Networking group formed to boost presence of women in the instrumentation workforce BAYTOWN, Texas, August 18, 2006 --- The Fieldbus Center at Lee College will host a meeting of the Nexus of Instrumentation Women (NIW) on Thursday, September 14, 2006, at the Bayer Conference Center, Lee College, Baytown, TX. "Instrumentation Technician" will be the featured profession as topic of discussion. 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. A successful inaugural meeting was held June 22, 2006, where attendees identified initial action items for the group, which include: 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 Tunstall.
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.
About the Fieldbus Center
Located approximately 30 miles east of Houston in Baytown, Texas, the Fieldbus Center at Lee College is recognized and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The Fieldbus Center's mission is to provide technical education solutions for networking, instrumentation, and electrical technologies impacted by the advent of fieldbus. The Center develops hands-on programs for teaching fieldbus and process control systems, creates and maintains an applied research center, and develops multi-craft curriculum for fieldbus and industrial networking technologies.