Discussions & Questions - Recent Threads

Emerson's Women in STEM and Puffer-Sweiven workplace education session at Rogerdale facility | 10 warning signs of Alzheimer's disease and the benefits of early detection

jesse.moralina — Mon, 02 Aug 2021 20:47:19 GMT

Emerson's Women in STEM and Puffer-Sweiven recently sponsored a workplace education session at the Emerson Rogerdale facility, educating employees on the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer's disease and the benefits of early detection. The interactive workshop served as a kickoff to a series of further education sessions for Emerson and Puffer and will also be extended to further connect with customers.

Sue Ooi, Emerson's Women in STEM Gulf Leader and Marketing Chair of the Ft Bend Walk to End Alzheimer’s planning committee, stated, "More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, of whom two-thirds are women. Over 11 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer's or others dementias - Women also account for 60 percent of caregivers of those afflicted with Alzheimer's disease."

Kirk Emiliani, Executive Vice President Puffer-Sweiven and Chair, Ft Bend Walk to End Alzheimer’s planning committee, said, "Alzheimer's and dementia deaths have increased 16% during the COVID pandemic and comparatively, while deaths from heart disease decreased 7.3% between 2000 and 2019, deaths from Alzheimer's have increased 145% in the same timeframe. We want to educate our employees and customers on the early warning signs and providing them with resources on who they can reach out to should the need arise. We also want to help separate myth from reality and address commonly-held fears about Alzheimer's in America."

The Workplace Education Program was created by the Alzheimer's Association to help businesses of all types and sizes address the growing challenges posed by Alzheimer’s disease and other chronic conditions causing individuals to need care.

A big thank you to Fredy Batres, Bruce Mills, the Alzheimer’s Association, Emerson, Puffer-Sweiven and everyone that attended the event for supporting this important course.

International Women's Day 2021

Tracy — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 17:16:39 GMT

Join us to celebrate International Women’s Day in Emerson.

March 08th @09:00 - 10:30 GMT

#SheInspires.

Join our event and celebrate our inspiring colleagues sharing their stories and what/who inspired them.

Collectively, we can all work to help shape an inclusive world where diversity is valued for creating workplaces where women’s careers can thrive.

Our speakers are:

Alina Negru
Ana Gonzalez Hernandez
Rico Yao
Gertjan Ven der van
Evangeline Cousot
Roel Van Doren

Act for equality

Click Attendees’ LINK to join.

Free Webinar Series: Trusting Ourselves and Owning our Stories

Rachelle McWright — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 16:50:58 GMT

To know me is to know that I live for Playing Big. Wanted to share info with the group on this free upcoming webinar series by author Tara Mohr and actress Lili Taylor (LOVE). Hope everyone is staying safe and remaining relatively sane during these crazy times. And, perhaps I'll get to see some familiar faces in Zoom: https://www.taramohr.com/trusting/

Check out this STELLAR Event on the Importance of Diversity in Science

Rachelle McWright — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 17:19:36 GMT

Big 'Hat tip' to my Alma Mater, The Ohio State University, for this hosting this virtual conference. Visit this link to register and for more info on their ongoing webinar series which spotlights underrepresented scientists and their important work...https://astronomy.osu.edu/outreach/making-space

To Achieve Gender Equality, We Must Change Our Own Mindset

Aishwarya Dubey — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 19:13:12 GMT

I wanted to pass along a link to one of my blogs which got published on the Society of Women Engineers ‘All Together’ website.

The article discusses how we, as women, need to change our mindsets to achieve gender equality.

https://alltogether.swe.org/2020/05/changed-mindset-for-gender-equality/

https://emerson.sharepoint.com/sites/OneEmerson-Diversity-WISTEM/SitePages/SWEBlogPost.aspx

Please do take time to read it and let me know your comments.

We need that this share point explodes! we need to boost the Women in Stem movement worldwide

Tati — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 16:38:36 GMT

I am new hire at Emerson Automation Solutions in Costa Rica, and I am really passionate about Women in Finance , Technology and Science. I have been searching how to participate , information available and more about Women Stem everyday since day one .

I think that we can do many things within the women in STEM initiative for all chapters and maybe could be great more posts related to, for 2020 specially in this difficult and challenging year.

Stay Safe and active.

