Experience is widely recognized as one of life’s most effective teachers, and organizers of the upcoming 2024 Susan M. Arseven ’75 Conference for Women In Science and Engineering (WISE) guarantee multiple opportunities to learn from some of the best within the STEM professions and Aggieland next month on the Texas A&M campus.
Registration opened yesterday (Jan. 29) for the popular annual WISE Conference, which is celebrating its 32nd anniversary this year and set to be presented Saturday, Feb. 24, in Room 2400 of the Memorial Student Center. This year’s theme, Pioneers in STEM: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future, focuses on recognizing the historical advancements in science and engineering as well as inspiring the next generation to overcome barriers and contribute to their respective fields.
The event will feature a day of common ground, conversation and inspiration among friends in a series of interactive presentations featuring speakers who will share their insights gained along the journey from diploma to career and all points in between. Topics include harnessing perseverance, the value of entrepreneurship, finding your passion, the power of connection and much more.
"This conference is an excellent opportunity for undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral fellows and faculty in STEM to connect and engage in diverse perspectives," said 2023-24 WISE President Natalie Coleman '20, a Ph.D. candidate in civil engineering who also earned her bachelor's degree in the subject from Texas A&M in 2020.
The daylong conference (see schedule), annually organized and hosted by Texas A&M Arts and Sciences Outreach & Engagement, will feature a keynote presentation by Dr. Tatiana Erukhimova, instructional professor and outreach coordinator in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. An award-winning educator and researcher, she is the inaugural holder of the Marsha L. ’69 and Ralph F. Schilling ’68 Chair for Physics Outreach, a 2017 Texas A&M Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence and a 2021-24 Eppright Professor in Undergraduate Teaching Excellence. In addition, she is recognized across the globe for her viral videos and passion for engaging students of all ages as an ambassador for all things STEM. Erukhimova will present on what she views as one of the most fundamental keys to her success: prioritizing a personal approach to the business of science education.
The complete list of speakers features an exclusively Texas A&M-affiliated slate, including three former students, two center administrators and both professors and staff members from the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and School of Public Health.
The conference is named in honor of the late Dr. Susan M. Arseven ’75, one of the leading strategists in information technology during a career spanning several disciplines and a pioneering example of Aggie leadership. Thanks to generous funding from a permanent endowment established more than two decades ago in support of the conference on its 10th anniversary in 2002 through the Texas A&M Foundation by Arseven’s husband, biostatistician and 1974 Texas A&M statistics Ph.D. graduate Dr. Ersen Arseven, the event also showcases the Susan M. Arseven Make-A-Difference Memorial Award — two $1,000 awards presented to graduate students pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees in science, engineering or technology as part of the conference.
The conference registration fee is $50 ($35 for students) and includes a pre-conference reception on Friday, Feb. 23, at Benjamin Knox Gallery and a conference swag bag. Participants are encouraged to register online before the Feb. 22 deadline. The Texas A&M Good Bull Fund is generously sponsoring discounted registration fees for the first 40 students. Additionally, interested parties are encouraged to check with their respective academic departments, several of which also cover registration fees.
Women In Science and Engineering (WISE) at Texas A&M is a university-recognized organization of graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty and staff from various science and engineering backgrounds. The group was created to address specific problems faced by women in non-traditional fields.
For more information about the conference or other outreach and engagement events and programs within the College of Arts and Sciences, visit https://artscioutreach.tamu.edu.