2007 SWE Region D Conference to be Held at UA

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Society of Women Engineers will hold their 2007 Region D Conference at The University of Alabama from March 2-4.

The workshops offered at the conference are aimed at increasing the members’ exposure to future engineering technologies, instilling an appreciation of interdisciplinary teamwork, and providing opportunities for professional growth.

The agenda will include a session with Dr. Dan Turner, director of University Transportation Center for Alabama, who will speak on the nature of terrorism and its implications on the careers of engineers. In addition, Dr. Clark Midkiff, director of UA’s Center for Advanced Vehicle Technology, will lead a discussion on advances in renewable energy sources.

One of the highlights of the conference will be the awards banquet on Saturday night with the 2003 national SWE president, Alma Martinez-Fallon, as the keynote speaker. Approximately 180 participants are registered for the event.

SWE, founded in 1950, is a non-profit educational and service organization that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career aspiration for women. The Southeast Region, known as Region D, includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Puerto Rico.

In 1837, The University of Alabama became one of the first five universities in the nation to offer engineering classes. Today, UA’s fully accredited College of Engineering has about 1,900 students and nearly 100 faculty. In the last seven years, students in the College have been named USA Today All-USA College Academic Team members, Goldwater scholars, Hollings scholars and Portz scholars.