Congratulations to Haley Hannenberg, Dallas SWE’s January 2020 Member of the Month!

While now living in Dallas, Haley Hannenberg is originally from Chicago, Illinois. She received her Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a Biomedical Specialization from Southern Methodist University. During her time at SMU Haley was actively involved in SWE serving as the membership chair, VP of External Affairs and President. She has continued to stay involved by most recently serving as a marketing chair for Design Your World and is part of the initiative to redesign the DYW website.

Haley also is committed to encouraging women in STEM at her workplace where she is an active member of the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) team. Haley works for Medtronic as a Research and Development engineer on new product development and manages their summer WISE interns. Each year she works to select three interns who are either about to enter their first year in college or have just completed it and mentors them in what it is like to be an engineer. They earn professional engineering experience and Haley hopes that this program will encourage young women to stay in the STEM field!

SWE provides an unique opportunity to connect with the most passionate and driven female engineers across the country. Being able to learn from the experiences of others and together work on any challenges in our fields builds an unparalleled community of support that I consider myself extremely lucky to be a part of.

Haley Hannenberg

Congratulations to Gretchen Landego, Dallas SWE’s December 2019 Member of the Month!

Gretchen Landego is originally from Chicago, Illinois, and she received her Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Alabama in May 2018.  Her senior year, she was recognized as the Undergraduate Student of the Year for Mechanical Engineering and Pi Tau Sigma’s Outstanding Senior. After graduation, she moved to Dallas, Texas to work for GAF Materials Corporation as a project engineer.  Project Engineering is a blend of project management and mechanical engineering, and her job’s focus is to implement new equipment that adds value to the site’s facilities and/or products.  She is one and a half years into her job and she still enjoys the challenges that her work provides her.  Gretchen aspires to acquire a Professional Engineer’s License, so her next goal is to pass The Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam.

Gretchen joined the Society of Women Engineers when she first moved to Dallas to make friends and get involved.  She has a passion specifically for STEM outreach, and she found many opportunities through the Dallas SWE chapter.  Her first event with the Dallas SWE Chapter was 2018 Moon Day at the Frontiers of Flight Museum.  Fellow SWE members encouraged her to become more involved with the outreach program, so now she serves as the Design Your World Committee Chair and is also a mentor to Woodrow Wilson High School’s SWENext club, The Mechanicats. 

Outside of work, Gretchen enjoys yoga, reading, and hanging out with friends.

“My favorite part of SWE is the people!  I am so lucky to be surrounded by a group of strong, successful, smart women that are also kind and encouraging.  I was very nervous to become the committee chair for Design Your World because I had never served in a leadership position before.  The whole process was a wonderful experience because I received nothing but encouragement from all the members that were involved in the event planning.  I look forward to future opportunities where I can embolden other young women to pursue their passions and help make a difference in the world.”

Gretchen Landego