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Mission

Mission & History

WISP was co-founded in 1990 by Karen E. Wetterhahn and Carol Muller, who shared a concern about the underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields at the national level. They set out to develop programs that would foster success in the sciences for Dartmouth undergraduate women. That vision gave rise to WISP, which remains nationally recognized and replicated. In 1996, WISP was one of the recipients of the first Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring.

The program creates collaborative learning environments so that all students can thrive in STEM. It especially aims to enhance the experiences of undergraduate students exploring the sciences during their first year. A comprehensive set of proven intervention strategies include:

  • Mentoring
  • Early hands-on research experience
  • Role models
  • Access to information
  • Building a community in the sciences

A 25-year retrospective on Professor Wetterhahn and her contributions to her field, the sciences, and the Dartmouth community may be found at Chemical & Engineering News.