SWE-NESS Officers
​FY18

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President -
Yadira Gischtest

Yadira Gilchrest joined SWE in 2003 shortly after receiving the Helen Martha Sternberg Award at NUWC Division Newport.  Yadira has served several executive board positions in the past including secretary, treasurer and president.  In the past year, she has stepped up to the role of supervisor for the Systems Analysis and Passive Systems Engineering Branch.  In her spare time Yadira enjoys reading (doesn’t really get to do this much), going to the beach and spending time with her family.  She has two daughters ages 7 and 11 who are currently participating in Girl Scouts. 
Email Yadira

​Vice President -
Sirine Saleem

Sirine Joined SWE and served as a secretary for University of South Carolina (USC) chapter in 1998, while working on her master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in USC. She is currently finishing her doctorate degree in Industrial Engineering in the area of Industrial Sustainability in University of Rhode Island. Sirine is a resident of East Lyme, CT and enjoys spending time with her kids, family and friends at the beach now that she’when not working on her dissertation.
​ Email Meg

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Treasurer – Martinique Gilchrist

Martinique Gilchrist is a Computer Scientist at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport Rhode Island.  She received a BS in Elementary Education in June 1994 and a BS in Computer Science in June 2003.  She is currently working as a Test and Evaluation Engineer and has experience with both the submarine and surface ship world.  Martinique enjoys collecting dolls and plans to design her own soft sculptures.  She has a passion for studying the psychological aspects of the mind.  She is also the treasurer for the National Black Doll Museum of Mansfield MA.
​  Email Martinique

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Section Rep –
Elizabeth Waller Peterson

Currently, Elizabeth is a senior nuclear engineer at Dominion's Millstone Power Station in Waterford, CT.  She has been a member of the Society of Women Engineers for 10 years including being a collegiate member at the University of Connecticut. Currently, Elizabeth is NESS President and has been NESS Professional Development Chair for 7 years.  She was Region F Secretary this year and is FY16 &17 Region F Treasurer. Elizabeth is regularly involved in SWE community outreach activities including mentoring FIRST robotics teams, presenting K-12 STEM workshops, judging competitions, participating in STEM related panel discussions and public speaking. She earned Dual B.S. degrees in Electrical and Computer Science Engineering from UConn and MBA from the University of New Haven. Currently she is enrolled in Vermont Law School pursuing a graduate degree in Energy Regulation and Law.  She resides in Gales Ferry, CT and especially enjoys time off from work with her sons, family and friends along the seashore.
. Email Beth

Secretary - Emily Pietrzak

​Emily Pietrzak is a 2013 graduate of Penn State with a bacherlor’s degree in meteorology and 2015 graduate of the University of Rhode Island with a master’s in ocean engineering.  She is currently an ocean engineer at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, RI. Emily is part of the systems analysis team in the Sensors and Sonar Systems Department.  She enjoys tennis, living in Newport with other NUWC new professionals and learning how to play the ukulele (and is currently taking lessons!). Emily joined SWE in 2016 and is looking forward to being this year’s secretary.

Alternate Section Rep -
Amanda Rock

 Amanda Rock graduated from Tufts University in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. She currently works at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center developing interactive training applications for SONAR fundamentals. Amanda enjoys spending time with friends exploring restaurants or going to the beach.