{"id":83893,"date":"2020-04-08T13:10:22","date_gmt":"2020-04-08T17:10:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=83893"},"modified":"2020-04-08T13:18:58","modified_gmt":"2020-04-08T17:18:58","slug":"decade-of-progress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2020\/04\/08\/decade-of-progress\/","title":{"rendered":"Decade of progress"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Recipients of the 2019\u201320 Women in Science Giving Circle awards were recognized at a gathering on Feb. 7.<\/p><\/div>\n

It\u2019s been 10 years since the Women in Science Giving Circle<\/a> distributed its first scholarships and research grants to female students and faculty in the STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine) disciplines at Wright State University.<\/p>\n

To celebrate the milestone, giving circle members gathered together with current and prior award recipients on Feb. 7.<\/p>\n

The Women in Science Giving Circle was founded by Michele Wheatly, former dean of the College of Science and Mathematics<\/a>, and Stacia Edwards, former assistant dean. Wheatly returned to Wright State to speak at the circle\u2019s 10-year celebration.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great to be back here,\u201d said Wheatly, who served as dean of the College of Science and Mathematics from 2002 to 2009 and chair of the Department of Biological Sciences from 1994 to 2002. \u201cIt just gives me so much satisfaction to realize that something we started 10 years ago has actually made so much change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wheatly had nothing but praise for the 15 years she worked at Wright State. She recalled her three children growing up on campus and expressed gratitude to the university for helping to advance her career. Wheatly recently stepped down as vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost at Syracuse University and is now serving as special advisor to the chancellor and leading women\u2019s leadership development initiatives at Syracuse.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though I have worked at many different universities across the world, my heart lies here at Wright State. Wright State took a chance on me,\u201d she said. \u201cI don\u2019t think I would have accomplished what I was able to accomplish in my own academic and administrative career had it not been for the chance \u2014 the risk \u2014 that Wright State took in hiring me back in \u201994 as chair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dorothy Carter, who graduated from Wright State in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, also returned to campus for the festivities. She was one of the first student recipients of a Women in Science Giving Circle scholarship. She credited her Wright State professors, and the award from the giving circle, with helping her develop confidence as a woman in STEMM.<\/p>\n

\u201cWright State is such a supportive community,\u201d said Carter. \u201cIt\u2019s a small enough university that undergraduates get to interact with fantastic faculty members who have the time to mentor you so very effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carter, who is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Georgia, said initiatives like the Women in Science Giving Circle are incredibly important for increasing gender equity, especially in higher education.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is pervasive gender bias across pretty much everything that we are evaluated on as a member of the academy,\u201d said Carter, who discussed how gender bias has been documented in everything from teaching evaluations to early publication opportunities to grant support.<\/p>\n

Kathy Engisch, interim dean of the College of Science and Mathematics, reflected on how the Women in Science Giving Circle was created to help fix the \u201cleaky pipeline\u201d where fewer women advance after earning their doctoral degrees. While half of the doctoral degrees are earned by women, only 35% of women go on to postdoctoral research and even fewer women \u2014 about 25%\u2014 become full professors.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur mission is to increase equity along the entire pipeline,\u201d said Engisch.<\/p>\n

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Michele Wheatly, who helped found the Women in Science Giving Circle as dean of the College of Science and Mathematics, returned to Wright State for the Feb. 7 gathering.<\/p><\/div>\n

To help remove barriers to women in STEMM, the Women in Science Giving Circle has raised more than $154,000 to date; $55,000 in scholarships has been distributed to 42 students; and 20 faculty members have received grants totaling $90,000.<\/p>\n

The event also recognized the Women in Science Giving Circle awardees for the 2019\u20132020 academic year. Student scholarship recipients include:<\/p>\n