#BigBeacon Twitter chat – Mar 2 – Entrepreneurial Engineers for Social Good

Engineers make a world of difference and help shape our future. They creatively collaborate to create the technologies that improve our health, happiness, and safety. In addition to contributing to the ubiquitous engineered technologies that make our lives safer, more enjoyable, and more productive, many engineers also use their incredibly transferable skillsets to contribute to social good.

The March 2 #BigBeacon Twitter chat topic will be entrepreneurial engineers for social good, and we will have a fantastic panel of female engineers who’ve used their engineering skills to make a difference in our world!

The discussion questions will relate on how to gain the skills and opportunities to contribute to the larger social good, and how engineering education today can be transformed to create a new generation of engineers with the skillsets and courage to transform our world for good.

Join us on March 2 to share your ideas on creating emotionally intelligent, entrepreneurially minded, culturally aware, and socially motivated engineers.

 

Host

Dr. Meagan Pollock

Meagan Pollock is the Director of Professional Development for the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity. In this role, Meagan leads a national team of equity professionals that build educators’ capacity to implement effective solutions for increasing student access, educational equity and workforce diversity. Before turning her focus on the intersection of education and equity, Meagan worked as an engineer for Texas Instruments. Meagan was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, and she holds a PhD in engineering education from Purdue University, a MS in electrical engineering from Texas Tech University, and a BS in computer science from Texas Woman’s University. As an engineer turned educator, Meagan is focused on engineering equity into education.

Web: www.MeaganPollock.com
Work: www.napequity.org
Connect: LinkedIN | Twitter

Special Guest Panelists

Chanceé Lundy

Chanceé Lundy is a community conscious engineer and co-owner of Nspiregreen LLC. She has nearly twelve years of experience working on environmental projects and over sixteen years facilitating community trainings, workshops, and organizing both domestically and internationally. She has given numerous talks around the importance of STEM education. Chanceé is a former National Chair of the National Society of Black Engineers. She holds a BS in environmental science from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University and a MS in Civil Engineering from Florida State University.

Wanda Gass

An advocate for young women and girls to pursue high-demand jobs in Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM), Wanda Gass brings a passion to her role as President of Design Connect Create. Wanda completed her B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering at Rice University and her M.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering at Duke University. Wanda’s first engineering job was with Texas Instruments where she worked for 31 years. At TI she was elected TI Fellow for her pioneering work in the development of TI’s first Digital Signal Processor (DSP). Wanda’s many innovations have led to successful commercialization of technology that has changed the way people around the world live, learn, work and play. Among her many accolades, Wanda received the 2011 Tech Titans Community Hero Award for her work in creating new programs for young women and girls in the Dallas area.

Debjani Biswas

Debjani Biswas is an author, international speaker, change agent and STEM Advocate. She has a unique and eclectic combination of executive and corporate experience (21 years at PepsiCo and Texas Instruments) and education (BS Chemical Engineering, MBA, MS Org. Strategy, Professional Certified Coach). Ms. Biswas applies an engineering mindset of data harvesting and pattern recognition for improved results in the classroom and workplace. Her first book Unleash the Power of Diversity is in B&N stores, and was a NAPE Book Club selection. Ms. Biswas recently completed a US Barnes & Noble Author Book Tour. Her original frameworks on stereotyping, bias and diversity solutions are being used in 23 countries. Forthcoming books: ‘Miserably Successful No More’ and ‘A Power Paradox: Gender Matters’ (Publication Date TBD).

Erica Lee Garcia 

From Walkerton, Ontario, Erica has a background in Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Automotive Manufacturing, and is a Professional Engineer. A member of the Toronto Professional Chapter, Erica also has training in coaching, non-profit management, and online entrepreneurship.
Currently, Erica is starting up Engineers of Tomorrow, a new venture in partnership with Engineers Without Borders Canada that inspires the next generation of game-changers and problem-solvers through effective, impactful engineering outreach to youth and the general public. In addition, Erica founded Erica Lee Consulting to assist companies in embracing leaner, more efficient, less impactful and saner ways of working, and Engineer Your Life to help recent engineering grads find confidence and clarity in their life choices.

Veronica Davis

Veronica O. Davis, PE is transportation nerd who uses her knowledge to spark progressive social change in the community. Currently, She is a co-owner and Principal Planning Manager at Nspiregreen LLC. In July 2012, the White House recognized her as a Champion of Change and Transportation Innovator for her professional accomplishments and community advocacy in the District of Columbia. Veronica is one of the co-founders of Black Women Bike (BWB), an organization and movement that encourages African American women to use biking for health and wellness as well as an alternative form of transportation for commuting. She holds a dual Masters Degrees (Engineering Management and Regional Planning) from Cornell University and a B.S in civil engineering from the University of Maryland. She is a registered professional engineer in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia. (LinkedIN)

Elizabeth Biddle 

A native of Central Pennsylvania, Liz always had a love for science and engineering. Her education includes an A.A.S. in Plastics and Polymer Technology and a B.S. in Plastics and Polymer Engineering Technology from Pennsylvania College of Technology. She earned her MBA from Eastern University. Her professional experience is a unique combination of engineering, sales, workforce development, training, project management, grant writing, and fundraising. She worked with a talented team to deliver SMART Girls, a summer camp that engaged young girls in STEM careers including manufacturing, 3D printing, and information technology. She also hosted numerous workshops for educators (secondary and postsecondary) about gender equity in education and provided simple strategies to immediately implement in classrooms. In her newest role, she engineers relationships between Pennsylvania College of Technology and corporate partners and foundations to support education and students through scholarships, equipment donations, and grants.

How to Twitter Chat

If you’ve never Twitter chatted before, don’t worry; it’s very easy! First, get a Twitter account if you don’t already have one, and log in. At 8 PM ET on Wednesday go to twitter.com and type #BigBeacon into the search box on Twitter. Thereafter all the tweets with the hashtag #BigBeacon will show up on your Twitter page. To participate, simply express your opinion by sending a tweet, and be sure to append the hashtag #BigBeacon so other members of the Twitter Chat see you are posting. Alternatively, automate the hashtag search and append feature by using the free service Tchat at http://www.tchat.io.

Co-Sponsor

This chat is co-sponsored by the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity. NAPE is a consortium of state and local agencies, corporations, and national organizations. Through its four lines of business—professional development, technical assistance, research and evaluation, and advocacy—NAPE strives to achieve its mission of building educators’ capacity to implement effective solutions for increasing student access, educational equity, and workforce diversity. Learn more at napequity.org.