Brains and barracudas [The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly: Engineering FACTS]

(1) Two Degrees of Separation from Einstein - I'm always telling my students the benefits of being an IEEE Member and an IEEE volunteer. I tell them about the networking opportunities to meet the leaders in our field and perhaps to work and learn from the greatest minds in the world. We always think that these opportunities will present themselves at conferences and lectures. I learned first hand that this is not always true. (2) Women barracuda can muck up mentoring hopes - Barracuda: A fish with sharp teeth known to shred its prey. Ruthless. There are many myths and stereotypes of the working woman, and one of them is that women are the best mentors for other women. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. This can be devastating when a young professional seeks support from a woman and is shocked at the illogical, sometimes career damaging, response.