On Friday, April 23, the Syracuse iSchool’s Women in Information Technology group (WIT) traveled to the IBM campus in Poughkeepsie, NY, for their annual spring field trip. Syracuse iSchool professors Susan and Dave Dischiave and Sarah Hagelin, the iSchool’s director of employer relations, accompanied 22 students on the trip.
The WIT group spent the day at IBM participating in various activities. They received an overview of IBM from director Jennifer Howland as well as a tour of IBM’s Green Data Center.
They also watched two panel discussions: one on individual career progression to management and one with two female engineers on their overall career paths at IBM. The WIT group was treated to a pizza lunch, during which they participated in a discussion on the greatest challenges in moving from school to work. After lunch, they attended a panel on how to become a master inventor.
“It was a very informative trip on career opportunities and progression within IBM,” said Hagelin. Susan Dischiave agreed. “I think [the students] found it educational,” she said.