The 2017 WISE Forum is scheduled for Monday, March 20 at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. 

The Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Network, sponsored by the Da Vinci Science Center, is an initiative that supports current female professionals in the STEM fields – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – and encourages female students to pursue STEM careers.

The Da Vinci Science Center’s Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Network initially introduced a Women in Science Week in 2011 and the formal Women in Science event in 2014. Now, the Network holds the annual WISE Field Trip Day event for middle school students and visitors and an annual WISE Forum event for high school and college students.

Presented by Daiichi Sankyo, the WISE Forum includes a networking dinner that matches female high school and college students with college faculty members and practicing female professionals. The dinner is followed by a public forum with a panel of distinguished female STEM professionals from across the U.S.

The free panel discussion is open to the public, and takes place from 7:30-9 p.m. in Colton Chapel at Lafayette College.

The public panel discussion Forum Panelists

Alison R. Byerly, Ph.D., President, Lafayette College (Moderator)

Andrea Funk, CEO, Cambridge-Lee Industries, Reading, Pa.

Amy M. Fernandez, Associate General Counsel – IP Chocolate, Mars Inc., New York, N.Y.

Cynthia Y. Paige, M.D., Medical Director, Cypress Health Institute, West Orange, N.J.

Kimberly S. Stranick, Ph.D., Senior Vice President Regulatory Affairs, Daiichi Sankyo, Parsippany, N.J.

“This is an amazing event that inspires the next generation of female scientists, engineers, inventors, doctors and more,” says Sharon Alexander, development and stewardship coordinator at the Da Vinci Science Center. “This is the third year we will be hosting it and it has grown exponentially. This year, we had more than 200 high school girls apply to attend the event. We are expecting 250 people for the dinner and 500-600 for the panel discussion, our largest group yet.”

The Women in Science and Engineering initiative is sponsored this year by the Dorothy and Dexter Baker Foundation, B. Braun Medical and St. Luke's University Health Network. The WISE Forum is sponsored by a number of other companies from the Lehigh Valley. Each company sponsors students to attend and sends female STEM professionals to attend and be mentors to the students. The event would not be possible without their support and participation.

To join to the WISE Network and receive regular updates and information about upcoming WISE events, please contact Sharon Alexander, CFRE at sharon@davincisciencecenter.org or 484.664.1002, Ext. 125.