015 // Empowering Women in STEM with SWE Senator Danielle Schroeder

Engineering our Future: Empowering Engineers to Become Leaders Podcast

Full Show notes: https://www.luisfelipeduque.com/015

Danielle (Dani) Schroeder, EIT, CBSI graduated in 2017 from Drexel University and received her B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering through their accelerated degree program. She currently works as an Associate Bridge Engineer at Pennoni’s headquarters in their Transportation Division. Dani has worked at Pennoni since September 2014, first as a Drexel co-op, then part-time, before starting full-time in July 2017. She is a PennDOT-certified Bridge Safety Inspector and a licensed Engineer in Training who focuses on reconstruction and rehabilitation of bridges and other transportation-related structures. Dani has worked on a variety of projects, including the I-95 Central Access Philadelphia (CAP) project and the recently constructed retrofit of the Burlington-Bristol Bridge.

At Pennoni, Dani serves as chairperson of The Network, a committee that consists of representatives from across the company who serves as a think tank and sounding board for company-wide ideas and initiatives, and as a conduit between employees and executive management.

Dani is an advocate for STEM outreach, especially to inspire more women to pursue an engineering degree. She currently serves as a Senator for the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). The SWE Senate is responsible for chartering the strategic direction of SWE by being the voice of the Society and membership. She is also a board member of the local Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS) chapter and is a part of several committees for the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Questions Discussed During Interview (Time Stamps)

00:00 - Intro
[02:12] - Danielle Intro
[03:35] - Can you tell us a little about SWE and your involvement?
05:00 - How did you become a SWE senator?
14:09 - Here are some statistics from SWE about women in engineering -How can men empower women to pursue their dream career?
22:52 - How have the skills you have learned from SWE, ASCE, and SEI have made you a better engineer in the office?
26:10 - Are you an introvert or extrovert?
31:47 - What advice do you have for young women in engineering starting college or thinking about starting a career in STEM?
36:46 - Talking about tennis and how it relates to engineering
38:44 - What is one thing you would change from your past?
41:15 - How can we continue Engineering our Future?
42:16 - Connect with Dani
43:17 - Outro

Resources mentioned in this episode:

SWE’s Nominating Committee, Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCk7gbqimRg
Leadership Competency Model: https://swe.org/learning/leadership-competency-model/
SWE Nominating Committee: https://swe.org/about-swe/governance/committees/nominating-committee/
Quiet by Susan Cain: https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Power-Introverts-World-Talking/dp/0307352153/ref=sr_1_2?crid=17QRHSE7WPI9G&dchild=1&keywords=quiet+by+susan+cain&qid=1600742887&sprefix=quiet+by+su%2Caps%2C248&sr=8-2
PPI discount: www.luisfelipeduque.com/PPI2Pass

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