KAWSE Welcomes New Executive Director

September 22, 2012 -

Dear all-

The K-State Office for the Advancement of Women in Science and Engineering (KAWSE/ADVANCE) would like to welcome our new Executive Director, Chardie Baird , PhD. Although Chardie is new to our office, she has been a part of the K-State Family for four years. She comes to us from the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work, where she is an Associate Professor. Dr. Baird is an expert in the processes that lead to gender inequality at work. She conducts research that examines why it is difficult for women and girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields and has exciting ideas about how to address these problems in middle school, high school, and college settings. In addition, she is committed to fostering girls’ interests in math, science, and engineering in her service activities. In her previous positions, she was active in programs that are very similar to K-State’s GROW and EXCITE programs that bring middle school and high school girls to K-State’s campus where they spend a day in workshops led by STEM faculty members. Chardie also benefited from K-State’s ADVANCE Distinguished Lecture Series (ADLS) and travel awards that have proven beneficial to her own career development.

Chardie succeeds Professor Dana Britton, also of Sociology. Although all of us in the KAWSE office will miss Dana as a mentor, friend, and fellow advocate for a gender equitable future, we are excited to welcome Chardie, a rising leader in the field of gender and work. We look forward to her leadership and expertise, as she continues to advocate for KAWSE and furthers our office’s mission to promote the full participation of women students and faculty in the science and engineering enterprise. For more information on current and/or future programming, please call our office at (785)-532-6088, or stop by 125 Seaton Hall.