Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) at UCSC

UCSC Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) needs your help on Giving Day!

Many women and nonbinary people in STEM know the feeling of being the only person of your gender in the room—whether it's the classroom, the conference room, or a laboratory. This experience is isolating and can make it difficult to build a community, which is so important for student retention. Retention rates for STEM students from the first year of college to the last are significantly lower for women (48%) than for men (65%), according to a 2022 study. WiSE is an effort to combat the gender disparity in science that persists to this day.

We need your support to put on our programs and events, such as:

• Science on Tap: A monthly seminar series open to the public—held at The Crepe Place Santa Cruz—that brings UCSC scientific research into the community.

• Naturalists: Regular outings into nature with an expert guide.

• Tutoring: A middle school tutoring program that gives graduate and undergraduate tutors a chance to hone their teaching skills (and get paid!).

• Science Impacting Society: A quarterly one-day program where middle schoolers come to UCSC for hands-on activities and lab tours.

• GradPath: A mentorship program that pairs undergraduates interested in going to grad school with current graduate students.

• Social Events: Fun events for members of the UCSC community!

• Coffee Hour: Workshops and seminars focused on building scientific and career skills.

• Science Magazine: A collection of scientific writing and art produced by UCSC graduate student researchers to showcase their research.

• Outreach: Tabling at community events and science demonstrations at schools to pass on our love of science.

• Ask a Scientist: Bringing science into the community with fun demonstrations and conversations at the Westside Farmers’ Market.

• Book Club: A quarterly book club focused on feminism, society, and science.

All of these programs are possible only because of the funds we receive from generous donors (like you!). WiSE is run entirely by graduate students who are passionate about making scientific spaces more equitable and to inspire the next generation of scientists. We believe that anyone can be a scientist!