Women of Impact 2023

Women of Impact 2023

2023 Honorees

Awards Celebration

2023 finalists were celebrated at a private event on Friday, October 20. The guest list also included Young Women of Impact honorees, representing public high schools in Pima County as nominated by the school principal based on characteristics similar to the judging rubric for the UArizona Women of Impact finalists.

The awards celebration opened with remarks from Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins. "Tonight's awardees represent the best characteristics of Arizona," said Hobbs. President Robbins addressed the Women of Impact honorees saying “You are leading the way while empowering those around you and preparing the next generation.” And to the Young Women of Impact honorees, he said "You are our future.” Hear their full messages below.

Young Women of Impact program

Each year, we honor high school students for their commitment to and demonstration of six core values at UArizona: integrity, compassion, inspiration, adaptability, inclusivity and determination. These outstanding young women from public schools across Pima County are nominated by their principals and participate in Women of Impact networking events and are included in our annual celebration.

About the Program Feature Story

“We recognize the importance of acknowledging young women making a difference in their schools and communities, connecting them with university role models, and cultivating a pipeline of future Women of Impact.”

—Lisa Romero, associate vice president of marketing and communications for RII

“Through programs like Young Women of Impact, UArizona has made sure that students at Sunnyside know that college is for everyone and that they belong, and can thrive, at this university.”

—Stephanie Ponce, Principal of Sunnyside High School (SHS)

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UArizona honors Women of Impact and Young Women of Impact at awards celebration Read the story

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University honors 'Women of Impact' Read the story

Current Women of Impact information    |    Learn about the 2022 Cohort

Conversations with 2023 Women of Impact

Women of Impact award winners provide perspectives on the future of their fields and share what inspires them.

Portrait of Shufang Su in front of Women of Impact background

Shufang Su

Shufang Su, professor and head of the physics department, discusses particle physics and how her field of study is represented in a book series recently adapted by Netflix. 

Read the full interview

Portrait of Kathleen Melde in front of Women of Impact background

Kathleen Melde

Kathleen Melde, professor of electrical and computer engineering, serves as associate dean of faculty affairs and inclusion in the College of Engineering. She discusses championing culture change, including newcomers and lessons in teamwork from a back country rescue unit. 

Read the full interview

Ernst

Kacey Ernst

Kacey Ernst, professor and chair of the epidemiology and biostatistics department, updates us on SCORCH, emphasizes the importance of little acts of inclusion, and breaks down what pop culture gets right and wrong about infectious outbreaks. 

Read the full interview

Hodges

Tanya Hodges

Tanya Hodges, executive director of the Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture, explains how the University of Arizona is at the forefront of innovation in all aspects of food production, why a small border town is so crucial to feeding North America and how agricultural advancements in Arizona can benefit growers globally. 

Read the full interview

O'Haire

Maggie O'Haire

Maggie O’Haire, associate dean and professor for the College of Veterinary Medicine, discusses the science behind our love for pets, the importance of lifelong learning and some remarkable updates since the awards celebration. 

Read the full interview

 

 

Comprised of impressive and forward-thinking leaders whose impact resonates across our campus and far beyond, here are the 2023 Women of Impact:

Diane Austin

Professor, Anthropology
Director, Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology
Research Anthropologist
College of Social & Behavioral Sciences

Terry Badger

Professor and Eleanor Bauwens Endowed Chair, Nursing
Director of Research Initiatives, College of Nursing
Professor, Psychology, College of Science
Professor, Public Health, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health
Member, Cancer Center

Susan Beck

Professor, Global Seismology and Tectonics
Department of Geosciences, College of Science

Gurtina Besla

Associate Professor, Astronomy
Associate Astronomer, Steward Observatory
College of Science

Stephanie Russo Carroll

Associate Professor, Community, Environment and Policy
Director, Collaboratory for Indigenous Data Governance
Associate Director, Native Nations Institute, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy
Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health

Bonnie Colby

Joint Professor, Agricultural and Resource Economics and Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences
College of Agriculture, Life & Environmental Sciences
College of Science

Laura Condon

Associate Professor, Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences
College of Science

Anne Cress

Vice Dean of Operations and Strategy, College of Medicine-Tucson
Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Radiation Oncology, and Cancer Biology

Kacey Ernst

Professor and Department Head, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health

Liesl Folks

Vice President, Semiconductor Strategy and Director, Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing
Executive Office of the President and Research, Innovation & Impact

Carmala "Carmie" