Southfield, Mich. – Lawrence Technological University, along with sponsors Sun Microsystems and Accretive Solutions,   will host a symposium for women, “Geek Mythology: Career Lessons from the Goddesses of IT,” on Tuesday, Feb. 12, noon to 8:30 p.m.

This is the third annual event organized by the Michigan Council of Women in Technology (MCWT) and its foundation to provide career-building skills and networking opportunities to female university students and corporate professionals in the information technology (IT) field.

It will take place in the UTLC gallery at Lawrence Tech, 21000 West Ten Mile Road in Southfield. Lunch is at noon and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 6 p.m. For pricing and registration, which is required in advance, click on www.mcwt.org.

The lunch keynote speaker will be Susan Kaufmann, associate director of the University of Michigan Center for the Education of Women. Last year she authored the report, “Michigan Women and the High-Tech Knowledge Economy.”

After lunch, participants will be able to attend three or four of the seven 50-minute interactive sessions on the following topics:

• Communication hints and tips for the global workplace
• Building and cultivating powerful relationships
• The mobile office of the future
• Mastering the personal excellence toolkit
• Feng Shui for the office
• Negotiating for amateurs
• Cultural collaboration

MCWT Vice President Michelle Pallas will lead a panel discussion on “Women Empowered: An Executive ‘How-To.’” The panel will include Cherri Musser of GMAC Financial Services, Mary Ann Ellsworth of Comerica Bank, Karen Kirwan of North Shore Consulting Inc. and Jennifer Nash of the Accident Fund Insurance Company of America.

Donna Ventimiglia, senior vice president of worldwide products sales at Compuware, will give the closing keynote speech on facing adversity and rising to the top.

Lawrence Technological University, www.ltu.edu, offers more than 60 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degree programs in Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Management. Founded in 1932, the 4,500-student, private university pioneered evening classes 75 years ago, and today has a growing number of weekend and online programs. Lawrence Tech’s 102-acre campus is in Southfield, with education centers in Lansing, Livonia, Clinton Township, Traverse City and Petoskey. Lawrence Tech also offers programs with partner universities in Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia.

The Michigan Council of Women In Technology Foundation is a 501(3) C organization dedicated to correcting the dramatically growing gender disparity gap in the high technology field.  It does so by inspiring, and pragmatically supporting, women (of all ages) to pursue technology education and careers -- through scholarships, technology grants, summer camps for girls,  high school and university interest groups and other special programs.  For more information about the Foundation, please visit its Website at www.mcwtf.org.