News & Events

October Member of the Month: Miti Desai

Congratulations to Miti Desai, Dallas SWE’s October 2026 Member of the Month!

Miti is a data and technology professional with experience spanning data analytics, engineering, machine learning, and data quality. She holds a Master of Science in Computer Science from California State University, Long Beach. Throughout her career, she has focused on using data and technology to solve complex problems while building reliable, scalable solutions.

Her professional experience includes work across data engineering, analytics, machine learning, and quality engineering. She has worked with technologies including Python, SQL, PySpark, Databricks, Azure, Tableau, Periscope to develop and validate data pipelines, analyze large datasets, automate testing, and translate technical findings into actionable insights. She brings an analytical expertise to advancing data quality across large-scale, cloud-based analytics platforms at Walmart, focusing on validating complex ETL ecosystems, strengthening data integrity, & ensuring the accuracy & reliability of enterprise data products that support revenue-impacting decisions. She has also contributed to research at the METRANS Transportation Consortium, California where she analyzed transportation and mobility data related to the Port of Long Beach, including traffic patterns, safety hotspots, and electric vehicle infrastructure planning.

Beyond her technical career, Miti is passionate about creating spaces where women and early-career professionals can learn, connect, and grow in STEM. She is actively involved with the Society of Women Engineers and contributes to the Dallas SWE Professional Development Committee, supporting opportunities that encourage professional growth and community engagement. She has also participated in speaking engagements and panel discussions centered on career development, belonging in STEM, mentorship, networking, technical communication, and building visibility in the workplace at universities like the University of Texas at Dallas, University of North Texas, Dallas Baptist University as well as at professional communities like Women in Computing, SHPE, NSBE, herScript and is invited to speak the Grace Hopper Celebration 2026 and WE26 later this year.

As a speaker and mentor, Miti particularly enjoys sharing lessons from her own transition from academia into the industry and helping others navigate the less-visible aspects of career development from communicating technical impact to intentionally building professional relationships. Her community involvement reflects her belief that technical skills are only one part of building a meaningful career; access to mentorship, supportive communities, and opportunities to be seen and heard can be equally transformative.

Through her work and community involvement, Miti hopes to continue advancing both reliable, data-driven technology and a STEM community in which more people feel empowered to contribute, lead, and create opportunities for others.

Any advice for students or early-career engineers?

SWE has given me something that is incredibly valuable in any career – community. It has connected me with women across different disciplines, career stages, and experiences, and those conversations have broadened the way I think about my own career. Through SWE, I’ve found opportunities to learn, contribute, build relationships, and become more involved beyond my day-to-day work.

Hobbies or fun-fact you would like to share?

Outside of work, I love finding small, creative projects to turn memories into keepsakes; my latest was preserving maple leaves that I picked from a recent New England trip to make souvenir coasters.

Miti can be found on LinkedIn here.

Wired to Lead: Leadership Development Workshop

Leadership isn’t just about having a title; it’s about how you communicate, collaborate, make decisions, and influence others.

Join Dallas SWE for Wired to Lead, an interactive leadership development workshop designed for engineers and technical professionals. Through hands-on activities, discussion, and practical leadership frameworks, you’ll explore how to strengthen your leadership approach and navigate workplace dynamics with greater intention.

🎤 Featuring David Sandhu
David Sandhu will lead the workshop, bringing an interactive approach to leadership development that focuses on practical tools engineers and technical professionals can apply in their everyday work.

📍 Hosted at Kiln Coworking in Dallas
We’re excited to host Wired to Lead at Kiln, a collaborative coworking and event space in Dallas. The space is designed to bring people together for connection, collaboration, and community and provides an ideal setting for this hands-on workshop.

🗓️ Saturday, October 24
⏰ 10:00 AM–1:00 PM

Open to Dallas SWE members, SWE members from other sections, and non-SWE attendees. Light refreshments will be provided.
Come ready to connect, participate, and discover how you’re wired to lead.

Rise Up with Book Club

Join us Saturday, October 17 at 10am to discuss the book How Women Rise by Sally Helgesen. We’ll be meeting at Legacy Hall on the second floor near the top of the escalator. A great book with lots of actionable advice, there’s sure to be lots of conversation! Feel free to join in even if you don’t finish the book.

Congrats to Dallas SWE members in FY27 Directorate and Working Group Leadership!

Congratulations to 2 of our very own Dallas SWE Members, who are serving in the FY27 Directorate and Working Group Leadership!

Claire Jordan Mulford is serving as the FY27 Content Strategy Directorate Chair. She is also the Dallas SWE Section Treasurer. Claire works as a Workflow Automation Engineer at Texas Instruments.

Barbara Read is serving as the FY27 Community Building Directorate Affinity Groups Working Group Chair. She is also the Counselor for the Collin College SWE Section. Barbara works as a Principal Quality Engineer at Raytheon.

Congrats to our Dallas SWE Members serving in Society Leadership positions! You can learn more about the Directorate and Working Groups on the SWE website.

Today is Giving Day: Will you help spark someone’s future?

Today is Giving Day, and Dallas SWE’s Spark campaign is how we fund the work that matters most to us: scholarships for Dallas-area women pursuing engineering degrees, our Design Your World STEM conference for grades 4–12, and professional development and networking for our members. Powering Future Engineers, one gift at a time.

This year alone, Dallas SWE awarded over $8K in scholarships to high school and college students pursuing STEM degrees, and Design Your World has reached over 2,700 students since it began. Your gift keeps that momentum going. We’re asking for your help reaching a modest goal of $1,500. Every gift — $10, $25, $100 — gets us closer.

If you can’t give, you can still help enormously by sharing this with one person who cares about women in engineering.

Thank you for being part of this community.

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