EMPOWER

EMPOWER is a women’s group on campus with a mission to build a thriving community at Mines to enhance personal and professional goals of members through support, encouragement, inspiration, and cooperation while creating a strong professional network of empowered women. Mines faculty and staff are welcome to become members and attend the monthly meetings that feature speakers on professional development and wellness, allow for networking and social interaction, and include service projects supporting the local community.
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/451529875053257
Planning Committee: Lia Franklin, Jeri Brewer, Mary Cook, Camar Diaz, Michelle Lyon, Lakshmi Krishna, and Annette Pilkington
Social Committee: Lisa Goberis
Interested in learning more, contact Lia Franklin at franklin@mines.edu and request to join the list serve.
Please note: Face to Face Meetings will be held in Student Rec Center, McNeil Room, 2nd Floor SRC. There is a Zoom session scheduled in February and the April session in Ballroom D&E. End of semester socials will be off campus.
Fall 2022 SCHEDULE
Wednesday, Sept 7th | McNeil Room, SRC | 11:45 am: SDI – Know your Strengths with Mary Elliott and Kelsi Streich
11:45 Lunch Served, 12:00 Workshop Begins
What are your strengths? Join EMPOWER for a kick-off luncheon and workshop featuring Dr. Mary Elliot, Director of Residence Life and Housing, and Kelsi Streich, Director of SAIL, interpreting your Clifton Strengths assessment. The assessment is a powerful on-line tool that helps individuals identify, understand and maximize their strengths. You will identify your strengths and learn to use them for success at home and work. Your RSVP and completion of the Clifton Strengths assessment are required prior to the workshop. To RSVP and receive your code to the assessment, register by clicking at the link below. Register ASAP, but no later than Wednesday, August 24. Assessment must be completed by Friday, August 26. Lunch will be provided at this first meeting of the year.
https://mines.campuslabs.com/engage/submitter/form/start/547681
ITEM OF INTEREST:
Wednesday, Oct 5th | Location TBD | 11:45 am – 1:00 pm: Chevron Lecture and Luncheon featuring Pooja Sankar
RSVP required.
Tuesday, Oct 11th | McNeil Room, SRC | 1:00 pm: Empowered by Iron: Building Confidence and Resilience through Weight Training
Empowered by Iron is a 10 week fitness class specially for women that teaches them how to do four basic compound movements: squats, deadlifts, overhead press, and bench press. On day one, participants complete a 5 rep max test of each exercise, and take a survey on their confidence levels. This survey asks questions like “How confident do you feel in asking for a raise?” “How much do you agree with the following statement: I am the best person for my job” and “Please rate your overall confidence on an average day”, and more. On the last day, participants re-test their 5 rep max, and they take the same confidence survey. Data from the past executions of this class have shown an overall increase in confidence levels and an increase in weight lifted from week one to ten.
Tuesday, Nov 15th | McNeil Room, SRC | 12:00 pm: Money Matters Seminar: “Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant” P.T. Barnum
As a showman and founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus, P.T. Barnum was one of America’s first millionaires. He once famously said, “Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant.” In what way is money your master right now? Andrew Pederson is an Associate Teaching Professor who co-founded Money Matters and organizes I Dig Money Lunch n’ Learn events. Come listen to him speak to find out how your finances can serve you and not the other way around!
ITEM OF INTEREST:
Wednesday, Nov 16th | Location TBD | 11:45 am – 1:00 pm: Wednesdays with WISEM Luncheon and Presentation featuring Dr. Iris Bahar
RSVP required.
Wednesday, Dec 21st | Location TBD | EMPOWER Social
Save the date for the end of year EMPOWER Social! More details to come.
Spring 2023 SCHEDULE
Wednesday, Feb 1st | Zoom Only | 1:00 pm: Putting a Stop to Women’s Dead-End Work with Brenda Peyser
All organizations have work that needs to be done, but that no one really wants to do. These activities, which we call “non-promotable tasks” make the organization more effective, efficient, and productive, but they bring no recognition or reward to the individual who does them. Our research shows that women, more than men, take on these tasks not because they like them or are inherently better at them, but because we all expect them to.
How do we rebalance the scales so that both women and men carry comparable shares of this work? We’ll discuss steps individual women can take to ease their burdens, but more importantly, the actions their organizations can take to change how they allocate and recognize non-promotable work. The goal is for all employees to have the same opportunity to demonstrate their talents and for organizations to use their human resources to best advantage.
Zoom link: https://mines.zoom.us/j/93346188627?pwd=SWN2YkIwdEZvSkdKNmUxNEs2SlBUQT09
Wednesday, March 8th | McNeil Room, SRC | 12:00 pm: Heart Centered Leadership in a Time of Grief with Kathi Quinn
This is an opportunity to recognize and reflect on how grief impacts one’s role as an individual, leader, and member of a community. It’s about recognizing how the cultural expectation of “go on, get over it. . . “ negatively impacts our health, relationships, performance, and productivity-often for the rest of our lives.
