WISE awards foster female science faculty

11:31 a.m., Oct. 21, 2004--Four academic departments--mathematical sciences, psychology, plant and soil sciences and materials science and engineering--are the first at UD to receive Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Future Faculty Development Awards from UD’s Commission on the Status of Women. The awards honor exemplary efforts and success in attracting and hiring female faculty, and the departments, in turn, select female doctoral students to receive the $5,000 awards.

This is the inaugural year for the awards, created by the commission’s WISE subcommittee to encourage the recruitment and retention of women on UD’s science and engineering faculties.

Patricia DeLeon, professor of biological sciences, who chairs the subcommittee, said, “The committee hopes that the institution of these awards will serve as a stimulus to encourage other science departments to increase their efforts in recruiting, retaining and improving the climate for female faculty in science and engineering.”

The mathematics department added funding to the WISE awards so that it could select three recipients, Paula Vasquez, Ana Vasilic and Ningyi Zhang. Psychology did the same for Kelly Johnson, Deborah Watson and Melanie Donley and the plant and soil sciences award went to Christina Catalano. The materials science and engineering award has yet to be announced.

Vasquez thanked the committee and said, “It was an honor to be recognized for my work, and receiving this award motivates
me to continue to strive for excellence.”

“I am very honored to receive the WISE Award,” Vasilic said. “I would like to thank you [DeLeon] and the Women in Science and Engineering Committee for supporting my work towards a faculty career.”

The awards can be used to augment student stipends, for professional travel and for leadership and professional development at the discretion of the deans of the colleges in which the departments reside.

WISE came into existence in 2001 when UD President David Roselle charged the commission to determine current "best practices" for improving female faculty representation in science and engineering.

Article by Barbara Garrison

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