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West Regional Conference 2022

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

February 12, 2022 | In-Person 

Click HERE to register

Click HERE to book your hotel

About SASE Regionals

About SASE Regionals

SASE West Regional Conference at UNLV strives to connect all the SASE chapters in the West and Mountain region in order to provide them with new experiences and valuable skills they can utilize in both their personal and professional lives. We intend to host workshops, socials, and networking sessions throughout the event with the intent of engaging both students and sponsors.

The theme for this year's conference will be: Prospering Through Pressure

The workshop sessions are presented by knowledgeable individuals that have had their share of challenges and success in the engineering and science industry. These workshops vary in topics, such as: building leadership or embracing your culture. A large range of topics allows students to find an interest in companies and better prepare them for their career paths. Networking sessions also provide a way for students to explore their career paths and talk to individuals that work in fields they are interested in. They are able to solidify their career plans or even find out about career opportunities they did not know existed.

Additionally,  SASE West Regional Conference at UNLV is working in collaboration with a resource-based organization called "The Asian Community Resource Center" (ACRC) which aids in further developing integration, education, and economics for Asians and Pacific Islanders. They aim to support the Asian American community by fostering a deeper sense of connection and representation. They provide families with the resources to become more independent, developing their self-esteem and self-reliance that can better their personal life and future career goals. It’s our goal to enrich our community and by spotlighting these programs through our conference. 

The Schedule

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM

9:00 AM - 9:45 AM

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

11:15 AM - 12:15 PM

12:20 PM - 1:20 PM

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

2:45 PM - 3:45 PM

4:00 PM - 4:45 PM

4:45 PM - 5:30 PM

Check-in

Opening Ceremony

1st Round of Workshops

2nd Round of Workshops

Lunch/Keynote/Performance

3rd Round of Workshops

4th Round of Workshops/Networking

Closing Ceremony

Scheduled Resume Reviews

The Schedule
Workshops

Workshop Topics

Leadership:

Whether working in a group for a class assignment or leading a team at work, being an effective leader is very important when working with others. Learning when to take the lead, to know when to step back to let others shine is part of the experience. The real world is looking for leaders that can make the best decisions for others, trust in themselves, and make a solid impact.

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West Team
Leadership
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Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander
How To Make Your Voice Heard As A Minority
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Shae Deschutter: Strongest Soft Skills That Can Help You To Further Develop Your Leadership Style

In this workshop, Shae will discuss some of the strongest soft skills that can help you to further develop your leadership style. Shae will discuss how she had used her strengths and leadership skills to teach (and work with students) in engineering, without a STEM degree. This seminar will help you to identify your own strengths and soft skills and create a plan to further develop them and learn to put them to work for you!

Cultural:

Being proud of Asian heritage is important when creating their self-image and learning about themselves. Knowing how to share their heritage while in the workforce can help create a better environment and community for them. Additionally, it is important to be proud of your heritage and embrace it in all aspects of your life!

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Subtle Asian Traits: Cultural Appreciation vs. Appropriation

Since 2018, Subtle Asian Traits has been a Facebook community welcoming Asians from all across the diaspora with a platform to share our unique cultural heritages. With Asian representation making large strides forward, iconographies and symbols (from food to characterization, language and aesthetics) have been assimilated into western culture. Where is the line between appreciating Asian culture, versus simply appropriating it? Join fellow SASEters and admins of subtle asian traits to discuss criteria and examples from the SAT group of what makes for positive and productive Asian representation.

Atkins: Culture Shock - Family, Professional and Societal Expectations
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This workshop is hosted by Ati Abad. Ati is an ITS Analyst with Atkins North America, based in Henderson, Nevada. She has a master’s degree in Urban Planning from American University and has global experience in Transportation Planning and Traffic Engineering, She is specialized in Intelligent Mobility solutions, Operations Programs development, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), and Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) Program Planning and Implementation. She is also the 2022 ITE Nevada Section President. Outside the office, she enjoys interior design, painting, and astronomy. Her workshop will expose tips and lessons on how to adapt to a new business and social culture.

