An upcoming women’s networking event and panel

Anna Schneider

On Wednesday, November 14th, there will be a networking event for women put on by the Academy of Civil Engineers. The event will take place in 314 Butler-Carlton Hall from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. A group of female alumni from the Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering (CArEe) Department will be there to talk about their experiences in their respective industries - providing a great opportunity for any S&T student to listen and learn from their narratives.

These women are excited to share about how they have developed professional relationships. As students, it can be difficult to witness professional relationships forming, especially being surrounded by other students in the same age group. Having a group of alumni give their tips and tricks gives a great opportunity to learn these skills.

They will also discuss the importance of continuing education. Although graduation is one of the most important goals as students at S&T, continued education is crucial to success in the workforce, regardless of your industry and position. With a panel of successful women, more insight as to how to practically move forward with an education while maintaining a full-time job will be provided at this event.

Lastly, these female professionals will share their take on working a full-time or part-time job and having a family. Getting personal testimonies to a work-life balance is very helpful in planning ahead for students’ careers. Juggling college can be challenging and having another transition to a new balance can be intimidating upon entering the professional field. Figuring out how to manage two separate worlds becomes a lot easier with the help of this panel.

As successful alumni, they will also discuss technical and professional organizations. One of the best things about this campus is getting involved with unique extracurriculars. Leaving a busy schedule packed full of on-campus activities can be challenging. Having places to get involved professionally can make the transition from student to professional significantly smoother. With a deeper understanding of the steps these alumni took to get involved professionally, students can learn what might work well for them in terms of staying involved with a career.

The panel includes members from the Academy of Civil Engineering and notable alumni form the CArEe department. Becky Baltz, Marsia Geldert-Murphey, Stephanie Hall, Claudia Hoeft, Amy Strauss, Paula Hart, Stephanie Klueken, and Bailey Manula make up this established panel.

Becky Baltz has worked for the Missouri Department of Transportation which gave her the opportunity to work for state and city leaders which eventually led

SOURCE: Jody Seely

to her winning the Design Build Institute National Award for Excellence.

Marsia Geldert-Murphy worked for the Illinois Department of Transportation and eventually moved on to co-found a women-owned engineering group.

Stephanie Hall is the program director of National Geospatial Intelligence Agency’s N2W Project. She has received the Superior Civilian Service award and has held several positions with different U.S. Army Corps districts.

Claudia Hoeft is a hydraulic engineer and has authored portions of the NCRS National Engineering Handbook on Hydrology.

Amy Strauss is an internal coach for the CU Great Game of Business and has been very involved in professional organizations and served as the chairman for S&T’s Civil Engineering Department’s Advisory Council.

Paula Hart is the owner of Hart Engineering and remains active in alumni organizations and professional engineering organizations.

Stephanie Klueken works at Burns and McDonnell as a structural engineer and graduated from this university in 2015.

Bailey Manula is currently managing high voltage transmission substation projects at Burns and McDonnell.

Although this event is put on by the CArEe department, this panel is a great resource for any woman on campus regardless of their discipline. Getting personal testimonies from these alumni who have been through the S&T curriculum and experience can be very beneficial in establishing a presence in the professional world. With a variety of experiences and involvements brought by this panel, students can get a broad understanding of what steps these women have taken to get to the positions they currently hold. Please RSVP to Jody Seely (seelyj@mst.edu) to attend.