Most Viewed Women in STEM Blogs for 2019

Chelsea McGovern — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 22:36:45 GMT

Did work-life juggling cause you to miss reading one of our top Women in STEM blogs? No problem! Grab a cup of coffee and check out some of our best content on working abroad, authenticity, involvement, reflection and reenvisioning yourself from 2019!

1. Costa Rica to the US: 5 Tips To Take Home While Working Abroad

2. Three Generations of Women Engineers: A 2019 Mother's Day Reflection

3. Using Authenticity as Your Strategic Advantage: A Story

4. Getting Involved: Why I Joined an Employee Resource Group

5. Want to Reinvent Yourself in 2019? A Stretch Assignment May Be the Answer

Female Frontier 2020 Honorees

Chelsea McGovern — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 22:30:29 GMT

The Female Frontier Awards honors groundbreaking women across marketing, media, advertising, and technology. This article features the honorees and their shining talents. Take a moment to applaud these women and check out their achievements!

https://www.campaignlive.com/article/campaign-us-unveils-female-frontier-2020-honorees/1671130

3 "Self-Improvement" Book Recommendations for 2020

Chelsea McGovern — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 16:51:01 GMT

I've always been an absolute bibliophile. Books provide a perspective that can get me out of my own head and get me moving in the right direction (or sometimes in any direction.) So, every year I make a goal to read at least one book a month. Here are some highly regarded and recommended books in the "self-improvement" category that are on my list this year.

Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World (Recommended by a Google Executive, Annie Jean-Baptiste.)
The "More or Less" Definitive Guide to Self-Care (Recommended by one of my favorite podcasts Life Kit.)
The Year of No Non-Sense: How To Get Over Yourself and on with Your Life (Recommended by my GoodReads friends.)

If you're also a bibliophile or simply have some book recommendations, reply below and leave me a comment.

Awesomely Inspirational Women in STEM posters...

Rachelle McWright — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 17:12:29 GMT

As a design-geek and Women in STEM advocate, I approve these posters. Bonus: They are available FREE for download in SEVEN LANGUAGES!

https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=23086&fbclid=IwAR2i_JZlkw5LiLsEVaFYsTjKB8vhYugfjKxg2DAgBs0wipqcGop9l8Lq5dQ

College Students Get Hands-On Experience at the Interactive Plant Environment

Steve Tooley — Thu, 02 May 2019 21:05:36 GMT

Emerson recently hosted 18 college students from two International Society of Automation (ISA) college branches at our Rosemount Global Headquarters office in Minneapolis. Students were given the opportunity to work in the Interactive Plant Environment (IPE) to take a hands-on learning approach as they completed their assigned exercises. Blaine Williams, Interactive Plant Environment Manager, coordinated with three professors to plan a day of practical learning to explore plant automation through a variety of hands-on labs and exercises providing students with a “day-in-the life” experience. The collective goal was to give them a sneak peek into what their future jobs might look like. However, we skipped the unpredictable outdoor weather conditions by keeping the Interactive Plant at a comfortable 72 degrees with no precipitation.

Students learned about wireless commissioning, engineering specifications, troubleshooting techniques, device calibration, managing and configuring alerts, and best practices installation. Williams stated, “We wanted the students to have some fun so we opened the day with our Interactive Plant Environment Challenge, which is a gamification of exploring and locating devices using Process & Instrument Diagrams and device tags.” By the end of the day students walked away with a greater confidence in their skills which they will be able to take into future employment opportunities.

Scott Harris, Professor at Bismarck State College, stated “Students were able to showcase their knowledge and abilities while further developing their teamwork, troubleshooting and communication skills. This event also gave them the opportunity to meet and network with individuals who work in this industry that they may interact with in the future.”

We’re excited to continue working with ISA and preparing students as they enter the workforce. Learn more about Emerson’s training opportunities on our website, www.emerson.com/IPE.

Six Steps to Prepare for Your Next Job Interview: Part 3 of 3

Adam Thompson — Tue, 05 Mar 2019 17:53:33 GMT

In part 2, I spoke about how I went about gathering a deeper understanding of the role and how to find and prepare to answer interview questions. In part 3, I will talk about how I went about developing questions to ask the interview team and my mock interview.

Developing Questions for the Interview Team

It’s always a great idea to create questions for the interview team! Sometimes, these can be make a break for a candidate, so putting in some time and effort is key.

Why it’s Important: The most important thing to keep in mind when developing questions for the interview team is asking questions that will help you determine if the role and the company are a good fit, remember you are interviewing them too!