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OCA: How We Can Use Our Common Experiences To Shape Us Both In The Academic and Professional Setting

OCA Las Vegas is a nonprofit focused on empowering the next generation leaders of Asian American and Pacific Islanders. This workshop is hosted by Brian Kieatiwong (Southland Industries), Randy Huynh (Silverback Strategies), Kristen Santero (Caesars Entertainment), and Nicole Santero (UNLV School of Public Health; @ResearchBTS). They will share how they have been able to harness the power of identity, life experiences, and sense of community to help to shape their roles in both academic and professional settings.

Asian Community Resource Center : Your Asian Identity and the Importance of Serving the community + Life After College - Your Financial Literacy and Pointers on Getting Hired
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This workshop is hosted by Jennie Kim, Sonny Vinuya, Angelica Villarta, and Nathan Moelinono.

For over 30 years, Jennie has been serving professionals and business owners with their financial and business planning with a holistic approach. She has a passion to educate, develop, and help clients to grow their businesses and portfolios while navigating through the complex world of Finance, Investment, Retirement, and Asset Protection planning. As a marketing expert, she believes that developing highly engaging relationships is critical in the business and professional world. And, I believe that servant leadership is key to developing future leaders. She has been engaged in various non-profits with an emphasis in the Asian Community and on empowering and enriching the lives of Women Business Owners through advocacy, education, economic resources, and social and career development.

Sonny Vinuya began his tenure as President and CEO of the Las Vegas Asian Chamber of Commerce on January 1, 2016. As President of ACC, Sonny has continued to execute the chamber's mission of representing their members and community partners' interests in Government affairs, Community Affairs, and Economic Development. Currently, Sonny is a Vice President/Client Relations Officer at Bank of George where he helps with his clients' banking and financing needs. He is also serving as a Commissioner for Clark County Asian American Community whose mission is to ensure that all of the diverse AAPI population are represented and are receiving the services that they need. He is also part of the Council of Chambers where he collaborates with other Chambers, LVGEA, and GOED to promote Nevada’s Economic Development. He is a board member for the Collaboration Foundation, a center that he genuinely believes is needed for children in the spectrum. He is also part of the NAFFAA (National Federation of Filipino Americans Assoc.) where they promote the welfare of Filipino Americans and is currently going through the FBI Citizens Academy. Sonny has a degree in Business Management and previously worked for the pharmaceutical industry before moving into banking in 2004. Sonny has been part of the Asian Chamber of Commerce since 2011, volunteering and chairing different events and coordinating luncheon speakers and mixers. He graduated from the Metro advanced leadership program in 2012 and chaired the program for the next 2 years.

With over 20 years of professional experience, Angelica is a minority woman business owner for Blucat Group, a digital brand media company, that specializes in website development, graphic design and campaign development, business plan development, and copywriting. Her aim is to enhance efficiency and resiliency of new and existing businesses. She co-chairs the Economic Development Committee for the Nevada Commission on Minority Affairs and leads SEIU Local 1107's AAPI Community Outreach department, breaking new ground in the union's non-member outreach and advocacy. She has sat on numerous boards and volunteers as advisor and member, including, but not limited to the Federal Reserve's ROC National Cohort, Water Street District Business Association, the Sri Lanka America Chamber of Commerce, and many more community advocacy groups. She co-chairs the Economic Development Committee for the Nevada Commission on Minority Affairs and leads SEIU Local 1107's AAPI.

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Nathan Moeliono: Financial Literacy and Life After College

Nathan Moeliono is graduating in Computer Engineering with a minor in Computer Science. He has been getting job offers from Roblox, Amazon, and Google and has already been hired by Meta once he graduates. He will share his experience on Financial Literacy and life after College.

Career:

Being aware of what types of careers are available, specifically for Asian Americans too, is crucial once you start looking past graduation. By expanding your knowledge on potential careers, it will help you make better decisions now and provide more confidence in your choices when the time comes.  

