FOMO is Real: Tips for Improving Inclusion While Remote Working

Thursday, October 23, 2025

11:15 AM - 12:15 PM CT

Location: MCCNO 278-282

Speaker(s)

Jennifer Chang (she/her/hers)

Software Engineering Supervisor
Ford Motor Company
Livonia, Michigan, United States
LaJoia Walker

Lead Reliability Engineering Consultant
DuPont
Beaumont, Texas, United States

Moderator(s)

Molli Andor

Lead Powertrain Manufacturing Engineer
Ford Motor Company
Dearborn, Michigan, United States

Speaker(s)

Allie Haugen

R&D Engineer
Olympus
Watertown, Massachusetts, United States
Kristin Zatwarnicki

Design Release Engineer
General Motors
Dearborn, Michigan, United States

As hybrid and remote working styles become more widely utilized, many people struggle to form personal connections through their computer screens. Interpersonal dynamics are hard to determine without having met the people you’re talking to. This can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness, increased anxiety, and constant “fear of missing out.” It can be particularly challenging for people starting a new job needing extra guidance to learn the company, team, and role all at once. This session will introduce common pitfalls of remote work and how to engage with your colleagues even if you’re thousands of miles away. A panel of multidisciplinary engineers, company leaders, and SWE leaders that are part of global teams will share their best practices and challenges they’ve faced and how they’ve overcome them. Attendees can expect to learn tips and tools for working from home, working remotely, and working with people in different locations.

Learning Objectives:

Apply best practices for working remotely, or with remote teams.
Identify new methods of adapting to different working styles
Reflect on creating balanced, healthy, and efficient methods of working.