The interview agenda should provide you with the names and titles of the interview team (if you don’t receive one, you should ask). It never hurts to check out their LinkedIn profiles to understand their experience and background, and even any similar interests! That paired with the job description (JD) should provide enough information to put together some great questions.
I utilized the Responsibilities section from the JD to develop questions, then determined who I thought on the interview team would be best suited to answer.
After I created the questions, I ran them by a few friends and co-workers to make sure they made sense. I made a few tweaks and adjustments based on their feedback and then put them in a word document and printed them off to study and bring to the interview.

Something to Note: There is a good possibility that you might cover some of your questions in the interview, so creating 3-4 per person isn’t overkill, it’s simply being prepared.

Bonus Point: This is your opportunity to ask questions about management style, company culture, career growth, expectations for success, etc. Here are two of my favorite questions that I asked: How will you know if you hired the right person 1 year from now? And How do your direct reports describe your management style?

For more tips on questions you could ask during an interview – here is a great article that I found useful during my research: Questions You Should Absolutely Ask An Interviewer

Mock Interview

I am lucky enough to have a mentor who was willing to help me by doing a mock interview. If you don’t have a mentor, no problem, you can reach out to a trusted colleague or even a friend or family member who has been through the interview process.

I met with my mentor prior to the mock interview to walk him through the role, help him understand my motivations for wanting to make this change, and let him know what I was looking to take away from the mock interview. In addition, we tried to identify any competencies we thought I may be asked about.
My mentor took the mock interview very seriously (almost like he enjoyed grilling me) and came prepared with questions in a similar style as the ones I would experience in the actual interview.
After we were done, he went back through his notes and provided feedback, then walked me through some of my answers that could use improvement.

The mock interview provided me the ability to practice my answers, tone, and pace, collect feedback, and make any adjustments. This process made me more confident and less stressed going into the interview, which is why I so highly recommend it!

Bonus Point: Remember it is ok to ask the interviewer to repeat a question or ask for them to clarify. It can be kind of nerve wracking, so practicing this technique during a mock interview can be really helpful.

For more information on the different styles of interview questions – here is an article I found that helped me prepare: The Eight Types of Interview Questions

That concludes my series on preparing for an interview. I hope you found some of these tips helpful! Now it is time to go nail that interview you’ve been stressing about! Let me know if you have any questions or want to chat, I look forward to hearing from you!

Six Steps to Prepare for Your Next Job Interview: Part 2 of 3

Adam Thompson — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 00:32:01 GMT

In part 1, I spoke about how to properly study the job description, why each section is important, and why it’s important to utilize your network during the job research process. In part 2, I will talk about how I went about gathering a deeper understanding of the role and how to find and prepare to answer interview questions

Strategy to Develop Deeper Understanding of the Role

To prepare for the interview I put together a PowerPoint (dorky I know). I broke the slides up into three sections: Understanding the Role, 30/60/90 Day Plan, and Future Goals.

Why it’s Important: I created this not necessarily for sharing, but more so to put real thought into the position, what I would like to accomplish in the first three months would be, and to generate questions for myself and the interview team. Turns out I used it in the interview and it seemed to go over really well!

To understanding the role I identified perceived challenges, complexities, and key tasks. I made sure that I could either speak to how I could use past experience to be successful or developed questions for the interview team to better understand expectations.
The 30/60/90-day plan was something I hadn’t created before. For those who don’t know, “a 30/60/90 Day Plan is a written outline of your strategy, and the plans you have for the first three months on the job.” Your knowledge of the role and the company will dictate how specific your 30/60/90 will be. I listed about ten topics in each section that progressed from general to specific, for me personally, I focused on acclimating in the first 30, contributing in the next, and finally leading.
Future goals were something I added to demonstrate my ability to think strategically and present my long-term vision. This allowed me to establish my ideas for growing the role in the future. For example, how can you take the position to the next level? How do you see the role progressing in the next year or two?

For more tips on how to create your own 30/60/90 day plan– here is a great article that I found useful during my research: Creating a 30-60-90 Day Plan to Secure the Job

Preparing for Interview Questions

I like to try to make stressful tasks fun by coming up with games to take my mind off of them. This interview was no different.

Why It’s Important: This is the most important part of an interview. Don’t blow it! Everyone will prepare differently, but I’ll take you through how I got myself ready.

