Core Board Contacts

Jill is a Project Manager for P&G Oral Care in Iowa City. She studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Iowa where she graduated in 2013. At the University of Iowa, she was very involved with the Society of Women Engineers. She held several exec. board positions throughout her four years and rounded off her collegiate SWE career with being the President her senior year.  

Upon graduation, Jill got involved with the local professional section, SWE-ECI. Over the past eight years Jill has been Vice President, President, K-12 Outreach Chair, Secretary, and is now circling back to Vice President. 

Riley graduated from The University of Iowa with a degree in Civil Engineering. She works as a Civil Engineer at Snyder and Associates. Riley was a member of The University of Iowa SWE section throughout college and served as Professional Development Chair on the exec. board for two years.

Riley is excited to serve in the position of Secretary on the core board because she wants to be involved in this section and thinks being a part of the administrative tasks that keep the section operating is one of the best ways to do so. Riley loves getting to know new people, especially other women in STEM. SWE was a huge part of her college experience, and she wants it to continue to be a big part of her career and encourage others to make it a part of theirs.

Katie is a Sr. Engineering Manager who works at Collins Aerospace. She has been active in SWE since her college years at the University of Notre Dame. She joined SWE-ECI in 2011 and has previously served as K-12 Outreach Chair when she inaugurated the popular Jr. Girl Scout Day event and President when she helped update the section bylaws and bring in Rockwell Collins corporate sponsored memberships. She has been treasurer many times and earned the Leadership Award for SWE-ECI in 2015 and 2016. Katie has attended and organized numerous section events.  Outside of work and SWE, Katie is married with a son, AJ, who starts kindergarten this year!

Katie is happy to continue as treasurer as she feels that she is good at the role and has done a good job keeping SWE’s budget the last few years. She has ensured that our grant from Collins Aerospace is kept active, allowing many of the popular events to take place. Being treasurer allows her to help in many different aspects which she enjoys. It is also a good fit for her personal life, currently. The treasurer role allows her to support the section on her own schedule.

Samantha Armstrong moved to Iowa in 2019 and has enjoyed meeting more people through SWE-ECI. Samantha got married in 2021. Her husband is also an engineer who she met in college. Samantha has worked for Schneider Electric for two years now where she has been testing materials and parts for a power of two. This is her fourth year as the Communications Secretary, and Samantha is so excited to come back and do more with videos to share SWE-ECI’s events on LinkedIn to reach more companies and their employees.

Keerthana moved to the United States from India in January 2019. She recently received her Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Keerthana works as a Product Engineer with Schneider Electric in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She has been associated with SWE since 2020. On a personal front, Keerthana likes exploring places and going out on hikes with her dog. She also enjoys reading and painting.

Keerthana was introduced to the Society of Women Engineers during graduate school in 2020. She got to meet some great mentors and make some good friends during her first conference. Keerthana was also introduced to the sections associated with SWE through her friends. Keerthana got her current job from a recruiter she met at the conference. SWE has been a wonderful experience for her as an international person in the United States. Keerthana’s mentors guide her through the cultural differences at the workplace, and her friends have been very motivating through tough times.

Being a part of SWE-ECI is Keerthana’s way of giving back to the community. She hopes to contribute in a positive way and forward her experience to someone else. Keerthana has been a part of SWE-ECI as a Professional Development Chair and hosted the “New year New you” event and the book club this past year.

Keerthana wants to try something different in FY24 to explore her own skill set but still contribute in a meaningful way. Hence, she chose the Membership Secretary role. Keerthana would love to advertise her experience as a motivation for other people to join SWE.

Shelby is a Team Lead at P&G in the circuit board department for the power tooth brushes and chargers.   She has been with the company for just under 2 years.  She attended Iowa State University and graduated with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering.  While at Iowa State, she was an active member in the SWE organization where she held several positions including VP of Membership, Co-President Elect, and various other cabinet positions.  Her favorite parts of SWE and other organizations she was a part of was being able to engage and mentor other students.  She enjoys spending time outside with her dog, working on DIY projects at her house, knitting, and sewing! 

Shelby will be filling SWE-ECI’s College Outreach position this FY for the second time.  We are excited to continue to leverage her connection to the Iowa State SWE section to further our relationship. 

I am Sarah Piburn and am originally from Kearney Missouri. I graduated in 2018 with a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology. Afterwards I moved to Cedar Rapids and have worked for HR Green for four years. I recently graduated in 2022 with my Master’s in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Iowa. Most of projects are wastewater or drinking water focused. I love being outside; hiking, boating, kayaking, disc golf, walking the dog. I think this is what drove me towards Environmental Engineering. I love knowing the projects I work on will have a positive impact on the community and environment.

I am excited to get more involved with SWE as the K-12 Outreach Chair, especially since I have finished up my master’s degree and now have more time on my hands. In college and in my company, I have held positions that required me to coordinate events, so I feel I would be successful at these positions. I’m passionate about giving back to the community and two of these positions would directly benefit younger women and encouraging them to get involved in STEM.

Henal Patel graduated with an Agricultural and Biological Engineering degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in May 2022. Upon graduation, Henal moved to Iowa and began a rotational program for 6 months with Quaker Oats – Supply Chain. She is currently a Quality Supervisor at Quaker Oats overseeing Captain Crunch and Life Cereals. Henal is excited to join the SWE-ECI Core Board this year as the Professional Development Chair and continue to network with fellow SWE members in the area!