One week remaining to save $30 on registration to Leadership Conference!

You should all have heard by now about Leadership Conference 2010 and all of the wonderful reasons why you should attend.  I just want to remind you that if you register by May 1 (which is only one week away), you get $30 off of registration, so I'd highly recommend visiting phisigmarho.org/conference2010 to register as soon as possible!

Quick summary:
What: Leadership Conference 2010
When: July 16-18, 2010 
Where: Case Western Reserve University
Where: Cleveland, Ohio
How: Visit phisigmarho.org/conference2010 for more information!

Early bird registration ends May 1, and registration closes June 1.  Registration includes housing for the weekend, meals, LEAP workshops, social events, a semi-formal banquet and dance, and more!  If you have any thoughts or questions, feel free to email Conference2010@phisigmarho.org.

Hope to see you in Cleveland!

P.S. Check out this video highlighting alumnae events at Conference 2010!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA01xNwt0Uw

Why I Am Excited about Leadership Conference 2010...

If you've seen our Conference 2010 video, you know that I am very excited about National Leadership Conference this summer! As one of the first National Leadership Directors, I was involved in planning the first conference we had in 2006 and I love seeing what our committee members come up with each year! We all have so many wonderful ideas and plans in our vision for what these conferences could be! And I am very excited to see that these visions are growing and continuing to take shape. Each year, the LEAP programming just keeps getting better and we have some wonderful activities for all of our attendees.

Also, this year our committee and chairs are doing a wonderful job taking conference to the next level: providing an alumnae focus! This July we have an entire program focused on alumnae including recent grads, alumnae interested in getting involved nationally, development opportunities, and socials and a health fair for those that want to have fun! And our Foundation will be there to get to know everyone - don't miss out on their hospitality suite!

This year, voting on our Ritual improvements will also be a huge part of Conference! Don't miss this chance to leave a mark on the future of PSR by providing your feedback on the Ritual!

But what I am most excited about is spending another wonderful weekend with my sisters! I cannot wait to see those of you I've met in years past and get to know those who haven't made it before. National meetings are a great way for us to continue to grow our bond of sisterhood and enjoy our time together as we develop our future leaders!

See you in Cleveland!
Nikki Yovanof
National President
12th National Council

Guest Blog: Ada Barlatt, Rutgers-Xi Alumna

Hello everyone. We continue our guest blog series with a note from Ada Barlatt, a Rutgers-Xi Alpha class founder.

Hi Phi Rhos!

It was a pleasant surprise to be invited to give a guest blog. I have
many fond memories of Phi Sigma Rho at Rutgers. I am very proud to be
a member of this Sorority - it is amazing how much Xi Chapter has
grown and how the Sorority has expanded across the United States!

At first I was uncertain what I should include in my blog message, but
when I received the message below I knew I had to share it with all of
you! On April 27, the National Girls Collaborative Project will be
hosting a webcast titled: "Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics". I think that this webcast discusses a
topic that is relevant to each one of us -- both for the future of our
profession, but also for the future of Phi Sigma Rho.

I encourage each one of you learn more about the nation-wide
conversation regarding Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM), perhaps you could attend the webcast or read the
report. With our perspective as female professionals and students in
STEM fields we are uniquely positioned to express our views and share
our experiences. There are many perspectives on this topic, some I
agree with, some I do not. Nevertheless, I am sure that the Sisters of
Phi Sigma Rho will continue to play a significant role in encouraging
more women to pursue careers in engineering and the engineering
profession will be better because of it.

Keep up the good work!

PRL always!
Ada Barlatt
Rutgers-Xi Alpha Class


National Girls Collaborative Project April Webcast: Why So Few? Women
in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 2:00 - 3:00 Eastern Standard Time.

In an era when women are increasingly prominent in medicine, law and
business, why are so few women in science and engineering fields? A
new research report by AAUW (the American Association of University
Women) funded by the National Science Foundation, presents compelling
evidence that can help to explain this question. Join us to hear a
presentation of eight recent research findings profiled in Why So Few?
Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics that point
to important environmental and social barriers - including
stereotypes, gender bias and the climate of science and engineering
departments in colleges and universities- that continue to block
women's participation and progress in science, technology,
engineering, and math. The presentation will include ideas for what
each of us can do to open scientific and engineering fields more fully
to girls and women.

A free copy of the report is available for download at:
http://www.aauw.org/learn/research/whysofew.cfm.


The goal of the National Girls Collaborative Project is to maximize
access to shared resources within projects and with public and private
sector organizations and institutions interested in expanding girls'
participation in STEM. Webcasts are offered throughout the year
addressing research-based strategies in informal learning and
evaluation and assessment. Webcasts and resources are archived and
available for viewing.

Purdue Chapter House Director Position

The Purdue-Alpha Chapter of Phi Sigma Rho is looking for a House Director for our new house starting in August of 2010. Responsibilities include but are not limited to: interface with Chapter House Coporation (Alpha Corp.), as directed, physical facilities management, employee management, chapter relations, vendor/supplier relations, oversee opening and closing of house (as directed by Alpha Corp.), participate in annual inventory and ensure that inventory list is kept current, and liason with university and community.

The House Director is a live-in position reporting to the President of the House Corporation Board and is required to remain onsite during the night when the chapter is in the house. The House Director is expected to work at least 25 hours per week including nights and weekends.

