famers Surmount Obstacles. Her introduction to engineering textbook, Keys to Engineering Success, was published by Prentice Hall in 2001. Her ebook for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Women in Engineering series titled Recognizing and Taking Advantage of Opportunities was published in 2016. She is the series editor for Springer’s Women in Engineering and Science series, has written two volumes in the series and has served as co-volume editor for three volumes. She blogged for The Huffington Post from 2014-2018.

Tietjen has received numerous awards and honors including Women eNews 21 Leaders of the 21st Century (2016); the 2001 Woman in Technology Award from the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, Subaru, and News4; Tau Beta Pi’s Distinguished Alumna Award; and she was named a Woman of Distinction by Girl Scouts – Mile Hi Council. In 2017, she received the Advocate for Women and Girls Award from Girl Scouts of Colorado and the General Palmer Award from ACEC-Colorado. She served as the 1991-1992 National President of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). She was the first woman president of the Rocky Mountain Electrical League, the trade association in the West serving the electric utility industry. Tietjen is a member of the Board of Directors for Georgia Transmission Corporation of Tucker, Georgia and served as an outside director for Merrick & Company of Greenwood Village, Colorado from 2010-2021. She has been inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, the Colorado Author’s Hall of Fame and the National Academy of Construction. Her story, titled “Engineering Women Back into History,” was aired on Rocky Mountain PBS as part of the Great Colorado Women film series and is accessible through the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame web site film library. 

Tietjen graduated from the University of Virginia (Tau Beta Pi, Virginia Alpha) with a B.S. in Applied Mathematics (minor in Electrical Engineering) and received her M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina – Charlotte. She is a registered professional engineer in Colorado.

February 2024 Meeting

Join us for an informative meeting about AI!

When: Feb. 22nd, 12pm EST

Title: “From Hype to Confidence: Navigating AI in Your Daily Life”

Summary: This presentation aims to demystify artificial intelligence (AI) for non-practitioners by removing technical jargons and focusing on practical applications. Beginning with a gentle introduction to AI and its evolution, the discussion progresses to recent advancements in Generative AI. Practical tips for using Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Midjourney etc are shared, empowering the audience to confidently integrate AI into their personal and professional lives. The talk also addresses the importance of Responsible AI usage and mitigating associated risks.

Presented by: Balaji Chandrasekaran

Speaker Bio:

Seasoned professional in the field of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. He is currently employed as the Lead Data Scientist for Digitalization at Schaeffler, where he also proudly serves as the company’s Ambassador for Data Science & AI Digitalization. Balaji’s contributions to AI were recognized in 2023 when he was honored with the Top 50 AI Contributor award by the CDAO circle in both North and South Carolina. His expertise has been honed over 15 years in the industry, during which time he has served as the technical lead for wireless communications and the medical devices industry.He holds a Master of Science in Signal Processing and an MBA in Digital Transformation and Data Analytics from the University of California, Irvine. His educational background has equipped him with a deep understanding of the digital landscape, enabling him to spearhead innovative initiatives and drive digital transformation in his roles. Beyond his professional commitments, Balaji Chandrasekaran is a strong advocate for diversity in the workplace. He firmly believes in the importance of diverse perspectives and inclusivity in fostering innovation and productivity. In his leisure time, enjoys playing tennis.