Registration Open for BEACH Women in Engineering Conference

Registration is now open for the BEACH Women in Engineering Conference, an in-person event celebrating and supporting CSULB’s vibrant and growing community of women studying engineering and computer science.

The one-day event will run from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 9 in the CSULB University Student Union. It will feature speakers at all career levels from a broad array of engineering companies, including Abbott, Alcon, Amazon, Applied Medical, Boeing, Google, Medtronic, Northrop Grumman, Romeo Power, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Co., Sundt, Swinerton, Teichert Construction, and many others.

Highlights include two Tech Tracks with high-level panelists discussing opportunities and challenges for future technologies such as Biotech, Clean Power, Data Science, Infrastructure, Intellectual Property and Wearable Computing. A Professional Track will provide tools for establishing a strong career foundation, with sessions on Using Social Media, Developing Soft Skills, and Overcoming the Imposter Syndrome. And speakers from the Aerospace, Computer Science, and Construction industries will share insights into working in those engineering fields.

Alumna Georgia Griffiths, a trailblazer who started G2 Software Systems in 1989, will be the keynote speaker.

“We hope the women studying engineering and computer science at Cal State Long Beach and surrounding colleges will join us at the conference, not only to mingle and network, but to receive career-defining insights from our panels of speakers,” said College of Engineering Dean Jinny Rhee. “This is an opportunity to compare notes with women from other engineering majors and build community, and we hope those who attend come away enlightened and inspired.”

A conference highlight is Coaching Circles, hosted by 100+ Women Strong, a community of industry professionals to help empower young women to see themselves as engineers and form a strong engineering identity that inspires us to reach our full potential. Coaching Circles are a trusting environment where a small group of students meet together, guided by a female professional, to build skills and relationships and to learn from one another.

This year’s Coaching Circle topics are Building and Maintaining Networks, How to Find Internships, Importance of Mentorship, Starting a New Job, and Finding the Right Engineering Major.  Coaching Circles formed the core of the college’s March 22021 Women in Engineering Workshop and back in 2022 by popular demand.

Nationwide, only one in five engineering graduates are women. Although CSULB has increased the number of women who graduate with engineering and computer science degrees, more must be done.

“The research says that the stronger the engineering identity, the more likely women are to get a degree and persist in the field after graduation,” said Dorothy Benveniste, a former Boeing project engineer and this year’s Conference Chair. “The mission of 100+ Women Strong is to inspire, motivate, and support young women to strengthen their identities as engineers.”   

The $15 fee to attend covers breakfast and lunch, in addition to a conference t-shirt and swag bag. Space is limited. Some volunteer opportunities are available. Sign up at www.csulb.edu/beach-wie to save your spot.

The conference is being supported by a broad array of engineering companies, including: Southern California Edison, P2S Engineering, Swinerton, Sundt Construction, Rolls-Royce, CSULB computer science alumni Timothy Mahoney, and 100+ Women Strong members.

To find out more, visit www.csulb.edu/beach-wie.

 

 

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