If you are interested in this position, please contact Leanne Smith at leannesmith16@gmail.com and send a resume and cover letter.

Guest Blog: Sarah Fisk, Florida-Tau Alumna

We continue our series of guest blogs from alumnae and other special guests with this note from Sarah Fisk, a founder of the Florida-Tau chapter. Enjoy!



I had a dream I started an engineering sorority -



People always laugh when I start this story. Maybe they think I'm kidding? Or maybe they think I'm a little crazy? That might not be too far from the truth...



I remember parts of the dream clearly. When I decided to start the sorority, I was driven by an overreaching urgency. I was at a gathering and the rain poured down outside. But I just had to go start it: NOW.



When I woke up, the urgency hadn't faded. I called my two best friends and the rest, as they say, is history. (I remember the first thing Katrina said to me when I told her: "But, Sarah... we don't like sororities." I simply said, "This is different." And it is different. It's important to remember that. Phi Sigma Rho is an alternative for socially-minded young women who place a high priority on their education. It's not Tri-Delt and it's not SWE. It's somewhere in the middle.)



As time has passed, very few people ask me why we started our chapter of Phi Sigma Rho, but I think the why is the most important part of the story. Getting an engineering degree isn't easy. It's just not. Anyone who tells you differently is delusional.



It's sad to say, but as women, we usually aren't as accepted into the informal support groups in engineering – and there are times when you need a support group. I looked around, but couldn't find an official group that used friendship as its guiding principle. When I read the Phi Sigma Rho description on their website, I knew I had found what I was looking for.



Friendship. Scholarship. Encouragement.



As we move through the operations and administrative challenges of the sorority, it's so easy to lose sight of those three principles. But if I could ask just one thing of all Phi Rhos, it's to cling tight to these ideas. Every time you talk to another Sister, vote on something at chapter, or tell someone about Phi Rho, ask yourself this question: Am I letting the principles of Friendship, Scholarship, and Encouragement lead me?



If yes, carry on.



PRL,

Sarah N. Fisk

http://sarahnfisk.blogspot.com

Coming up: Northeast Regional Conference!

Are you ready for SisteRHOod?

The Howard (Phi) Chapter is hosting this year's Northeast Regional Conference in Washington, D.C.!

We are very excited to welcome all Phi Rhos to our first hosted event, and we are confident it will be a success! Our theme is "Embracing our PHIrst Love: SisteRHOod", and it is through this theme that we endeavor to reflect unity and a warm atmosphere within our region to make sure we are staying connected and living up to our standards.  Our hope is that all who attend this conference will be able to take a spark of sisterhood back to their chapters and their campuses through increasing their dedication to the Sorority!

The event is affordable and it will be worth it! We will be having workshops that fit the theme as well as other distinctive events such as the Orchid Ball.

We hope that you will be able to attend next weekend, and make sure you bring your creative minds and open hearts to embrace each other with true Phi Rho Love!

- Arielle Benjamin (Phi) - Spring 2008 - "Minnie Mouse" -

For more information and to register, please see http://phisigmarho2010nerc.eventbrite.com/.

Feel free to email VPofProgramming@phisigmarho.org if you have any questions!

Guest Blog: Stephanie Gagliardi, UConn-Theta Alumna

We continue our series of guest blogs from our sisters with this note from Stephanie Gagliardi, a UConn-Theta Alumna!

As a May 2009 graduate, the last ten and a half months have been extremely eye opening. After four years of knowing exactly which classes to take, which professors to avoid, where to get the best dining hall food, and exactly what time I needed to be at the bus stop to catch the Blue Line back to my dorm, suddenly the opportunities beyond college seemed endless. In true engineering fashion, I weighed the pros and cons of each possibility available to me after graduation in May. Grad school didn't seem like it was for me, though it would've been the easy solution given the uncertain job market. I spent hours on Monster.com applying to any position that seemed relevant, and spent a solid few weeks interviewing with potential employers.

I ultimately took advantage of the networking I had done throughout my undergraduate career and was hired by a fellow Phi Rho alumna within a month of graduation. As a result, I have spent the last nine months working professionally in the aerospace industry. In a time when the economy seemed to be at its worst, I was fortunate enough to successfully begin my career because of a connection I had made during my freshman year of college. When I rushed Phi Sigma Rho in the Spring of 2006, I had no idea just how much that decision would impact my life.

I recently received a promotion to a Team Lead position, seven months after being hired. I attribute much of the success I've found in my career to the skills I developed as an active sister of Phi Sigma Rho at UConn. Participating on committees, eventually leading the Scholarship committee, and serving on the Executive Board, allowed me to build strong teamwork, communication, and leadership skills. Balancing school, work, clubs, and Phi Rho provided with me valuable time management and multi-tasking experience.

Its easy for all of us to realize the benefits of belonging to a sisterhood: Lifelong friends, a support system, perhaps meeting the women who will be the bridesmaids in your wedding, among other things. The bond we share as sisters is often indescribable. But I think we often forget how much the sorority has helped each of us to grow as people and become the women we are today. Looking back, you may realize, as I have, that learning to compromise with other organizations during Greek Week, the hours spent participating in service projects and philanthropies, and even simple attendance at chapter meetings, have taught us life lessons, that may be even more relevant to life beyond active sisterhood, than the equations and graphs we studied to earn our degrees.

Phi Rho Love,

Stephanie Gagliardi

UConn Theta Chapter – Kappa Class Alumna