The turkey, however small this year, is long gone, and we remain eager for a time when we go back to living in ‘precedented’ times. But, these times have pushed our creativity and ability to reach each other and to consider new opportunities and address new policies and community. The Advisory Boards for the WiE Center met earlier this term. One area of focus in our discussions was how to make clear that the Center is here as a stronghold of inclusion and diversity as a whole, and not only to support female engineers. We aim to continue embracing this mission, and welcome any suggestions and ideas on how best to promote it to GW students, faculty, staff and alumni.

As students prepare for finals and then metaphorically head for home, mentoring relationships established through the Center are continuing. A new cohort of mentors and mentees will be formed in the first weeks of the Spring term. We are eager to expand our mentoring teams, and several mentors are awaiting matchups with mentees, ideally in disciplines of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Systems Engineering. Apply to mentor or be mentored at this link.

Students are also looking ahead to Summer internships and after-graduation jobs or futher studies. We asked six recent graduates from across the SEAS disciplines to share their experiences in trying to decide what to do after graduation, especially as they searched during the early days of the COVID pandemic. The hour-long webinar was outstanding (view it here). Spoiler alert – among other things, the women stressed 1) Don’t stress! It's OK to take your time, there is no deadline; 2) Think about what your passion is and follow that; and 3) Use your network!

We'll be back with the next WiE newsletter in January 2021. Wishing you all a safe and relaxing Holiday Season - remember to stay physically distant and socially connected, and wash your hands. 

Shelly Heller
WiE Center Director