SSCLES and SHPE Silicon Valley hosts successful RLDC 2011 Conference at Stanford

The Stanford Society of Chicano/Latino Engineers and Scientists (SSCLES) and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Silicon Valley Professional Chapter (SHPE-SV) hosts a successful SHPE Region 1 Leadership Development Conference (RLDC) at Stanford University from April 1-3.

With nearly 200 attendees comprised of undergraduate, graduate, and professionals members in engineering from Northern California, Washington, and Oregon, the workshops and keynote speakers provided great tools and advice for everyone pursuing their careers.

Conference Photos:
– http://bit.ly/eIzupa (Day 1)
– http://bit.ly/fbVXDu (Day 2)
– http://bit.ly/f51q7h (Day 3)

Day 1 of the conference kicked off with the welcome ceremony at the Sheraton Palo Alto Hotel with leaders of the conference committee introducing the conference agenda and goals of the conference. These individuals included Fidel Hernandez (2011 RLDC Chair for SSCLES), Mauro Rodriguez (RLDC Graduate Chair), David Silva & Christian Zuniga (RLDC Professional Co-Chairs), Elizabeth Ruvalcaba (Region 1 Student Representative), and Edgar Roman (Region 1 Vice President). The opening keynote was delivered by Manny Hernandez (SHPE National President).

Day 2 of the conference consisted of all-day leadership and career development workshops (morning to afternoon) for the undergraduate, graduate, and professional attendees. The keynote address at the luncheon was delivered by Raul Vazquez, Executive VP of Global eCommerce at Walmart and Stanford alum with a B.S. and M.S. in Industrial Engineering, sharing his personal experiences and advice in life and career. The keynote address at the banquet was delivered by Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Deputy Director at NASA and first Latina in space, sharing her career development and experiences working at NASA.

Lastly, Day 3 of the conference was a Region 1 meeting lead by Edgar Roman and Elizabeth Ruvalcaba discussing upcoming events in the region including the SHPE National Conference in Anaheim in October. Special SHPE conference chair, Serafin Fernandez, provided his vision of the conference and outlined his goals for running for SHPE National President in 2011.

If you have any questions, please contact SHPE Silicon Valley co-presidents, David Silva (david@shpe-sv.org) or Rosalinda Zepeda (rosie@shpe-sv.org).