2023 Spring Summit Recap

2023 Spring Summit was held April 15 at the University of Colorado Boulder campus. The event was co-hosted by SWE Rocky Mountain Section and University of Colorado Boulder Section with the theme of Bolder Together. Attendees enjoyed keynote talks from Jocelyn Brady and Dr. Janet Tsai. Jocelyn inspired listeners to re-write their brain stories to commit to their goals and push through self-doubt. Dr. Janet Tsai encouraged listeners to create a space for womxn to excel in engineering and own their individuality. The day also included a variety of breakout sessions from many SWE members on topics such as investing in yourself outside of the workplace, balancing SWE, life, and career at every phase, and managing change in the workplace. The Spring Summit was made possible by our dedicated planning committee, volunteers, as well as our generous sponsors Merrick & Company, Actalent, ME Engineers, Medtronic, Keysight, and ISM. Special thanks to CU Boulder SWE for collaborating and hosting this event with us to make it a success.

While the 2023 Spring Summit is over, you can still order a #BolderTogether shirt from our partners at Bonfire. Because not all heroes wear capes … Sometimes they wear a Spring Summit t-shirt. 
#SpringSummit

2023 Spring Summit Agenda

Room Locations

Keynote Speakers

Jocelyn Brady

Jocelyn Brady grew up wanting to be an astronaut, photographer, veterinarian, neuroscientist, actress, marine biologist, pilot and writer. She got hooked on the latter, realizing it paved the way to explore and tell stories about everything. The addiction led her to earning an MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing, founding a consultancy for multi-billion-dollar brands, getting certified as a brain and behavior-change coach, and creating a brain/story training method called Story Science™️. Oh, and her Tiny Tips for Your Brain series got a neuroscientist to call her The Bill Nye of the Brain.

Today, Jocelyn coaches and trains the brains of cross-disciplinary movers and shakers, from real-life neuroscientists to entrepreneurs, executives and their teams. You might still find her taking long-exposure photos of the night sky … if she holds still long enough. 

Bolder with Better Brain Stories
The stories you tell yourself—your Brain Stories— have this magical power to shape everything you think, say, feel, do and experience. They can inspire bold action, or obliterate confidence. Uplift and connect, or sever and destroy what we cherish most. It sounds obvious that we’d want to choose the best Brain Stories for our well-being, right? Well yes, but the thing is, we’re often not aware of these Brain Stories—and even when we are, it can feel impossible to change them. So what do we do? Well, that’s what this talk is all about. And the answers might not be what you’d expect. 

You’ll learn:

• The neuroscience behind the Brain Stories that influence your biology and behaviors
• The “secret” to flipping the script when you’re feeling the most resistant 
• How to tap your boldest, baddest self—and why that makes us better, together 

Dr. Janet Tsai and Dr. Julie Steinbrenner

Janet Tsai, PhD is an Associate Teaching Professor and Associate Chair, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at University of Colorado Boulder College of Engineering & Applied Science. Her research emphasizes engineering education and project-based learning. She encourages students to consider social and cultural consequences of designs and how they impact humanity. Tsai discovered her engineering “ah-ha” moment when she was invited to join her high school robotics team. She became captain, and today she is still involved with the organization, celebrating over 20 years with FIRST Robotics. After receiving her degree in mechanical engineering, Tsai found her dream job working with consumer robots at iRobot Corporation in China. She worked as a communicator between the design engineers in America and the manufacturers in China. 

Julie Steinbrenner, PhD is an Associate Teaching Professor, Wolenski/Roller Faculty Fellow, and Associate Chair, Undergraduate Program at University of Colorado Boulder College of Engineering & Applied Science. Her background is in energy systems and the design and analysis of experimental thermal-fluid systems. She has worked in laboratories in the US and Europe, studying phenomena ranging from solar-thermo-chemistry to fuel cells to phase-change printing technologies. In addition to mentoring students during their senior design projects, she teaches courses in fluids, heat transfer, and thermodynamics with a focus on developing the students’ conceptual understanding and problem-solving methodologies through active learning techniques. Steinbrenner said she believes there’s “nothing more fulfilling than empowering other people, and that’s the amazing thing about being a professor.”​

Bonfire Shirt Sales

Not all heroes wear capes …
Sometimes they wear a Spring Summit t-shirt. The Bolder Together logo shirts are available through our partners at Bonfire in various styles and colors. Order by March 24 for delivery prior to Spring Summit; you may order anytime later for delivery to your door. There is an option for pick up at Spring Summit if you order before March 24.

Event Location and Parking

Registration will be in the Duane Physics & Astrophysics (DUAN) on the University of Colorado Boulder campus. The address is 2000 Colorado Avenue. Parking is available in the adjacent Lot 360 with a parking permit. You may order a parking reservation for $10 for the Spring Summit event.

CAMPUS MAP

LOCATION MAP

PARKING
Parking will be available in the adjacent Lot 360 with a parking pass. To use the campus lot, you must purchase an event parking pass, print, and display on the dashboard. Parking reservations for the Spring Summit event are expected to be available for purchase after April 10. Reserve your spot and get your ParkMobile pass.

Select “Purchase Parking Permit”, then select “Daily Parking”, and then “1 Day Parking”. Fill out the start date as “4/15” and from the parking lots select “(360) 360 : Short-Term”

Alternately, short term parking is available for $1/hour at the Folsom parking garage or Euclid parking garage. 

Thank You Spring Summit Sponsors