Woodruff School Hosts Inaugural WoW Leadership Symposium
November 7, 2024
By Chloe Arrington
Last month, the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the Women of Woodruff (WoW) hosted the inaugural WoW Leadership Symposium for Georgia Tech undergraduate and graduate students. The event focused on career readiness, strategic networking, and effective leadership.
The symposium was divided into three sessions and a lunch for attendees who heard from industry leaders and participated in workshops. Attendees who completed all sessions earned the WoW Leadership Certification from the Woodruff School.
"I could tell the opportunity for them to earn the certification was important and motivated them to engage," said Jonathan Gaines, Associate Chair for Inclusive Excellence in the Woodruff School. "It not only provided the students with new leadership skills, but they also saw first-hand women in industry and allies promoting women empowerment."
Sessions were led by Woodruff School alumni recruited by WoW leadership and included Lindsey Fox, ME 2007, Director, Restaurant Financial Data & Systems, Chick-fil-A; Amy Price, ME 1978, Team Lead and Portfolio Evangelist for Product Marketing in the Client Solutions Group, Dell Technologies; Brian Rusch, ME 1996, Head of Research and Development for Siemens Electrical Products, Siemens; and James Washburn, ME 2002, Vice President and Segment Head of Circuit Protection & Controls, Siemens.
Two key focus areas for WoW are retention, which includes strategies for improved career readiness and mentoring, and rewards, which focuses on documentation and celebration of achievements. When members were planning events for the students this academic year, the leadership symposium was seen as an opportunity to support students in both areas by providing the leadership certification and connecting them with alumni.
During the symposium lunch, the students also had the opportunity to connect with members of the Woodruff School Young Alumni Council. This added additional value to the networking opportunities and allowed students to meet people in the early stages of their careers, the next milestone some students are preparing for.
Woodruff School corporate partners Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies and Woodward, Inc. sponsored the symposium. Representatives from both companies were invited to a VIP breakfast held before the event. The breakfast also allowed key stakeholders to learn about WoW membership and sponsorship opportunities and the Woodruff School's successes in supporting female students. Devesh Ranjan, Eugene C. Gwaltney, Jr., School Chair and professor, student leaders, alumni, and friends were also in attendance.
The Woodruff School aims to have 30% female enrollment by 2030, and the leadership symposium was a strategic effort to advance progress toward this goal.
Pictured left to right: Speakers and alumni James Washburn, Amy Price, Lindsey Fox, and Brian Rusch
Pictured: Associate Chair for Inclusive Excellence and alumnus Jonathan Gaines
Want to Support WoW?
Donations can be made anytime by visiting here and entering "WoW" for the gift in the designation box. New membership tiers are available for those who would like to make regular contributions:
- WoW Level = Minimum donation of $100 with a 3-year commitment
- Champion Level = Minimum donation of $500 with a 3-year commitment
- Inspiration Level = Minimum donation of $1,000 with a 3-year commitment
- Corporate = WoW ME/NRE Partners Program - $5,000
A complete list of tier benefits can be found on the WoW webpage.