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Women's Affinity Alliance Event hosted by Mortenson Construction
MSOE Diercks Computational Science Hall
1025 N. Milwaukee St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Wednesday, November 06, 2019, 4:00 AM - 7:00 PM CDT
Category: Women's Affinity Alliance

Women's Affinity Alliance Event
"Improving Recruitment and Retention in Careers and Industries Where Women are Traditionally Underrepresented"
hosted by Mortenson Construction
 

Date: November 6, 2019
Time:
4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Location:
MSOE Diercks Computational Science Hall;
1025 N. Milwaukee St. 

Agenda: 

4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. | Registration & Networking
4:45 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. | Program with Panel Discussion and Group Discussions 
6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. | Networking Reception and Building Tours

Event Description:
K12 schools are embracing STEM education. The percentage of female students interested in preparing for a STEM career is on the rise. But why is it that women in industries/careers where they are traditionally underrepresented don't persist once they land their first STEM career? What impact is that having on organizations? How can ERGs make a difference? This event will focus on the proven strategies member ERGs have implemented to be the change they want to see in their current and future workplaces. 

Panelists: 
Alice Westphal, Superintendent, Mortenson and MSOE alumnus
Zaida Hernandez-Irisson, MSOE Student 
Shalini Badhwar, Software Engineering Manager, Direct Supply

Moderator: 
Mary Burgoon, Business Development Manager, Academy of Advanced Manufacturing, Rockwell Automation

About our Panelists: 
Shalini Badhwar, Software Engineering Manager, Direct Supply
Shalini Badhwar is a Software Engineering Manager at Direct Supply. She leads product delivery teams and has a passion for developing people. Shalini sits on the board for STEM Forward and is committed to providing STEM opportunities to kids of all ages with a goal of inspiring a future ready STEM workforce. She is also on the leadership team for the Women’s Initiative Network at Direct Supply and seeks to bring awareness to topics that impact women, produce meaningful dialog, and create an environment where women feel they can thrive professionally. Prior to joining Direct supply, 8 years ago, Shalini took time off to raise a family. Shalini personally understands the need to be able to support women holistically through life's journey. Shalini went to school for Electrical engineering in India and has worked with Schneider Electric, GE and a couple startups.

Mary Burgoon, Business Development Manager, Academy of Advanced Manufacturing, Rockwell Automation

Mary Burgoon is the Business Development Manager for the Academy of Advanced Manufacturing at Rockwell Automation. In this role she is responsible for leading the development and implementation of strategies and programs that address customer challenges with innovative solutions to address workforce challenges in Advanced Manufacturing. Prior to her current role, she worked in Global Strategic Industry Marketing at Rockwell Automation and has broad experience in engineering, manufacturing, sales, marketing and government affairs for Rockwell Automation and other Industrial firms. Mary is a graduate of Loyola University with a Masters of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Missouri at Rolla.

Zaida Hernandez-Irisson, MSOE Student and Engineer, FISCHER USA 
Zaida Hernandez-Irisson is an engineer and a mentor. A senior at Milwaukee School of Engineering, Zaida also works in the engineering department at FISCHER USA. She’s the first in her family to attend college, and she’s now involved in several programs that allow her to mentor young girls interested in engineering. She wants to help them believe in themselves, to succeed. The obstacles she overcame in her own life to become an engineer make her uniquely positioned to help others break through such barriers as language, financial issues, or the difficulty of the field. Zaida began her engineering education at Gateway Technical College, where she earned her associates degree in both biomedical engineering technology and electrical engineering technology. During her time there, she was named the Student Star Ambassador and Ambassador to the Wisconsin Technical College System, giving her the opportunity to share her story of perseverance.

Alice Westphal, Superintendent, Mortenson 
With over 20 years of experience in the construction industry, Alice has helped build projects throughout Wisconsin serving in a variety of roles. Early in her career, Alice focused on the mechanical, electrical and plumbing components of projects before transitioning to a project manager role and then to her current role as superintendent. Alice's most recent project was the $34 million MSOE Dwight and Dian Diercks Computational Science Hall project, a project on her alma mater's campus. In addition to her client work, Alice is a true mentor to others. She helped develop Mortenson’s Milwaukee Office Leaders-in-Training (LIT) Program and is a  leader of Mortenson’s Women Advancing Mortenson ERG group. Alice earned a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering.  


Online registration is now closed. Please email Kelsiee at [email protected] to register. 
WAA Members | No-Cost
Non-WAA Members | $40


Contact: TEMPO Milwaukee; [email protected] | (414) 301-6680