UW ADVANCE has impacted the landscape of women in STEM.
UW ADVANCE creates structured pathways at UW and beyond for women faculty and others to equitably access career-building information. These support systems, connections, and educational opportunities empower women faculty, establish an intentional culture of faculty development, and contribute to a campus climate and community that leads to more equitable recruitment, retention, advancement, and leadership of women faculty.
“The ADVANCE office is essentially solely responsible for making me feel like I am part of a community across the university, rather than just within my department.”
Women Faculty Data
Increasing Tenured/Tenure Track Women Faculty
Since the inception of UW ADVANCE, there has been an increase in number of tenured or tenure-track women faculty across our 19 ADVANCE departments, from 58 tenured/tenure-track women faculty in the 19 ADVANCE departments in 2000 to 142 women in 2021.
| Department | 2001 | 2021 | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | 28 | 78 | 179% |
| Natural Sciences & Environment | 32 | 64 | 100% |
| Overall | 60 | 142 | 137% |
Women faculty are also advancing in their careers. Of the 51 women faculty who entered as assistant professors between 2001-2013, 41% (21) are full professor and 31% (16) are associate professors, as of 2019. As of 2021, over 53% of women faculty from ADVANCE departments are full professors.
Increasing Representation in 19 ADVANCE Departments
During the UW ADVANCE Institutional Transformation grant (2001-2007), the percentage of faculty who are women increased. Women now account for an even greater percentage of the faculty. As of 2021, over 27% of faculty from ADVANCE departments are women. Also, UW continues to exceed the national average for the percent of engineering faculty who are women.
| College | 2001 | 2007 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering (10 depts.) | 13.9% | 17.7% | 27.4% |
| Natural Sciences/Environment (9 depts.) | 12.5% | 17% | 26.9% |
| National (Engineering Only) | 8.9% | 11.8% | 18.1% |
Highest Representation of Women Engineering Faculty Nationally
At 27.6% UW has the highest percentage of women faculty representation in the top 50 Colleges of Engineering (2021 ASEE Engineering by the Numbers).
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