First, I referred to the JD and used the competencies I identified to research potential questions I wanted to be prepared for.
I then made note cards with the questions on them and handed them out to a few close friends. It was a game for a few days, whenever I saw one of them they would rapid fire questions at me in an impromptu style, sometimes mid-sentence, and I would need to answer them.
We’d then discuss and laugh after they were done about how it went and what I could improve on. It worked really well for me and kept me on my toes!

I have used these concepts in my own job search/ interview preparation with success and I wanted to pass them on to you! For more tips on questions you might need to be prepared for your interview check this article out: How To Ace The 50 Most Common Interview Questions

I really enjoyed this part of the preparation! Getting my thoughts down on PowerPoint helped me focus on what I wanted to accomplish and although preparing with my friends was fun, it also really helped me focus on stories I wanted to tell and the pace at which I told them. Look out for my final article next week when I cover developing questions for the interview team and a mock interview. Let me know if you have any thoughts or questions! I look forward to hearing from you!

Six Steps to Prepare for Your Next Job Interview: Part 1 of 3

Adam Thompson — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 19:28:50 GMT

Recently, I went through the job search and interview process. It was a little confusing at first as I didn’t know how I wanted to approach my preparation, but after a little research and some help from friends, the process became easier. With that said, I wanted to share some important steps in this 3-part interview preparation series to explain what it took for me to prepare and eventually land a new role. In part 1, I will talk about how to properly study the job description, why each section is important, and why it’s important to utilize your network during the job research process.

Study the Job Description (JD)

Studying the JD is a great start to help you crush a job interview. JDs typically include roughly the following sections: Responsibilities, Qualifications, Experience.

Why it’s Important: Reading through the JD allows you to understand the primary objectives of the role, aids in tailoring your resume, and helps prepare for the actual interview. Here is a quick brief on why it’s good to understand each section.

Responsibilities:

As you review the ‘Responsibilities’ section, take note of where you have experience and any comments or questions that come to mind.
Pay careful attention to key buzzwords you can incorporate into your cover letter and resume as well.
This section should also start to trigger stories from your past experiences that will help you prepare for potential interview questions … more on that to come later!

Qualifications:

The ‘Qualifications’ section focuses on big picture requirements for the position.
You can often identify any proficiencies that you will want to be prepared to answer questions on in the interview.
Look for Competency buzzwords to include skill-sets like communication, collaboration, strategic thinking, action-oriented, etc.

Experience:

The ‘Experience’ section is something you should pay attention to when contemplating if you should apply.
It typically includes the minimum level of education and experience required for the position.
If you think your qualifications are up to snuff but don’t meet the experience requirement, a strong cover letter and resume will be necessary to stand-out.
If they called for an interview, take that as a “you passed” and this section doesn’t matter.

For more tips on how to decode the job description – here is a great article that I found useful during my research: Study Job Listing To Get The Job

The next big thing that helped me was utilizing my network.

Why it’s Important: Your network can often give you details on the company and its culture, the hiring manager and their management style, work-life balance, perceived glass ceilings and more. This information is priceless!

If you haven’t started building your network, get started by creating a LinkedIn account and connecting with people you know.
The best people to add are people you’ve worked with before and currently in addition to people from any professional courses or schools you’ve attended. Always write them a quick personal message to get started. (That’s the best way to show your intention right off the bat.)
Roles might be a perfect fit on paper, but some of the most important aspects of a position aren’t in the job description, so it’s always great to talk to someone who has done a same position within the company or outside
If you don’t have a professional network built up not to worry! There are websites like GlassDoor, Comparably, and Careerbliss can These can provide insight into company culture, compensation, reviews, without the network footwork. . Be careful though, the reviews can often trend toward the negative which may not be an accurate portrayal of the company or the people that work there, so it’s always great to have that personal touch of your own network.

Bonus Points: Ask for recommendations on LinkedIn and provide recommendations in return. You can use these later as conversation points in an interview or as sentiments.

I have used these concepts in my own job search/ interview preparation with success and I wanted to pass them on to you! For more tips on how to use networks to your advantage read this article: How to Actually Use Your Network To Get Through A Job Search Even the Tough Parts

Look out for my article next week when I cover strategy to develop a deeper understanding of the role and preparing for interview questions you might receive. Let me know if you have any thoughts or questions by replying below to comment. I look forward to hearing from you!

