By Maegan Murray, WSU Tri-Cities
WASHINGTON – Washington State University Tri-Cities earned the Million Women Mentors’ Higher Education Award during the first international awards gala this week in the nation’s capital.
Through MWM (http://millionwomenmentors.org), WSU Tri-Cities pairs professionals in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields with female students. About 30 students are paired with mentors from organizations such as Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Energy Northwest, CH2M Hill and more.
Kate McAteer, assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs, said she was honored that WSU Tri-Cities was selected for the international program’s first Higher Education Award.
“We are the perfect campus for this,” she said. “Not only is 55 percent of our student population female, we are the most diverse campus in the WSU system and reside among many of the nation’s leading STEM organizations.”
“Our students witness the types of opportunities and paths they should take to be successful in their own lives,” said Chancellor Keith Moo-Young in a speech at the gala. “Our goal is to one day have every female student on campus participate in this amazing program.”
To apply for the award, WSU Tri-Cities submitted a 200-word description of its mentoring program, McAteer said. That includes peer mentoring, professional mentoring through MWM, and the Executives-in-Residence program, which engages students with local industry leaders.
Contact:
Maegan Murray, WSU Tri-Cities public relations, 509-372-7333, maegan.murray@tricity.wsu.edu