The Fieldbus Center at Lee College in Baytown, Texas (www.knowthebus.org) will host a meeting of the Nexus of Instrumentation Women (NIW) on Thursday, September 14, 2006. The meeting will provide an opportunity for women involved in the instrumentation industry to discuss their daily work life and share common insights and experiences.
Comprised of current students and alumni of Lee College, the Nexus of Instrumentation Women was formed with the expressed goal of increasing the presence of women in the instrumentation workforce. As a National Science Foundation (NSF) initiative, the group provides mentoring opportunities between women studying in the instrumentation field and those professionally employed within it.
The inaugural meeting of NIW was held in June, with attendees identifying initial action items for the group, including: establish a career mentoring program for women; identify the importance of career goals; provide a forum for discussion of workplace issues, increase awareness of possible career directions; promote useful organizations, and share information regarding employment opportunities.
Nexus of Instrumentation Women was conceived by Fieldbus Center staff members Marsha Swimmer and Jessica Schrock, in collaboration with Lee College instrumentation faculty member Richard Unstall. Mary Cannon, of Tyco Controls and an Instrumentation Systems and Automation Society (ISA)
officer, volunteered her time and expertise in the creation of the group.
An upcoming activity of NIW will be participation in Young Automation Professional (YAP) Fest, to be held during ISA EXPO 2006, October 17-19, 2006, in Houston, TX. Plans for YAP Fest will be finalized during the September 14 meeting. All instrumentation industry newcomers, students and professionals are invited to attend. For additional information, contact Jessica Schrock at 832 556-4446 or [email protected].
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