uOttawa WISE has another fantastic speaker lined up. Lisa Rankin is a successful process engineer at Iogen, and she has in the past worked with scientists, engineers, military workers, and farmers alike! As part of our Inspiring Women Series, she’ll be sharing how to make your own “New Grad Development Program”, how to choose a mentor, and how to initiate new projects at work.

Join us Tuesday, February 28th in STE5084 (conference room) at 6 pm for what will undoubtedly be another awesome evening. As usual, tasty dinner and refreshments will be provided.

Bring your friends!

Don’t forget to stay connected:
We’ve got a new website! Find us at uottawawise.ca for all the latest updates and events.
Facebook Group: Women in Science and Engineering (uOttawa)

http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?ref=mb#!/group.php?gid=88075033117&ref=ts

Twitter: @uOttawaWISE
wise@uottawa.ca

From the first time I met you, I’ve declared my hatred for you. You’ve made me do things I don’t want to do. You’ve made me step out of my comfort zone time and time again. I can’t even count the number of nights I’ve lost sleep over you or the number of tears that I’ve cried. It is for these reasons that I’ve written you, my love, a poem straight from my heart.

I hate the way we started out, with calc and stats and chem.
I hate the things you made me learn, like joule and ppm.

I hate the way you stress me out, and make me want a beer.
I hate the way you test my skills, taking pleasure in my fear.

I hate the way you place yourself around my favourite bar.
La maison’s a place for me and friends, it’s our private “Jersey Shore”.

I hate the way you showed me how, all that I’ve been taught.
Actually fits together well, and stirs a second thought…

I hate the way you’ve let me see, that profs can be our friends.
And how they actually care for us (or maybe they pretend).

But mostly, I hate the way I don’t hate you. Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.

Chem eng, my love, we’ve had our ups and downs. It wasn’t until this past year, that I realized my infinite love for you. Even though our future together is certain, I look forward to where our love will take us. I can’t wait for us to be together again.

Sincerely yours,

Jamie xoxoxox

I cannot express what I feel for you in a regular letter, the emotions are too strong. After 20 years of knowing each other, four of which have led to an official relationship, the only way I can even come significantly close (p<0.05) to conveying my passion is to write you a love song. To be sung to the air of Bette Midler’s famous serenade, The Rose.

Some say love, it is a river
With complex ecology
Some say love, it is the receptor
That lead to transcription of genes
Some say love, it is a lobster
A crustacean in the sea.
I say love, it is the wonder,
I see in Biology.

It’s the years of careful studying
That made my knowledge of you so vast.
It’s your complexity that’s fascinating
That caught my interest so fast
It’s the hours in the lab toiling,
That made you such a blast,
And it’s the amazement never undying
That made my passion for you last

When my research is going too slowly
And labwork takes too long,
And I think that biology is only
For the genius and the strong,
I just remember the sense of marvel
When discovering organisms as a child
I have the privilege of the most incredible
Gift of studying life
Xoxo
Laurence

After a quick introduction she started to ask the group those interview questions that make you squirm in your seat: Who are you and what do you want to do? After trying to write my own slogan I realized that maybe the guy at the bus stop could describe me more concisely and clearly. She encouraged us write down our strengths and make a skills inventory, so that we’re never caught off guard in an impromptu elevator interview.

Kari’s presentation was all about maximizing connections or leveraging your network. She reminded us that we already have a rich network: think of all your profs, friends, and co-workers that you already know! We learned how to track and follow-up with our connections, and how to breach the employment subject with our dentist. In one anecdote she compared looking for a job to travelling to Hawaii or planning a wedding, telling us to put in your facebook status the same way you would if you were abroad and asking for help from friends and family like it’s your wedding you’re talking about.

As a nifty touch to the workshop, Kari provided to-do lists. At similar events I’ve left feeling inspired, but lack the direction to take action. But with specific tasks set out, I was in great shape to start networking. I was proud to hand out my business card the following weekend at the National Conference for Women in Engineering. Thanks Kari, for the great advice!

And thank you WISE, for hosting the event.

Zoe Ballantyne Heilig
BASc Chemical Engineering Candidate (2013)

uOttawaWISE has another awesome speaker lined up – this time, it’s Anne Coyle, founder of Bright Red Handle, communication specialists for the IT industry. Anne has a diverse background in math, computer science, and communications. As part of our Inspiring Women Series she’ll be sharing with us what she wishes she had known before starting her business, including: how to get repeat business, how to avoid the “I’m not charging enough” trap, and the pros and cons of working from home.

Join us Monday, November 21^st in STE5084 (conference room) at 6 pm for what will undoubtedly be another awesome evening. As usual, tasty dinner and refreshments will be provided.

Bring your friends!

As you may have noticed we’ve moved to our very own domain name this year, and been working hard to redesign our websites in what is most frequently described as an awesome way. I’m a bit of a verbose writer, but that comes with the territory of my second major. And with that tantalizing tidbit, I do welcome you to look at all the pages, including the newly written Executive page.

We’re also starting up a mentorship program, a forum and a whole pile of other things. keep watching this space for awesomeness as it happens.