St. Louis ASHRAE is reaching out to see if there is general interest in forming a “Women in Engineering” affinity group in St. Louis.
The mission statement is:
The focus of the Women in Engineering group within ASHRAE is to facilitate the retention of women working in the built environment by encouraging opportunities for professional development, expanding leadership skills, and creating a network of women supporting women.
There are several other Women in Engineering (WiE) affinity groups within ASHRAE Society. These WiE groups also work with organizations such as IES, IEEE, etc. These WiE groups have quarterly happy hours, networking events, and foster mentoring relationships.
Additional details about a potential WiE affinity group are listed below:
- The primary focus of the group will be the retention of women in the engineering industry.
- This group targets female engineers working in the built environment.
- This group will differ from Society of Women Engineers (SWE), because it focuses on women currently working in the industry rather than solely on encouraging women to work in an engineering field.
- This group will also differ from SWE because it is targeted for college graduates only.
- At the ASHRAE Annual Meeting in Atlanta, a Presidential ad-hoc committee was formed to explore the more permanent existence of a WiE affinity group within ASHRAE Society.
- More information can found at the WiE ASHRAE – Women in Engineering Facebook page.
In addition to looking for general interest in forming a “Women in Engineering” affinity group in St. Louis, we are also looking for 1-2 people to co-chair the group. Responsibilities would include organizing events and sending out email announcements. The St. Louis ASHRAE Board of Governors will help get the group started and provide support as needed. Many additional resources would be available, including contacts at other WiE groups within ASHRAE.
So if you’re interested in being involved, here’s what you need to do:
- Attend the kickoff gathering at Bonefish Grill in Brentwood on October 29th at 6pm!
- Email us at ashraestl@gmail.com and let us know how you would like to be involved! Do you want to help lead the group? Do you just want this group to exist so you can regularly attend events?
- If this group exists, what type of events would you like to see? How regularly do you think events should be held?
- What other resources would you want to get out of the group?
- Also, pass the word along! Forward this information to any friends and co-workers you think might be interested.
