September 01, 2015
Women’s Leadership Conference is Sept. 18
CARBONDALE, Ill. – A patent attorney and senior counsel for The Boeing Company is the keynote speaker at the Southern Illinois University Carbondale Second Annual Women’s Leadership Conference, set for Sept. 18 at the Student Center.
Laurie Landgraf, an SIU alumna and a board member for the College Industrial Advisory Board (SIU College of Engineering), will address the conference at 9 a.m.
The main goal of the conference is to develop future women leaders, particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as well as business and agriculture. The conference is open to undergraduate and high school senior students to attend. SIU faculty, staff and graduate students will lead the sessions and panel discussions.
Landgraf is licensed to practice law before the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office. Her work with The Boeing Company focuses on intellectual property. She is a multiple-degree SIU alumna, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism in 1982, and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in 1985. She earned a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering from Washington University and a juris doctorate in 1995 from St. Louis University Law School.
The conference is free, but attendees are encouraged to pre-register. All events take place in the Student Center. On-site registration begins at 8:15 a.m. in Corker Lounge with a conference welcome at 8:45 a.m. in the ballrooms. The keynote address is at 9 a.m. Morning sessions begin at 10 a.m. in the river rooms with a break at 11:45 a.m. followed by lunch at noon in the ballrooms. The afternoon sessions begin at 1:45 p.m. with a closing session at 2:45 p.m. featuring Jeff McGoy from the SIU Office of the Dean of the Students. The closing session is in the ballrooms. Students are encouraged to stay for the Registered Student Organization fair in Corker Lounge following the conference.
Conference organizers are accepting session proposals through Thursday, Sept. 4. Topics may include career development, leadership development, mentoring, college and graduate school preparation and other topics. This year, some sessions will address high school students in particular. This event is also an opportunity for SIU academic units and Registered Student Organizations to recruit new students.
For registration, proposal and volunteer opportunity information, visit http://inclusiveexcellence.siu.edu/wrc/leadership-conference/.