Designing Influence, Engineering Change: Women Shaping Policy and the Future

Includes a Live Web Event on 04/08/2026 at 2:00 PM (EDT)

Overview
Speaker(s)

Experience Level: Any level of experience

This session features a moderated panel discussion hosted by the Women’s Leadership Program Task Force, with special guests State Senator Ann Johnson Stewart of Minnesota and State Senator Laura Ellman of Illinois. Senator Johnson Stewart is a civil engineer with extensive experience partnering with local governments to design and build publicly funded roads, bridges, and public facilities. Senator Ellman holds degrees in mathematics and applied statistics, has worked in quality engineering in industry, and currently serves in compliance assessments at a national laboratory.

Together, Senators Johnson Stewart and Ellman will share their journeys from STEM fields to elected office and reflect on how their technical backgrounds have shaped their approach to public service. They will offer insights into their experiences as engineers—and particularly as women engineers—in today’s political landscape. The discussion will explore the role of engineering expertise in protecting public welfare, evolving policy needs around infrastructure, energy, and community resilience, and the vital contributions engineers make to environmental protection and public safety. The panel will also address current conversations around broadening representation in both engineering and policy-making, as well as strategies for attracting more women into engineering careers and public leadership. Senators Johnson Stewart and Ellman will also discuss how engineers can more effectively educate legislators on complex technical issues and identify meaningful ways engineers can engage in and contribute to the policy-making process.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Recognize the value of an engineering background in shaping effective, evidence based public policy.

2. Explain the growing importance of engineering expertise in addressing future policy challenges.

3. Explore the importance of equitable representation within today’s political and civic landscape.

4. Identify practical pathways to get involved in engineering advocacy, public service, or policy engagement.

1 PDH

Pricing:

NSPE Members: FREE

Non-members: $75.00 (Join NSPE today and save on this purchase.)

To register, add this webinar to your shopping cart and check-out in the NSPE e-store.

Monica Fulkerson, PE (Moderator)

Senior Environmental Engineer

Jacobs

Monica Fulkerson, PE is a Specialist Environmental Engineer with Jacobs (formerly CH2M) since 2006. Located in Charlotte, NC, she has 22 years of experience and serves as a Senior Technical Consultant, Design Manager, Project Manager, and Group Leader specializing in site management and remediation projects. Monica has a B.S. and an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Virginia Tech. She is currently the chairperson of NSPE's Women's Leadership Program Task Force and is the NSPE House of Delegates Representative from North Carolina.

Senator Laura Ellman

Illinois State Senate | 21st District

State Senator Laura Ellman was elected to serve in the Illinois General Assembly in November of 2018 representing District 21. Senator Ellman currently serves on a number of committees, including Human Rights, Insurance, Transportation, Chairperson of Environment and Conservation; and is Vice-Chairperson of Financial Institutions. After graduating from Grinnell College with a degree in mathematics, she earned a masters’ degree in applied statistics at the University of Iowa. Professionally, she has more than 25 years of experience working in manufacturing and engineering and dealing with regulations and policies.

Senator Ann Johnson Stewart

Minnesota State Senate | 45th District

Senator Ann Johnson Stewart is a member of the Minnesota Senate, representing District 45 since 2024. From 2021 to 2023 she represented District 44. Originally from Wisconsin, Johnson Stewart received her Bachelor of Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and her Master's at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. She is a civil engineer with a small business that works with local governments to build publicly funded roads, bridges, and buildings. Johnson Stewart has also taught at the University of Minnesota and local technical colleges for over 20 years.