Dr. Boo Shan Tseng: Research and Sciences
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This workshop will describe the personal trajectory of Dr. Boo Shan Tseng from her childhood to her current position as a UNLV Assistant Professor in Life Sciences, and provide advice to students on how to get into a research-based career, with a particular focus on the biomedical sciences.

Dr. SJ Kim: Design Thinking for Career Planning
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This workshop deals with design thinking with a focus of applying it for carrier planning and development.

SJ Kim is an Associate Professor of Entertainment Engineering & Design (EED) in the Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering at UNLV. He runs the Digital Experience Lab (DEX Lab) conducting user experience and media research.

Westwood: Tips for Interviewing
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This workshop will be hosted by Savannah Burner and Janegela (Jane) Burge. 

Savannah is an HR Recruiting Coordinator and Jane is an Assistant Project Manager with 8 years of experience in Land Development. Jane is also a UNLV Graduate!

SAE Baja: School Involvement & Using Skills From School in the Real World
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This workshop will be on student involvement and how it benefits a personal career. It will be hosted by Angelo Alberto and Kolby Tran.

 

Angelo Alberto is SAE Baja's Systems Integration Officer. Angelo is a mechanical engineering student going into his junior year at UNLV. In his second year with the team, Angelo became the team's Chassis, Ergonomics, and Aerodynamics lead. This year Angelo became the team's systems integration officer tasked with helping the project manager lead the technical aspects of the club.

Kolby Tran is SAE Baja's Secretary. Kolby is a sophomore electrical engineering student at UNLV. As the team's secretary, Kolby manages the team's social media. Currently, he is also the team's electronics lead in charge of developing data acquisition systems on the car.

Soft Skills:

Soft skills are non-technical skills that you can utilize in both your personal and professional lives. It will make you a more well-rounded individual that is able to talk to your colleagues, present yourself more confidently, stay organized, and more. Some soft skills can include time management, working with others, or even understanding empathy. You will find these soft skills to be a key element in your success with any performance you take part in!

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Dr. Ferrer: Choosing Freedom

Let’s face it, we all have a LOT on our plates. With so much to manage, it’s no wonder we’re stressed as we try to balance school, work, friends, family, health, and free time! What you may not realize is that we each make dozens of tiny decisions each day that actually add to this stress and rob us of freedom - the freedom to spend our precious lives doing the things that make us truly come alive! This workshop is all about choosing freedom. You’ll learn about the little (and big) things you can do to accomplish more while freeing yourself to spend life on your own terms. We’ll explore motivation, accomplishment, time management, personal finance, and career development in a wholistic experience that will help you align these facets of your life and get you moving toward your dream. Come ready to take action!

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FBI: Overcoming Cultural/Personal Barriers as a 1st Generation Asian American in Corporate World & Law Enforcement

Mike Kung has a BBA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Chicago. From 1996 to 2005, he was a General Electric in Corporate Finance, GE Appliances, GE Aviation, GE Insurance, and GE/Xerox Joint Venture. Mike has worked in many places around the world including Hong Kong, Ireland, and Chicago. He currently works with the FBI as a Special Agent in Las Vegas. He also just got married!

Statistics

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Other

12.7%

Science

13.1%

Engineering

49.8%

CS/IT

24.4%

UCSB 2021 R.C. Major Distribution

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SASE Chapters

83.3%

Non-SASE Chapters

16.7%

UCSB 2021 R.C. Major Group Attendees

Other/Private

6.1%

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Female

28.9%

Male

65%

UCSB 2021 R.C. Gender Distribution

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Professional

33.4%

Freshman

11.1%

Sophomore

32.1%

Graduate

4.4%

Junior

18.9%

CSM 2021 School Standing

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Other

13.1%

Science

10.3%

CS/IT

25.1%

Engineering

51.5%

CSM 2021 Major Distribution

Statistics

Sponsors

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Sponsors
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