WISE - for women, by women

World War II brought women into the United States workforce, and in the six decades since, they've reached parity with men in many traditionally male-dominated fields. However, members of the female persuasion are still under-represented in scientific and technical fields.

"Less than 10 percent of engineers in the United States are women - some 200,000 out of 2 million engineers," said Serita Acker, program coordinator for the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program at Clemson University.

Serita Acker is the program coordinator for WISE.

Begun in 1995, WISE focuses on two main goals: recruiting women into the science and engineering fields and helping them be successful in their careers. The recruitment phase begins early - with young women in middle school. A summer camp program sponsored by Duke Energy brings rising eighth-grade girls to Clemson to encourage them to stick with science and math. Every summer, dozens of girls experience mini-engineering courses taught by Clemson faculty, and meet female role-model counselors who are engineering and science students.

For women who have already made the "WISE" choice, and are currently enrolled in a technical discipline here at Clemson, support activities include monthly meetings, industrial and student mentoring programs, workshops and speakers, career planning and preparation assistance, networking opportunities, and study groups.

WISE is currently looking for a few good women. Female engineering or science graduates willing to share experiences are needed for the mentoring programs, to provide career counseling and guidance.

Interested individuals and corporate entities can provide critical financial support to broaden and expand the WISE outreach effort. If you'd like to be a part of the WISE program, please complete the form below and return it in the business reply envelope enclosed. You can "WISE" up by visiting our website at www.ces.clemson.edu/wise/.