This presentation is more than a discussion, it is an opportunity for you to develop a personal response plan to the inevitable – the loss of a beloved. This response plan is the foundation for building confidence and clarity on how you choose to show up for the people that you lead when they face the inevitable. Finally, we will discuss the basic differences between how men and women grieve and how you can take this information into your daily interaction with others into your communities.
Kathi Quinn is an author, speaker, teacher, sales & communications executive, and mother of 2 miscarried babies, her full-term stillborn son, Jason, and Amanda, her 38-year-old daughter who lost her battle with cancer in 2019.
Drawing upon her skills and experience from corporate positions, spiritual education, training and life experience, Kathi is passionately committed to providing powerful tools and experiences to help others prepare for the inevitable – the loss of a beloved.
Tuesday, April 11 | SRC Ballrooms D&E | 11:30 am: You Matter
As busy professional women we often give all of our time, focus, and energy, to everyone else at the sacrifice of our own self-care. It’s important to remember YOU matter – taking care of yourself is key to your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. At this session we will share tips and tricks for self-care and, as a bonus, neck and shoulder massages are available. You deserve an hour focused on you – mark your calendar now.
Thursday, May 18th | Location TBD | EMPOWER Social
Save the date for the end of year EMPOWER Social! More details to come.
Past Semester Schedules
Spring 2021
2/2/21 Lessons learned from COVID 19 and looking towards the future – Joint Program with AFC – Campus leadership
3/10/21 Building Your Empower Connections
4/8/21 Performance Planning, Goals and Leadership Development
5/19/21 End of Year Celebration
Fall 2020
9/15/20 Starting the Year Off Strong – Goal Setting, Priorities, Balance & Fun
10/14/20 Restorative Justice
11/12/20 Maintaining Motivation and Joy at Work
12/16/20 End of Year Celebration
Spring 2020
2/18/20 Financial Insights – Planning for your Future
3/10/20 Salary Negotiations Workshop
American Association of University Women (this session will run from 12-2 in the Avery Room, Student Center)
4/7/20 Taking Care of You – Body, Mind, and Soul
5/20/20 End of Year Celebration
Location: TBD
Fall 2019
9/3/19 Strong & Powerful: Resistance Training, Confidence and Shifting the Culture for Women in the Weight Room
Featuring: Heather Hamilton, Mines Director of Fitness (Location: Ballroom A)
10/16/19 Ethics in the Workplace
Featuring Sandy Woodson, Mines Teaching Professor, HAAS
11/12/19 Self Awareness & Implicit Bias Awareness
Featuring Dr. Amy Landis, Mines Profesor, CEE and Presidential Faculty Fellow for Access, Attainment & Diversity
12/18/19 End of Semester Celebration
Location: TBD
Spring 2019
February 5th: “Investing 101” – Micheal Denison with New York Life
March 6th: “Changing the World Through Research at Mines” – Stefanie Tompkins – VP of Research and Tech Transfer
April 2nd: “Self Awareness and Implicit Bias – Awareness and Updates from DIA Committee” – Amy Landis
May 22nd: End of semester social – More to come
Fall 2018
September 4th: Strengths Quest Part B – Mary Elliott
October 24th: “Simple Steps to Financial Control” –
Hugh O’Rourke with Net Financial
November 7th: “Effective Ways to Manage Work Place Harassment and Negotiating Microagressions”- Karin Ranta Curran
December social TBD (more to come)
Spring 2018
February 20th: Navigating Campus Politics – Becca Flintoft
March 21st: Wholeness, Balance, and Spiritual Healing – Lisa Martinez Crownover
April 17th: Polishing your resume and CL updates – Lin Sherman
May 16th: Conflict Management and Resolution – Kate Kelsey
Fall 2017
September 19th: Strengths Quest – Mary Elliott
October 18th: The Art of Negotiation in Every Day Life – Cynthia Banks
November 21st: Updates on Sibson progress – Vicki Nichol
December 20th: Wellness – Becca Pike
Spring 2017
January 17th: Mentoring Panel Discussion
February 15th: “Gal”entines Celebration
March 15th: Stress Managment
April 18th: Art of Negotiation – Deb Lasich
May 17th: End of Year Celebration
Fall 2016
September 13th: Agenda Review, Reconnecting, Committee Opportunities, Networking Opportunities, Homework, and Employer Branding and PR
October 12th: Speaker Dean Ramona Graves
November 15th: Our First Lady, and Service Project Activity – Elyse Johnson
December 14th: Cookie Exchange