The She/Her Club at SMPTE is a space for any person who identifies with these pronouns and our allies.

Our first meetup will take place on Tuesday , 30 March 2021 14:00 - 15:00  EDT and we will be guided by the question, “How can we increase the number of young female-identifying students who take on academic studies that will prepare them for careers in STEM and media technology.” We hope and expect the conversation to unfold organically, so please come with an open ear, and ideally with a willingness to share and ideate with the group.

Our goal is to hold discussions that turn into plans of action to eliminate barriers of entry to media technology careers for those identifying as female, to increase the number of female-identifying young people who pursue studies in engineering and media, and to foster community and friendship among female-identifying professionals and our allies within the industry.

Like all Clubs at SMPTE, our group would love to hold agenda-less, club-like meetups over common video conferencing platforms. We want you to participate with us AND even schedule a meetup that you will lead about a topic that’s important to you. Participation in the discussion is invited and encouraged but you are most welcome to simply listen in!

Hosted by: Barbara Lange | Executive Director

Barbara Lange joined SMPTE as Executive Director in January 2010.   Founded in 1916, SMPTE is the global professional association that supports the technical framework and professional community which makes quality motion imaging available to consumers in a variety of media formats. 

Ms. Lange’s portfolio includes participating in, and executing on, the SMPTE Board of Governors’ strategic vision and to ensure the Society’s continued relevance in an ever-evolving global media technology ecosystem.  Under Ms. Lange’s leadership, membership has grown by more than 30%, more than 200 leading-edge industry standards have been published -- including industry game-changers such as Interoperable Master Format (IMF), High Dynamic Range (HDR), and Video Over IP -- and the Society has educated thousands of professionals on critical technical topics.  

Today, Ms. Lange’s focus is implementing a 3-year strategic business plan that will further SMPTE’s visibility and relevance with an emphasis on attracting a younger and more diverse membership demographic.  As a part of this effort, in 2020, the Society launched a new brand image and website.  In 2015, Ms. Lange led the acquisition of the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA), a leading trade association focused on the application of technology in the creation, distribution and consumption of professional media content.  

Ms. Lange holds a BA in Chemistry and German from Washington and Jefferson College (Washington, PA), and completed the Executive Development Program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.  Prior to joining SMPTE she held executive roles in scholarly publishing at highly respected organizations including Springer-Verlag and the IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional association. 

Ms. Lange has been recognized for her leadership by Washington & Jefferson College, the IEEE, StudioDaily50, and the TVNewscheck 2020 Woman in Technology Award for her role in “making a difference in the media industry”.  In 2021, she has been honored by TVB Europe as a 2021 Technology Leader to Watch and by Broadcast & Cable with 2021 Tech Leadership Award.