About

WiSP is an informal organization for support of women in the sciences. WiSP is inclusive of all undergraduates, graduate students, post-docs, faculty, and staff that identify as female/non-binary or are female/non-binary advocates. WISP does not exclude non-female identifying individuals from membership, but rather facilitates promotion of understanding and support of the female experience in STEM. This organization is intended as a social support space for female-identifying/non-binary ASU members however, allies are welcome as members and at events. 

The organization is run by School of Earth and Space Exploration graduate students, and includes social events as well as lunch discussions throughout the fall and spring semesters with professional women currently in industry or academia, some opportunities for outreach events for K-12 are also part of the organization.

Organization Structure

Proposed WiSP Officers council:

• President

  • Offers senior leadership and guidance (must be post-quals)

  • Sets group goals and suggests pathways forward to achievement

  • Presides at meetings and sits on officers council

  • Has overall financial and social responsibility for the organization

  • Represents the organization at public events as needed

  • Approves all communications/activities/etc. (can delegate if needed)

  • Ensures completion of annual report for the organization, including transition documents for new council members

  • Helps all other VP council members in tasks as needed

  • Is in regular contact with alumni and former chairs regarding improvement of the organization

• VP of Events

  • Collaborates with the officers council and group members to create and execute exciting, interesting events for the club constituency

  • Maintains a list of all events in the academic year and updates a google calendar to reflect the events

  • Primary responsibility for running events (movie nights, speaker lunches, galentine’s day, etc. can delegate as needed)

  • Works with the Communications & Outreach VP to schedule women-identifying and women-allied speakers for lunch/etc. meetings

  • Works with the Association for Women Geoscientists group for co-hosting (consider Society of Women Engineers as well)

• VP of Communications & Outreach

  • Sends out communication emails to the asuwisp Listserv

  • Works with the Events VP to schedule women-identifying and women-allied speakers for lunch/etc. meetings

  • Contacts alumni for opportunities and advice for members

  • Contacts outreach programs & works with Events VP to schedule

  • Works with the Association for Women Geoscientists group for co-hosting (consider Society of Women Engineers as well)

• VP of Records

  • Records meeting minutes

  • Keeps track of all records generated by other officers and members and enters into google drive

  • Maintains & organizes the google drive as needed

  • Maintains & organizes the website as needed

  • May grow into a partial finance/treasurer position as interest grows/organization becomes ASU official

• Faculty or Staff Representative/Advisor

  • Basically if we want to pursue being an official organization on campus we will eventually require a staff mentor/advisor

  • Sits on the officers council, attends 1 meeting minimum per semester (if 2 advisors this lessens to 1/year)

  • Can force a Transfer of Officer power with majority Officer vote

  • Offers insight and guidance from a faculty perspective

• Undergraduate Representative

  • Has a say in all WiSP activities and offers suggestions/requests

  • Communicates with the undergraduate population to increase participation

  • Can force a Transfer of Officer power with majority Officer vote

• Graduate Council Ambassador

  • Is closely involved with, currently on, or has previously been on graduate council

  • Acts as a liaison for disseminating information to and from grad council for WiSP activities

  • Advises for needs that WiSP can fulfill where graduate council is unable to fulfill

Past Officers/Chairs

2021-2022 WiSP Officers:

• Lena Heffern - President  (Lheffern@asu.edu)

  • PhD Exploration Systems Design, 2022

• Madeline Kelley - Vice President Events/Communications (mmkelle4@asu.edu)

  • Pursing a PhD in Geography

• Grace Haverstock - Vice President Records (ghaverst@asu.edu)

  • Increasing education through graduate coursework

• Rupa Ragavan - Vice President Events/Communications (ruparagavan1998@gmail.com)

  • Pursuing an MS in Geological Sciences

• Mansi Padave - Grad Council Liaison (mpadave@asu.edu)

  • Pursuing a PhD in Astrophysics

• Cristy Till - Faculty Advisor/Liaison (remote, cbtill@asu.edu)

2020 - 2021 WiSP chairs:

• Lena Heffern (Lheffern@asu.edu)

• Srinidhi Ravi (sravi13@asu.edu)

  • Pursuing a PhD in Geological Sciences

2019 - 2020 WiSP chairs:

• Stephanie Sparks

  • Pursuing a PhD in Geological Sciences

  • MS Geology, 2022

• Srinidhi Ravi

2018-2019 WiSP chairs:

• Sierra Ferguson

  • PhD Geological Sciences, 2021; now at SWRI

• Hannah Kerner

  • PhD Exploration Systems Design, 2019; now back at ASU as a professor!

2017-2018 WiSP chairs:

• Kara Brugman

  • PhD Geological Sciences, 2020; now at Carnegie Science Institute

• Sierra Ferguson

2016 - 2017 WiSP chairs:

• Sierra Ferguson

• Kara Brugman

• Amber Keske

  • PhD Geological Sciences, 2018; now at Aerospace Corporation

2015 - 2016 WiSP chairs:

• Amber Keske

• Becky Smith 

  • PhD Geological Sciences, 2016; now at Stony Brook

• Kara Brugman

2014 - 2015 Founding Chairs:

• Allie Rutledge

  • PhD Geological Sciences, 2015; now at NAU

• Becky Smith