SWE-NESS Officers
​FY22

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President -
Yadira 
Gilchrest

Yadira Gilchrest joined SWE in 2003 shortly after receiving the Helen Martha Sternberg Award at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport.  Yadira has served several executive board and committee chair positions in the past including membership committee, secretary, treasurer and president.  In her spare time Yadira enjoys reading, going to the beach and spending time with her family.  She is the coleader for a local Girl Scout troop. She has two daughters ages 10 and 15.
Email Yadira

Vice President - Emily Callahan

Emily Callahan is a 2013 graduate of Penn State with a bachelor’s degree in meteorology, and 2015 graduate of the University of Rhode Island with a master’s in ocean engineering. She is currently an analyst in the Undersea Warfare Mission Analysis Department at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, RI. She enjoys tennis, singing and exploring new places to eat. She currently resides in Tiverton, RI where she is (slowly) learning how to be a successful homeowner.  Emily has been a member of SWE NESS since 2016.
​Email Emily

Secretary - 
​Christina Hayes

Christina Hayes graduated from the University of Rhode Island International Engineering Program in 2014 with bachelor's degrees in Biomedical Engineering and German. She currently works at Becton Dickinson as a quality engineer supporting the development of surgical mesh and fixation products. She was an active Girl Scout growing up, and now enjoys camping and hiking with her fiance and German Shepherd. 
Email Christina

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Treasurer 
​– Donna Matthews​

Donna Matthews is a charter member of SWE NESS and is running for the position of
Treasurer. She has held positions in SWE NESS for 33 years including President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Chair and Archives Chair. She took a “short” break for 7 years to serve as the Committee Chair for her sons’ Boy Scout Troop then returned to SWE-NESS to serve as the Treasurer in FY19, FY20 and FY21. Donna retired as a mechanical engineer from the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport after 34 years, serving as a supervisor for the last 6+ years. She used many lessons learned in leadership from SWE-NESS in her professional career. Since retiring, Donna has traveled, skied mid- week, sewed costumes for local theaters, gardened, coordinated 2 SWE-NESS outreach programs and, thanks to COVID-19, sewed masks, volunteered at the emergency food bank, local COVID vaccination clinics and the local Covid testing site. She is also the proud mom of 2 college grads!
Email Donna

Communications Chair - Amanda Walsh

Amanda Walsh graduated from Tufts University in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. After graduating, Amanda started at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, RI. She began as a test and evaluation engineer for the surface ship SONAR system. Amanda now leads a software development team that designs cutting-edge, interactive web applications that teach Sailors and engineers about fundamental principles of SONAR and RADAR. In her free time, Amanda enjoys spending time with friends going to restaurants or the beach, traveling, cooking, and photography. Amanda is responsible for maintaining the SWE-NESS website and Facebook group.
Email Amanda

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Professional Development Chair - Cary Kaczowka

Cary Kaczowka has recently relocated back to New England after spending the past 9 years working for Boeing in Seattle, WA. She has a background in Mechanical Engineering and Design, Innovation & Society from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, as well as an MS in Materials Engineering from the University of Southern California. While in Seattle, Cary was an active member in SWE committees, and also served as the SWE-PNW president. She has enjoyed living aboard her sailboat for over five years, and spends much of her free time racing, cruising, and maintaining her sailboat, as well as other outdoor adventures. 
​Email Cary

Membership Chair
​- Alice Connelli

Alice Connelli graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical and mechanical engineering. She has been an active SWE member since her collegiate years and currently works at Becton Dickinson as a product development engineer supporting the development of soft tissue implants. In her free time, Alice enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time outdoors with her black lab.
Email Alice

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Social Chair - Available

Fundraising Chair - Available

Outreach Chair - Available