Assistant professor Muyinatu Bell organized the first Women in Engineering (WIE) Elevator Pitch Event at IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS) this year, which was held in Kobe, Japan, at the end of October.
Nearly 80 women attended the event, which was sponsored by the Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control Society (UFFC-S). Bell shared personal tips on successfully delivering elevator pitches and then attendees paired off and practiced their own elevator pitches. At the end of the exercise, six women volunteered to present their elevator pitches and be judged by the entire group.
The People’s Choice Award (the person who received the most votes by all participants) went to graduate student Olivia Ngo from Drexel University. The winner of the first place prize went to Johns Hopkins University graduate student Alycen Wiacek, who studies under Bell. The first prize award was determined by a panel of seven judges consisting of senior members, academics, industry representatives, and IEEE fellows within the UFFC Society.