Dear WIED Member:
We have an excellent slate of candidates for our 2010-2012 elections. Below is the list of candidates and their statements. After that are the instructions on how to cast your ballot. Deadline May 1, 2010!
The WIED Board positions for 2010-2012 are:
-Chair: Mara Wasburn
-Program Chair: Donna Reese
-Past Chair: Bevlee Watford (These three positions are automatic progressions.)
-Program Chair-Elect: Program Chair-Elect becomes the Program Chair after 2 years as Program Chair-Elect, then becomes the Division chair after 2 years as Program Chair. The Program Chair is responsible for (1) announcing the Call for Abstracts to the WIED membership and beyond as necessary, (2) Coordinating the Abstract Review Process including obtaining reviewers and assigning abstracts for review, (3) coordination of the full paper submission process, (4) coordinating the paper review process, (5) organizing the submitted papers into sessions, (6) other conference program details as necessary. This is a six year commitment.
·CANDIDATE 1: Dr. Kristen Constant is an Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Iowa State University. She has been a member of ASEE and WIED since 1993 and has contributed presentations and papers and organized a poster session for ADVANCE institutions. She is involved ISU's AVANCE program as the college of engineering Equity Advisor and has participated in institutional transformation efforts toward increasing the participation and advancement of women on STEM faculties. She has been involved in administration at ISU at the departmental level (as Asst. Chair) and at the university level as Provost faculty fellow for strategic planning and university accreditation. Dr. Constant has a passion for research on women. Her research on gender science includes work on unintended bias in hiring and promotion and factors affecting promotion and advancement. Her physical research is primarily in the area of photonic band gap materials where she has co-authored over 40 papers and 3 patents with 3 more patents pending.
·CANDIDATE 2: Write-in candidate
- Secretary. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the Division. This would include monthly board teleconferences and the annual meeting minutes. This position has a 2-year term.
·CANDIDATE 1: Brian Kirkmeyer has served as Assistant Dean and Instructor for the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Miami University in Oxford, OH, since 2006. Prior to this, he was a Research Scientist at International Flavors & Fragrances in Union Beach, NJ, from 2003-2006, as well as a Project Engineer with Delco Electronics (now part of Delphi Automotive Systems) in Kokomo, IN, from 1995-1997. He earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science & Engineering in 2003 from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA, and his B.S. in Materials Science & Engineering from Purdue University in 1995. “Throughout my professional career, I have experienced the impact of women on the various fields of engineering and science. My wife is a scientist, every one of my professional supervisors is a woman in engineering, and my doctoral thesis advisor is a woman in engineering. It is a unique position for a man to be in, and though I have never thought “wow, I have a female engineer as a supervisor”, I realize the positive influence it has had on me. I better understand what women have gone through in their careers and know that I can play a distinct role in helping more women enter and thrive in the fields of engineering. I want to set the stage for my young daughters to blossom into wonderful engineers or anything else they desire for a career and life.” I have recently been part of the team that developed the Mission and Vision for WIED, and that has encouraged me to try to help lead this wonderful division of ASEE as its Secretary. I will generate many ideas for the division and I have the drive to help make them realities. It is an important part of who I am and what I do professionally, and I hope to serve in the capacity of WIED Secretary. Thank you.
·CANDIDATE 2: Write-in candidate
- Director: At Large. (1 position open): Those elected to this position are assigned duties by the Division Chair, usually work on standing or ad hoc committees of the WIED. This Director at Large position will serve as the Assistant Webmaster. This position has a 2-year term.
·CANDIDATE 1: Mary Phelps is new to ASEE but has been an At Large member of the Society of Women Engineers since 1985, and ITEA (now ITEEA) since 2008. She holds a BSME from Union and is currently halfway through pursuit of a Master's in Technology Education at North Carolina A & T, with a special focus on improving numbers of women in engineering through Technology Education. In SWE, she has served as Member At Large (MAL) Council Rep several times since 1985, including present, and is FY11 chair-elect for the Society's Outreach committee. She retired early in 2007 as a GE executive after nearly 30 years in the energy business, to pursue her passion of improving underrepresentation of women in engineering through HEDGE Co, her consultancy working with educators and other adult influencers to direct more girls towards engineering and technology-based study. She has done a little web design and considers herself functional in Dreamweaver, i.e., nothing fancy! She brings the typical multi-tasking abilities to ASEE that many busy women have, and enjoys the relationships she develops in volunteer organizations. She will soon be relocating to San Diego, CA from North Carolina to resume her grandnanny duties following her student teaching.
·CANDIDATE 2: Write-in candidate
Instructions on how to vote:
You may cast your ballot by going to http://www.bagley.msstate.edu/vote/. Voting will close on May 1st, 2010. WIED members will need to enter their ASEE member number to vote.
Thank you for your support of the WIED!
Bev Watford
Chair, ASEE-WIED