WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) is a University unit that offers programming for undergraduate and graduate students to support their success in STEM. Our primary goal is to increase the percentage of female-identifying students graduating with STEM degrees and pursuing careers in STEM fields.
U-M Students
We host community building events to foster a sense of belonging on campus and in STEM, and we offer workshops on academic success, STEM skills, and career development. We also serve as a hub, helping students find the specific resources they need to thrive in STEM. Our programs are designed for girls, women and non-binary individuals but are open to all.
Impact & Engagement 2023-2024
Inspiring Young Girls
Middle school is a particularly fragile time for girls to maintain an interest in STEM. In order to inspire and encourage girls to continue to pursue their STEM interests, WISE hosts a suite of summer camps. Approximately 40% of our camp attendees eventually matriculate at U-M.
We also host camps for high schoolers: a coding bootcamp on campus and a new applied physics program hosted in the city of Detroit.
Providing Role Models
A key predictor for persisting in STEM is having a strong STEM Identity. Developing that is particularly challenging if no one around you looks like you. This year we launched the WISE and Shine series to connect U-M students with alumnae who have succeeded as STEM professionals in order to help students envision possibilities and pathways for their future.
Growing Our Community
In addition to our student-facing programming, WISE is constantly developing new partnerships and connections with faculty across campus who care about STEM equity. Our newly formed Faculty Advisory Board has been key to expanding our reach and creating new opportunities for students. In total we had over 1800 students attend events and 980 new WISE students.
Nurturing Student Leadership
WISE launched three new initiatives aiming to scale WISE’s impact and recognize the critical role students play in creating change on campus: the WISE Mentors, the WISE Ambassadors, and a grants program to support student organizations that align with the WISE mission.
The Mentors & Ambassadors programs gave 12 students important leadership roles in WISE.
Supporting Academic Success
WISE continued our long-standing partnership with the LSA Science Learning Center and the LSA Newnan Advising Center to expand the Science Success Series.
That series now includes student-led events, hosted by the WISE Mentors. These weekly events are drop-in opportunities for students to ask near-peers questions about courses and majors in STEM.
Innovating for Impact
University of Michigan has LOTS of resources for students, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy place to navigate. The WISE Hub is like a curated library or campus map, where we’ve highlighted the resources most important and relevant for women in STEM.
One of our key goals for 2024-2025 is to expand the resources and reach of the WISE Hub.