Celebrating 25 years of WiSE and women in STEM

by Lola Alvarez '27

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) at UC Santa Barbara, celebrating a legacy of leadership, community building and mentorship for women in STEM. 

“WiSE brings together women and people of other gender identities from across campus,” says Ella Evensen, WiSE co-vice president and mentorship program lead, and a bioengineering doctoral candidate. “Even though we have many departments represented in WiSE, we can all connect through our shared experiences in STEM fields.” 

The organization welcomes graduate and undergraduate students from all majors and backgrounds, creating a diverse, interdisciplinary community. “We have people from environmental sciences and geography, all the way to some of the hardcore engineering. It’s been really great to meet people from all disciplines, who you wouldn’t necessarily have met otherwise,” explains WiSE president and quantitative biosciences Ph.D. candidate Emily Gemmill. 

WiSE was founded in 2001 to support women in STEM, particularly their career development since women were often underrepresented in these fields. Today, the organization continues to uplift women and is working to broaden its scope of outreach and career resources to UCSB students and the local community. 

“We were involved in outreach before, but it has really grown, to the point where we have 200 participants in our mentorship program, we hold science nights at local K-12 schools, and we are working on creating a larger alumni network,” says Gemmill. “We’re definitely trying to support women in STEM from an earlier stage, whether that’s preschool or early college.” 

Through WiSE’s mentorship program, undergraduates are paired with graduate students based on their fields of study, allowing mentees to gain valuable insight into STEM careers and research opportunities through conversations with experienced mentors. 

“We set up informal social settings for these conversations to occur; we hold coffee hours and craft events, where it may be easier for our mentees to feel more comfortable asking candid questions,” says Evensen. This form of mentorship allows for professional development and personal connections to form outside of the classroom, in a less intimidating, more supportive atmosphere. 

The mentorship program also provides mentors with validation and self-assurance in their fields of study and in their own graduate school journeys. 

Emily Gemmill (left), WISE president, and Ella Evensen, co-vice president - Photo by Jeff Liang

“Mentoring gives a tremendous sense of confidence,” Gemmill says. “When I’m mentoring undergrads, I feel more valid in my own field. I think that all of our mentors get a boost of confidence knowing that they’re supporting future scientists.” 

In addition, she says, gaining a greater sense of assurance in their own fields helps mentors limit feelings of imposter syndrome, which is prevalent in STEM. 

Expanding its reach, WiSE will be providing hands-on science experiments for local youths, demystifying the assumption that STEM is inaccessible as a career. 

“We created a science demonstration on tissue engineering where the children could drop a dissolved polymer called alginate into a solution of calcium to make a hydrogel, then scoop out the gel and poke it to report how squishy it was,” Evensen explains. “It was cool to walk the kids through this demo, and it helped to connect this engaging and tactile experience to what being a scientist is like. It got the kids very excited about science.” 

The organization is growing a vast alumni network to connect experienced WiSE alumni with current graduate students seeking guidance about post-graduate jobs and research opportunities. 

“We realized that we have 25 years of alumni who have now gone out into the industry and have a lot of wisdom that we would like to foster within our organization,” says Gemmill. “We’re also considering a graduate student mentorship program where we would pair WiSE alumni with current students at UCSB.” 

Building on 25 years of progress for women in STEM, WiSE continues to combat gender inequalities by embracing diversity within its organization and ensuring that members are supported and uplifted.