Women in Engineering Featuring Emerson, Sophie M

Alyssa Ortiz — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 11:15:07 GMT

Emerson’s Sophie Morneau, Director of Global Strategic Accounts, discusses her experience about being a woman in the engineering field and the importance of companies embracing inclusion and support for a global workplace. Throughout this piece, she explains Emerson's past and present initiatives to engage women of all backgrounds and the role they’ve played in the advancement of her career. As an active board member of Emerson’s Women in STEM, Sophie continues to promote Emerson’s commitment to attracting, developing, and retaining the best women in roles related to STEM.https://www.designworldonline.com/women-in-engineering-sophie-morneau-emerson/

Engineering Mom + Tutor

JenniferUrquhart — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 23:21:11 GMT

Growing up at home my dad was a computer programmer, self taught, and my mom worked in bakeries and other jobs as she could to help support our family of 5. Neither of my parents received college degrees - although my mom earned two associates degrees after the three of us kids left home. They worked hard to support the three of us to go to community college as it was all they could afford. My older sister received her degree in elementary education. My older brother dropped out of college and joined the national guard where he received some education as a radar specialist. Me - well I was always the one interested in how things worked! I was always over my dad's shoulder as he worked to repair our cars, the garden tiller, or anything that needed fixing because we could not afford to pay anyone to fix it. I took apart our tape recorder (ha, telling my age) just to see what it looked like and figure out how it worked. This was my passion - learning how things worked, taking things apart, and putting them back together - problem solving. So in college I majored in Physics! Come to find out there is A LOT of math behind learning how things work!! So I double majored only needing one extra class to get a Mathematics degree as well. Hours and hours were spent at the kitchen table crying over trigonometry, statistics, and calculus problems! No one in my family had done it before and no one could help me. We didn't have tutoring available and we didn't have the on-line access to help like kids do now. One day as I was crying over a 3 page Calculus problem I swore to myself that I would remember how to do this stuff and be there for my kids and any others that I could help on their way!

Fast forward 20 years and guess what - it is now time for me to make true on that promise, five kids later - 3 of whom are in college. My daughter is taking Trigonometry and Calculus in the same semester right now. She is not here at home, but sent me a Snap Chat one day just a few weeks ago that said, "Done - just finished crying over the first Calculus assignment"! A light went off in my head and the super mom cape got put on - here I come to the rescue!!! This is MY time to follow through on my promise to myself! So week by week we are now on Facebook Messenger video walking through Calculus problems one by one and step by step! I have to wipe the cobwebs and are thankful for google and Photo Math, but it is all coming back!

All of this to say, STEM is my passion! I love introducing these concepts to all kids, big or small, especially when they happen to be my own! I love seeing the light of knowledge light up in their eyes when they "Finally Get It!" Is it hard? Yes, sometimes! But is it worth it? Absolutely!

Fun, interesting, engaging - STEM keeps me coming back to a job I love at Emerson where we "Consider It Solved"!

Why did you become an Engineer at Emerson?

Shirley Marquardt-Tynan — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 19:23:45 GMT

From Physics to PhD to Emerson Expert.

Why did you become an Engineer at Emerson? To impact sustainability.

Firsthand Podcast:

Want to hear more? Join our podcast series on iTunes FIRSTHAND: Operational Certainty Consulting in a Pod

What Professional Development Goal do you ‘Resolve’ to Achieve in 2019?

Chelsea McGovern — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 16:00:16 GMT

I recently read the article, Five New Year’s Resolutions for your Career in 2019. The resolution that resonates for me from the article is to, ‘Become more accountable with my goals by writing out the gradual stepping stones required to get to each goal.’ I’m a natural BIG ideas person which means I often get trapped in the little details when it comes to actually executing all of my goals. Writing each gradual step will help me think things through more.

I’d love to hear what everyone’s professional resolutions are for 2019 whether on this list or otherwise. What will you commit to achieving in 2019?

The State of STEM Education for Girls & STEM Careers for Women

Rachelle McWright — Wed, 12 Dec 2018 20:24:02 GMT

Last week Emerson Automation Solutions sponsored the Texas Women & Girls in STEM Summit in Austin, TX. Three of our Women in STEM leaders spoke on the Power of Mentoring, STEM Education and Women's Affinity Groups and another of our members volunteered to lead an activity lab and teach other organizations and companies how to roll out experimental concepts similar to Emerson's STEM in a Box for students. As we near 2019, the number of girls pursuing STEM education and Women pursuing STEM careers, especially engineering, continues to underwhelm. Here are the latest statistics:

Do you work for or volunteer with an organization dedicated to promoting the importance of K-12 STEM education for girls or mentoring and communities for Women in STEM? Please share the name and a link to resources with others in our burgeoning Women in STEM Community by replying below.

