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SEPTEMBER 2023 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 77 gies in the LTS track, corrosion protection nano-materials in the MAT track, and new 3D Microscopy as well as C-ray Technology Source in the INS track. Our industry, like many others, is facing a "silver tsunami." A high number of experi- enced engineers are entering retirement, most frequently replaced by young engineers. What advice can you give to emerging engineers within our industry relative to continuing education? Silk: Attend the Professional Development courses for a deeper dive into topics that are of interest to you, then talk to the authors about their presentations. is will help you make connections and give you a new network of experts to call on when the next strange prob- lem comes up that you need to solve. Bring lots of business cards to hand out and collect from the people you meet. Make notes on their areas of expertise. Join the clusters of people talk- ing about the new stuff they have learned, and you'll hear about the challenges that remain while hearing about their experiences and knowledge on the subject. Aspandiar: ere is a session on Tuesday aer- noon titled "Growing the Future Workforce" where one can learn about how the electronics manufacturing industry is helping shape aca- demic programs to develop young engineers in the field of electronics assembly. While technical conferences are known for their educational value, there are also oppor- tunities for networking. Can you share more about the various organized networking opportunities planned for SMTAI? Silk: e Women's Leadership Program is an opportunity for those of us underrepresented in the electronics industry to get together, learn from amazing women leaders, and have some fun together. For someone who is considering speaking at a local or international expo, what advice can you give them? Silk: Start by attending, and then becoming a reviewer, session chair, or co-chair. You'll figure out how it works and that will make it more comfortable. Follow the paper format and commercialism guidelines. Know your material and talk to the audience as if you're speaking to a colleague—because they are col- leagues.ey are there to learn and they listen with a goal to understand. ey are not scary. Thanks to both of you. SMT007 Julie Silk is a material reliability program manager and environmental compliance program manager for Keysight Technologies. She is a member of the SMTA Global Board of Directors and a member of the SMTAI Technical Conference Committee. Raiyo Aspandiar works for Intel and is a member of the SMTAI Technical Conference Committee. Mike Konrad is founder and CEO of Aqueous Technologies, and vice president of communications for SMTA. To read past columns, click here. Julie Silk