Women in Science and Medicine Advisory Committee (WISMAC)
WISMAC is a UT Southwestern institutional standing committee composed of appointed representatives of the faculty, administration, fellows, and student body. The committee provides advice and initiatives on issues related to women in science and medicine, with the ultimate goal to improve UT Southwestern for everyone. We are supported by the Southwestern Medical Foundation. If you would like to make suggestions or contribute information, please contact us.
Upcoming WISMAC-Sponsored Events
Monthly: WISMAC and the Office of Faculty Diversity & Development, present The Mentoring Series for Female Graduate Students and Postdocs, featuring female faculty members as discussion leaders. These faculty members are encouraged to speak on their career path and offer advice on balancing work and career, finding an scientific niche, etc.
The location and speaker names for the sessions are announced via email invitation to female graduate students and postdocs. Past participants include Carole Mendelson, PhD, Melanie Cobb PhD, and Beth Levine, MD. For further information, please email: WISMAC@UTSouthwestern.edu.
Fall 2012: A reception for female faculty is in the planning stages. Helen Yin, PhD, who is the Assistant Dean for Women's Careers, will be the featured speaker.
February 5-7, 2013: For the 2012-2013 academic year, our Ida M. Green Distinguished Visiting Professorship Honoring Women in Science and Medicine will feature Nancy Andrews, MD, PhD. Dr. Andrews is Dean of the Duke University School of Medicine. She has been honored as an investigator of Howard Hughes Medical Institute and named to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Institute of Medicine. She spent much of her career at Harvard, where she received the Dean's Leadership Award for the Advancement of Women Faculty. She will present the University Lecture on February 6, 2013.
Recent WISMAC- Sponsored Events
March 3, 2012 WISMAC joined Science Teacher Access to Resources at Southwestern (STARS) for a day-long Saturday presentation of information and workshops on careers in science and medicine. The audience consisted of junior and high school teachers along with their selected female students. Student representatives of WISMAC took the lead roles in this event.
February 7-9, 2012: For the 2011-2012 academic year, our Ida M. Green Distinguished Visiting Professorship Honoring Women in Science and Medicine featured Judith Kimble, PhD. Dr. Kimble is Henry Vilas Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Departments of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. She presented her research on molecular regulation of animal development at the University Lecture on February 8, 2012.
October 19, 2011: WISMAC and the Office of Faculty Diversity and Development hosted a symposium on faculty promotion and tenure. While the symposium was primarily for the beneifit of instructors and assistant professors, all faculty were invited. Senior faculty, including chairs, division chiefs and others, who mentor junior faculty, also benefitted. Links to the video and handouts:
Handouts:
- Promotion & Tenure Process
- Academic Track Requirements
- Managing Your Author Profile
- Who Is Citing Your Articles?
September 20, 2011: Together with the Office for Faculty Diversity and Development, WISMAC hosted a reception for networking and to welcome new female faculty. A panel discussion addressed potential solutions for the leaky pipeline of females progressing through the academic and leadership ranks.
National Events
The Early Career Women Faculty Professional Development Seminar
July 7-10, 2012, sponsored by Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), is a 3½-day program designed for women at the assistant professor or instructor level who are physicians or PhD scientists holding medical school appointments and considering leadership positions within their disciplines, departments, or institutions. This year's seminar will be held July 7-10 in Potomac, MD. The program introduces the knowledge and skills needed to follow the path to leadership in academic medicine, including strategic communication skills, negotiation, and leadership. Small group sessions focus on mentoring participants in career-building skills in narrative and CV development. Seminar leaders are chosen for their demonstrated leadership abilities and offer knowledge, inspiration, and valuable career advice. If you are interested in applying and need travel expenses covered, contact the Office of Faculty Diversity & Development or WISMAC@UTSouthwestern.edu as soon as possible.
The online application period ends Monday, April 9, 2012. For more information and to view the preliminary agenda, view 2012 Early Career Women Faculty Professional Development Seminar.