Women becoming WiSE: Gender, professional development and programming for success

While women have made great strides in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, considerable gender based inequalities persist. The Women in Science and Engineering Future Professionals Program (WiSE-FPP) at Syracuse University (SU) is a program for women STEM doctoral students developed by Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) through a collaboration with the Graduate School and the Colleges of Engineering and Computer Science, and Arts and Sciences that seeks to redress these inequalities. WiSE-FPP offers programming that confronts tensions surrounding the multiple and competing demands made on women's lives. Through workshops, panels, programs and informal events, WiSE enlists the support of experienced women faculty to guide and mentor WiSE-FPP participants in the subtleties of effectively practicing and engaging others with the professional and interpersonal skills that are increasingly necessary for career success. This essay introduces the reader to WiSE-FPP and its programs, and then offers evaluative evidence of the need for, and efficacy of, the program as reported by former and current WiSE-FPP Associates. We find that mentoring for career success, access to a community of like-minded women and the development of strategies for maintaining a viable work/life balance continue to be important to women's perseverance in STEM fields and show how WiSE-FPP supports women's persistence and resilience.