Named in honor of the first woman chair of OFC, Suzanne R. Nagel, the lounge is an inclusive networking space that offers attendees the opportunity to discuss diversity trends, meet colleagues, explore new business opportunities, and have professional headshots taken. Attendees can participate in small group professional development sessions throughout the week focused on topics ranging from career enhancement to the importance of mentorship.
Suzanne was the first woman president of the IEEE Photonics Society, board member of the Women in Engineering Program Advocates Network and first woman to be named an AT&T Bell Laboratories Fellow. As a fellow of both The Optical Society and IEEE Photonics Society, Suzanne is a pioneer who used her visibility to create women-focused mentoring opportunities.
| Time |
Session |
Speakers |
| 10:30 – 11:00 |
Why Diversity is Essential to Education |
Caroline Connolly, President, Optotest |
| 11:00 – 11:30 |
Take More Pictures: Embrace Your Career Moments |
Madeliene Glick, Senior Research Scientist, Columbia University |
| 11:30 – 12:00 |
Entrepreneurship at Work: 4 Steps to Fast Track Your Business Ideas |
Lynore Abbott, Founder, Logical Marketing LLC. |
| 12:00 – 12:30 |
Value of Volunteering: Student Perspective |
Takako Hirokawa and Victoria Rosborough, Graduate Researchers, UC Santa Barbara |
| 12:30 – 13:00 |
Practical Patents and the Patent Process |
Simon Poole, AO, Director of New Business Ventures, Finisar |
| 13:00 – 13:30 |
How to Pave Your Own Career Path |
Melissa Vernacotola, Research Manager, Corning Inc. |
| 13:30 – 14:00 |
Women in Optics: Leading the Way |
Lisa Huff, Principal Analyst, Ovum |
| 14:00 – 14:30 |
How to Steer Your Research Direction |
Carmen Menoni, Distinguished Professor, Colorado State University |
| 14:30 – 15:00 |
Create Your Own Squad: The Importance of Teambuilding & Mentorship |
Jelena Pesic, Research Engineer, Nokia Bell Labs |
| 15:00 – 15:30 |
Career Advancement: Resume Writing & the Job Search |
Nokia Bell Labs Volunteers |
| Time |
Session |
Speakers |
| 10:30 – 11:00 |
How to be an Effective Team Leader |
Dalma Novak, Vice President of Engineering, Pharad LLC |
| 11:00 – 11:30 |
Get that Fellowship! Tips for Success |
Lidia Galdino, Research Fellow, University College London |
| 11:30 – 12:00 |
How to Speak Up and Step Up: Advocate for Diversity |
Niamh Kavanagh, PhD Researcher, Tyndall National Institute |
| 12:00 – 12:30 |
Tips and Tricks to Own Your Career: Negotiation Skills and More |
Eve Griliches, Product Manager, Cisco |
| 12:30 – 13:00 |
Emotional Intelligence and Interpersonal Communication in the Workplace |
Rebecca Mendoza, Manager, II-VI Optical Systems |
| 13:00 – 13:30 |
How 'Failures' Can Be Pathways to Success |
Chennupati Jagadish, AC, Distinguished Professor, Australian National University. |
| 13:30 – 14:00 |
Effective Time Management Tips |
Gabriella Bosco, Associate Professor, Politecnico di Torino |
| 14:00 – 14:30 |
What it Means to be a STEMinist |
Juthika Basak, Principal Engineer, Finisar |
| 15:00 – 16:30 |
How to Start a Chapter: Grant Resources and More |
Naresh Chand, Director, Huawei Technologies |
| Time |
Session |
Speakers |
| 10:30 – 11:00 |
Stay Motivated and Relevant |
Xi Vivian Chen, Technical Staff, Nokia Bell Labs |
| 11:00 – 11:30 |
Peer Mentoring: How it Can Work for You |
Elaine Wong, Associate Dean, University of Melbourne |
| 11:30 – 12:00 |
STEM Outreach Guide: How to Organize Youth Programming |
Natalia Canas Estrada, PhD Researcher, Tyndall National Institute |
| 12:00 – 12:30 |
How to Become a Journal Reviewer |
Kelly Cohen, OSA Staff, and Jane Simmons, Founder, Monarch Network Architects |
| 12:30 – 13:00 |
Mentoring Up: Improving Mentee/Mentor Communication |
Catherine Deal, Facebook |
| 13:00 – 13:30 |
Designing Your Life: Principles to Help Shape Your Career |
Matthew Reaves, Founder, Common Agenda, LLP |
| 13:30 – 14:00 |
Building Your Personal Brand on Social Media |
Tyndall Institute Volunteers |