Tri-Cities Society of Women Engineers earns national membership growth award

KINGSPORT — The Tri-Cities section of the Society of Women Engineers was recently awarded the SWE FY2026 Membership Growth Award for a medium-sized professional section. According to a recent release, this award recognizes the chapter's "exceptional membership growth during the past year." The section's current officers are all Eastman Chemical Co. employees, who will be recognized at a conference later this year in Boston. The conference is expected to draw more than 15,000 engineers, feature more than 300 professional development sessions and 300 career fair exhibitors. Current Tri-Cities section officers include President Daria Vaden, Vice President Alexis Wilson, Secretary Lauren McLoughlin and Treasurer Tori Wright. The section was founded three years ago to provide network, mentorship and professional development opportunities. It started with about 10 attendees and has grown into a regional organization regularly attracting 20 to 30 engineers and technical professionals from Eastman, BAE Systems, BWXT, Domtar and other employers across the region. "We looked around and realized the community we had through SWE in college didn't really exist here," Wilson, an area manager at Eastman and one of the organization's founders, said in the release. "There are more women than ever entering engineering and technical careers, but there was still a need for a place to connect, learn from one another and give back." Society of Women Engineers has supported women in engineering and technology since 1950 and includes nearly 45,000 worldwide members today, the release states. Membership is open to anyone who supports women in engineering and technology. The Tri-Cities section has spearheaded recent initiatives including engineering career panels, professional development programming and efforts to provide continuing education opportunities for engineers and pursuing professional certifications. Chapters leaders said in the release that the organization's growth demonstrates the demand for professional community and support among engineers across the area. "I think a lot of it has to do with the community already existing," said Vaden, an advanced chemical engineer. "We get all these new hires who were involved with SWE in college, and they see it's here too. They're excited to be part of that community again." Looking ahead, the organization is expanding its focus on STEM outreach and mentorship with future volunteer projects, classroom science demonstration and a mentorship program to connect engineering professionals with local high school students interested in STEM careers. "One of the things I'm most excited about is the volunteer aspect," Wright, a chemical engineer at Eastman, said in the release. "When we can encourage younger women to grow and build in the space we've come from, that's really meaningful." For more information about the Tri-Cities Society of Women Engineers section, or to be added to its newsletter distribution list, email Daria Vaden at daria.vaden@eastman.com.