This week on SWE Diverse, Melanie Lang - co-founder and CEO of FormAlloy - shares what happens when you leave a stable career in aerospace and defense to chase an uncertain dream. In conversation with FY26 SWE President Inaas Darrat, she opens up about the mistakes she made, the rule she wishes women engineers would break more often, and how a pink feathered suit jacket taught her the power of authenticity. Catch Melanie live on the WE25 stage in New Orleans, inspiring the global engineering community at the world’s largest gathering of women and allies.

The discovery of the antibiotic penicillin by Alexander Fleming is a notable example of a serendipitous scientific discovery. In their AWIS Magazine article, Hannah Fricke, PhD, and Tamara Mestvirishvili explore how such discoveries can lead to transformative breakthroughs.

As a museum educator at the American Museum of Natural History and an independently published children’s book author, Christina Kamerow is passionate about making science meaningful for young minds. Whether she’s comparing millipedes and centipedes in the classroom, guiding a pretend archeological dig, or writing stories that spark empathy for the natural world, Christina uses creativity, connection, and curiosity to empower the next generation of scientists.

Rosalind Franklin, an English chemist and X-ray crystallographer, helped discover the molecular structure of DNA at King’s College. Using X-ray diffraction, she photographed the helical structure of DNA, known as “Photograph 51,” and discovered the density and helical form of DNA. The unpublished photo was secretly disclosed to scientists Watson and Crick, who used the photo along with data to present their final DNA model in 1953, and sadly took most of the credit. She left King’s College soon after, devoting her time to studying viruses and their structure. We can only imagine what more her cutting-edge work would have yielded had she not died at age 37.

Dr. Xueying Zhao is an R&D engineer at Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), where she integrates device innovation with AI-driven health care solutions. After earning a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Virginia, her passion for solving and streamlining health care problems led her to pursue a second master’s degree in computer science at the Georgia Institute of Technology. This multidisciplinary expertise positions her at the forefront of health care innovation, demonstrating the power of continuous learning and interdisciplinary thinking. Dr. Zhao is committed to sharing AI’s profound potential for impact in the health care space and has given talks on AI in health care at WE24 in Chicago and the 2024 WE Local conference in Las Vegas.

NCWIT CEO Terry Hogan joined more than 250 CEOs from companies such as Airbnb, IBM, and Microsoft in urging state leaders to make computer science (CS) and artificial intelligence (AI) education accessible to every student. Their open letter, published in the New York Times on May 4, 2025, launched Unlock8, a national campaign by Code.org and CSforALL to promote policies ensuring that all U.S. students have access to the foundational skills needed to succeed in a world increasingly enabled by AI. The campaign is based on new research from the University of Maryland showing that taking just one CS course in high school can boost early career earnings by 8%, regardless of a student’s college or career plans. Though all 50 states have taken steps to expand CS access over the past 10 years, only 12 require it for graduation, and as a result just 6.4% of students were enrolled in CS courses last year. The Unlock8 campaign seeks to close this gap and prepare students for a rapidly evolving economy. Beyond just an educational issue, the campaign is about closing skills and income gaps that have persisted for generations. It’s also about keeping America competitive. Countries such as Brazil, China, S. Korea, and Singapore have already made computer science or AI mandatory for every student, and the United States is falling behind. Making CS and AI a required part of every K-12 school’s curriculum can unlock $660B in opportunity for everyday Americans, close wage gaps, and ensure that our children are prepared for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.

The SWENext program is the centerpiece of the Society of Women Engineers’ (SWE) outreach efforts for students of all genders, ages 5-18. This program encourages curiosity and exploration of science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, and what it means to #BeThatEngineer. Three key components of this free program, SWENext Clubs, SWENext Connect, and the SWENext High School Leadership Academy, help drive connections with like-minded peers, mentors, and industry professionals to explore their interests in STEM — all in a safe place where kids can feel seen, heard, and validated.

Introducing the “Her Stories: Adventures in STEM” blog series! This series is a collection of stories about 20 women in science and engineering fields, written by members of the SWE Pre-College Engagement and Support (PCES) Committee. Stay tuned as we release the stories monthly!
The first story features Component Development Engineer Romana Carden as she proves that passion can pave the way to success.

Power isn’t just about position - it’s about presence, purpose and the ability to build trust. Those are some of the takeaways members of the Bizwomen Leadership Council, who were asked to share their lessons on navigating power dynamics inside complex organizations - and the advice they’d pass on to the next generation of women. In any organization—corporate, nonprofit, entrepreneurial - power dynamics are always present. They can be subtle or overt, rooted in hierarchy or influence, and often dictated by culture more than title. For women in leadership, navigating those dynamics isn’t about playing politics - it’s about understanding how power flows, where decisions are made and how to show up in a way that earns trust and drives impact.And while every organization is different, many women leaders share a common experience:learning how to read the room, understand the unspoken rules and lead with both presence and strategy. Some members of the Bizwomen Leadership Council have been asked to reflect on one key question: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned about navigating power dynamics within an organization, and what advice would you give other women looking to lead effectively in complex environments? Here’s what they have told.

Dr. Sweta Shrestha earned her PhD in chemistry from The Ohio State University. Currently, she serves as a Senior Scientist at ZeoVation Inc., a company focused on developing advanced materials for health, safety, and environmental applications. With a deep passion for promoting inclusion and diversity in the STEM field, Dr. Shrestha is dedicated to creating opportunities for underrepresented groups and advocating for greater representation in science and technology.