Women in Science and Engineering program honored

A university residence hall learning program is drawing national accolades for its recruitment and retention of women undergraduates in engineering and the sciences.

Women in Science and Engineering, a learning community for about 100 students at Elizabeth Waters Residence Hall, received the 2001 Women in Engineering Program award from the national Women in Engineering Programs and Advocates Network. The award recognizes WISE as a national leader in promoting greater participation of women in science and engineering fields and establishes the program as a model for other institutions.

WISE, created in 1995, offers a positive social and academic environment for its members, with a goal of enhancing academic performance and nurturing professional development for young women. The program is co-sponsored by University Housing, the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and faculty in the College of Engineering and the College of Letters and Science.

Women who enter college intending to major in science or engineering are far more likely than men to switch into non-science majors during their first few years of enrollment. Research suggests that isolation and lack of female role models contribute to the trend.

WISE directly addresses those problems by connecting students with some of the university’s top women faculty in science and engineering, as well as other women scientists. The program includes special WISE sections of courses, research talks by women faculty, lab and facility tours on and off campus, internship and undergraduate research opportunities, study skills discussions, class registration events, and arts and social outings. Upper-class women in the program also serve as mentors and professional guides for the younger students.

During the past six years, WISE has enrolled more than 400 students, and more than 160 students have applied for fall 2001. Some early assessments of the program also show it is making an impact. One measure found that WISE chemistry students achieved significantly higher grades than the average UW–Madison female student, both in chemistry and overall courses. Another study found that participation in WISE may be effective in reducing alcohol abuse.

For more information, contact Ann Haase Kehl, the WISE program coordinator, (608) 262-0444, kehl@mail.housing.wisc.edu