Proceedings  of the 2006 WEPAN National Conference

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About WEPAN The mission of WEPAN (Women in Engineering Programs & Advocates Network) is to catalyze change that will lead to the enhanced success of all women engineers in academic and professional settings. Founded in 1990, WEPAN is internationally recognized for research into the status of women in engineering; conferences and other programs that support development of its members; and for leading systemic change in engineering. WEPAN served as the incubator for MentorNet, the electronic mentoring program for women in engineering and science; and led the national launch of Faculty for the Future, an online center that links a diverse pool of women and underrepresented minority candidates in engineering, science, and business with faculty and research positions at universities across the country. In 2002, WEPAN was honored with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. WEPAN has over 600 members from nearly 200 engineering schools, small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations, and non-profit organizations. A national non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization, WEPAN, at www.wepan.org, is led by a 16-person Board of Directors and has its headquarters in Denver, Colorado. WEPAN Professional Staff: C. Diane Matt, Executive Director Cathy Deno, Executive Assistant, Member Services Donna Ogrentz, Office Administrator

WELCOME From the President Welcome to Pittsburgh and to WEPAN's annual national conference. What a beautiful location, both the city and the William Penn Hotel! No wonder they call Pittsburgh a city of bridges, and what an appropriate theme for this year's conference. WEPAN has gone through a transformation over the past few years. We have restructured the Board of Directors, hired our first Executive Director, established a number of working committees, and redirected our strategy. We are now in a period of bridging the old with the new as we build on our accomplishments, pursue our strategy, and continue to strive toward our vision of achieving the full participation of women in engineering. Work is underway on several new strategic focus areas and this year's conference program highlights a number of them: effecting change within institutions of higher learning, supporting growth in the number of WIE programs, providing professional development opportunities for our members, leveraging the commitment of our corporate partners, providing conference sessions specifically geared towards our industry representatives, and increasing awareness of national policies related to underrepresented groups in STEM fields. The newly published strategic plan is available on our website at www.wepan.org. In accordance with our commitment to effecting change within higher education, we are pleased that Women in Engineering Leadership Institute (WELI) is offering a workshop in conjunction with our conference. Their focus on women faculty in engineering should precipitate much meaningful dialogue and potential collaboration. We hope you will find the conference program, networking, opportunities for partnerships, and commitment of so many individuals, institutions, and corporations inspiring. A very committed team of volunteers from across WEPAN has worked extremely hard to produce a conference that promises to support you in both your personal development and in your endeavors at your respective institutions, companies, and organizations. A special thanks to the 2006 WEPAN Conference Committee! I cannot close without extending a very enthusiastic welcome to all our newcomers – your participation is critical to keeping WEPAN energized, current, and effective as we bridge to the future. Thanks for being here. Enjoy the conference! Linda Scherr WEPAN President