Are you attending #WE18 in Minneapolis? Join us for these exciting events Oct. 18-20th >>

Rachelle McWright — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 20:54:14 GMT

Join Emerson at #WE18

More than 130 of Emerson’s passionate Women in STEM group members are attending this year's Society of Women Engineers conference. We hope to see you at one or more of these exciting meet-ups:

Emerson's Innovation Tour

Thursday 10/18: 8:30am-1:00pm

Want an insider tour of life at Emerson? Tour our regional headquarters and meet the engineers who design industry-leading measurement technology for the automation industry. Private chartered transportation and lunch provided. The cost of this experience is $49/person. SPACE IS LIMITED. SIGN UP THROUGH WE18 ONLINE PLANNER.

Career Fair: Booth #1507

Thursday 10/18: 2pm-6pm & Friday 10/19: 9:30am-4pm

Want to learn more about life at Emerson or current internships, co-ops and jobs? Visit our career booth. A limited number of "on-the-spot" interviews will also be held. Got the right stuff and want to reach out to us in advance or can't make it to #WE18? Apply for a position through our careers portal and our friendly recruiters will be in touch.

Dual Career Families: How We Make it Work: MCC-200FGH

Saturday 10/20: 10:15am-11:15am

When both partners in a relationship are growing their careers toward leadership, whose career takes precedence? How do busy families balance work and life and where does raising children fit into the picture? Join three Emerson couples in a candid panel discussion on these topics. Don't forget to bring your questions!

We look forward to meeting you at #WE18! Emerson is proud to be a member of the Society of Women Engineers’ Corporate Partnership Council. Can't make it to the event? Learn more about Emerson at https://www.emerson.com/en-us/about-us.

Record-Setting We Love STEM Day helps Promote the Importance of Early-Age STEM Education

Melissa Maine — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 17:51:08 GMT

STEM often conjures up images of lab coats, circuitry and complex formulas. With Emerson’s #WeLoveSTEM Day, sponsored by Emerson’s Women in STEM group, employees’ children and grandchildren in kindergarten through 8^th grade were invited to the office for exposure to STEM. Activities as simple as building unsinkable aluminum foil boats to as messy as making slime were chosen to demonstrate the fun and varied world of STEM. Over 150 children joined us to learn about real-life applications of STEM through the fun, hands-on workshops. Below, we’ve provided links to the instructions for each activity so you can do them at your home office:

Thermochromatic Slime ( emersonexchange365.com/.../Slime-Time.pdf)
Build a Boat (emersonexchange365.com/.../Build-A-Boat-Instructions.pdf)
The Electric Motor (emersonexchange365.com/.../Motor.pdf)

In the Education Center, children used a simulated DeltaV control system to create the perfect, repeatable cupcake recipe. Using mathematical equations, teamwork and actual Emerson process control and automation equipment, the children were able to walk through the process of running a plant to successfully produce a quality product. Between workshops, kids worked on STEM-themed crossword puzzles and a Brain Hat Activity, where they cut-out and taped together a 3D model of the brain. They were able to illustrate the different areas and functions of the brain. For other great STEM ideas and social media posts, follow www.emerson.com/welovestem

Know of other great STEM activities? Share them with others by replying to this thread.

Emerson Global Headquarters Tour - SWE '18 Minneapolis

Alicia Spaulding — Tue, 29 May 2018 19:12:39 GMT

As I am preparing to take full advantage of the early bird prices for SWE ’18 Minneapolis; I noticed there is an Emerson Global Headquarters tour. Does anyone from Rosemount products in Shakopee, MN facility know if I should purchase the Technical Tour event ticket on the SWE webpage during my registration; or will this fee be waived for Emerson employees or perhaps even a separate tour (as we participated in during the Austin, TX SWE’17)?

