Womxn in Science & Engineering (WiSE) is a graduate student led, non-profit UCSB campus organization founded in 2001. We aim to intersectionally promote equal opportunity and inclusion for all members of our campus community, support the scientific and career advancement of traditionally underserved people in academia, and create community for women and gender minorities of all ages in science and engineering fields. WiSE encourages the participation of all STEM undergraduates, graduates, researchers, faculty, and professionals in the Santa Barbara area.

Our Organizing Board

Anna Boser (she/her)

Co-President

Anna is a fifth-year PhD student at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management. She studies water scarcity in agriculture with the goal of ensuring food security into the future. She likes to use satellite data and machine learning in her research. After having served as Outreach Chair last year, she is excited to continue to share her passion for STEM with other women as WiSE Co-President. In her free time, Anna enjoys playing the harp, rock climbing, and taking improv classes.

Emily Huffman (she/her)

Co-President, Social Chair

I’m a fourth year Phd student in Marine Science studying the interaction between sea level change and glacial history, specifically in Antarctica and NW Scotland. As a co-president, I’m excited to help build a strong, supportive community focused on empowering minorities in STEM. Outside of research, you can find me either at the beach playing volleyball or surfing, enjoying live music, crocheting, and traveling.

Hailie Kittner (she/her)

Treasurer, Social Chair

I am a first-year PhD student in IGPMS in the Valentine Lab. My research interests involve understanding the interactions of deep-sea microbes with environmental contaminants. I love all things to do with the ocean, and enjoy SCUBA diving and surfing (in progress). You’ll rarely see me without my dog, Daisy. I love teaching her new tricks and taking her on long beach walks.

Emily (Emi) Gemmill Al Kindi (she/her)

Communications Chair

I am a third-year PhD candidate in the Quantitative Biosciences Program (IPQB) and am doing my thesis research in the Denise Montell Lab. I’m interested in questions about the cytoskeleton, collective cell migration, and septins and I use fruit flies as a model system. I enjoy hiking, camping, cooking, gardening, reading, and drinking coffee. I love fostering community and am excited to serve our WiSE members this year!

Ella Evensen (she/her)

Outreach Committee Chair

Ella is a first-year PhD student in the Bioengineering Department and part of the Quantitative Mechanobiology Predoctoral Training Program. She is excited to facilitate mentorship opportunities between grad and undergrad students as well as get grade schoolers engaged with STEM. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, creative writing, calisthenics, and spending time outside.

Haarika Manda (she/her)

Professional Committee Chair

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Emily (Em) Miller (she/her)

Undergraduate Coordinating Officer

Emily is a fourth-year Mathematics major at UC Santa Barbara who is passionate about applying quantitative skills to environmental science and sustainability. She currently conducts research in the WAVES Lab, analyzing irrigation systems in Sub-Saharan Africa using satellite imagery and data analytics. When she’s not crunching numbers, Emily can be found hiking local trails, boxing at the gym, or participating in local beach cleanups.

Yingyi Zhou (she/her)

Undergraduate Coordinating Officer

Hello, I am a second-year undergraduate majoring in Pre-Biology. I really like to do puzzles, take photographs, and read novels during my free time. I also enjoy going on walks near the lagoon and the ocean to take a break from school work.

Yin (Grace) Tang (she/her)

Undergraduate Coordinating Officer

My name is Grace Tang and I am currently a sophomore majoring in biology. Some of my hobbies include reading, listening to music, playing basketball, and binge watching shows in my spare time. My favorite genres to read are science fiction and detective novels!