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 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 faculty, including 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 149 women in 2023.
| Department | 2001 | 2023 | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | 28 | 86 | 207% |
| Natural Sciences & Environment | 32 | 63 | 97% |
| Overall | 60 | 149 | 148% |
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 2023, 49% 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 2023, over 28% 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 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering (10 depts.) | 13.9% | 17.7% | 29.7% |
| Natural Sciences/Environment (9 depts.) | 12.5% | 17% | 26.4% |
| National (Engineering Only) | 8.9% | 11.8% | 19.6% |
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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