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 8:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Price: $49.00

Limit: 40

Alicia Spaulding | Senior Application Engineer | Analytical & Medical | Fluid & Motion Control

Emerson Automation Solutions | 46280 Dylan Drive | Novi, MI | 48377 | USA

T +1 248 596 3238

Alicia.Spaulding@Emerson.com

Engineering a Love of STEM

Kelly Klein — Fri, 20 Apr 2018 16:04:51 GMT

Love of science, technology, engineering and math starts early, and the more children can be exposed to STEM the more comfortable they feel making a technical career their dream job. Emerson™ and Emerson’s Women in STEM are deeply committed to the next generations of STEM professionals and had an opportunity to see that enthusiasm up close at the recent STEM Day in Shakopee, MN hosted by Emerson Twin Cities Women in STEM. More than 140 fourth graders plunged into fun games and activities all based on STEM concepts.

A hard hat joined the more typical feather boas and sunglasses as kids costumed themselves in the photo booth, and close inspection of circuit boards could prompt a new generation of computer engineers. Kids joined groups to build boats using aluminum foil and paper cups, and also learned about manufacturing principles through a brick building exercise and flight principles with paper airplanes. Of special interest were Emerson product demonstrations, and hopefully some of these same students may end up as STEM professionals at Emerson. Experience the STEM event photos.

This event was only one of many sponsored by this inspiring and active Women in STEM group. How could you get involved?

Meet Joanne - A Car Restorer turned Woman in STEM

Monica — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 12:40:25 GMT

Meet Joanne Lunsford. She cherishes the 1978 VW convertible she restored with her dad, a mechanical engineer and former Bettis actuators GM. As the youngest of four girls, she grew up working in the garage with her dad restoring cars and tinkering with anything mechanical. It’s no wonder she was interested in a career in #STEM at an early age. But her journey wasn’t always filled with confidence and certainty, just as many young women experience when contemplating a degree and career as a woman in STEM.

According to the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education (NCWGE), studies have shown evidence that “gender differences in math and science performance stem from cultural, rather than biological, factors. Where gender bias is low, female performance is correspondingly high. In addition to hindering performance, gender biases can affect whether girls and women choose to enter and stay in STEM fields. They may prevent female students from studying science and math in school or influence whether teachers encourage them to pursue science and engineering careers. They may also directly or indirectly influence hiring and promotion of women in the STEM workforce.” Read more about NCWGE's report here.

Thanks to support from family, friends, and mentors, her knowledge and skills are helping bring safety and reliability to process industry operations in all corners of the world. Today, Joanne is the global product manager for butterfly valves at Emerson Automation Solutions. Joanne was honored last week for being a champion for future Women in STEM and for her 35+ years of service by Johnny Ellis, VP of Sales for Isolation Valves in North America.

Post your valve questions for Joanne and other isolation valve experts in our Valves group >

Habits of Highly Effective Meetings

Deborah Prickette — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 15:04:17 GMT

You've likely heard the phrase "death by meetings," but did you know?

- The typical American attends 60 meetings/month

- 50% of meeting time is wasted

- 39% of people doze off during meetings

Here are a few habits I’ve learned which have really cut down meeting times for me and my team:

BEFORE YOUR MEETING

Have an Agenda. Distribute an agenda for every meeting and you’ll be one step closer to efficiency and effectiveness.
Set the Tone. State the meeting objective in your agenda and again at the beginning of each meeting.

DURING YOUR MEETING

Appoint someone to take notes. This person should record detailed meeting minutes, specifying action items and include deadlines which are discussed. Here are some great and free note-taking templates on the web.
Be Present. Ask everyone to turn their devices off to ensure attention is focused on the meeting objectives. This applies to the leader(s) as well.
Use a Timer. Most people don’t stop at discussing just the agenda items…

If your team is notorious for going over the allotted time for each item, set a timer for each agenda item and then coach each member to wrap it up when the timer goes off.

Know when to move away from a topic – use a parking lot. A parking lot is a reserved space on a white or flip board for items that might not be exactly on-topic, but are still worth discussing. Revisiting the items at the conclusion of the meeting tells attendees that you respect their ideas and that you are considerate of their time.

AFTER YOUR MEETING

Re-emphasize the objective and discussion points. Close your meeting with a quick summary and plan of action.
Ensure important information remains ‘top of mind’. Remind the designated note-taker to send the meeting notes and deadlines to all attendees immediately after the meeting.
Follow-up within a week. The meeting host should follow-up on action items within one week and on a weekly basis thereafter.

Use these meeting tips can help you eliminate meeting dread; if you’re lucky, people may even look forward to seeing your meeting notifications pop up on their calendar. Are you a meeting guru? Reply below to share techniques you’ve found to be effective.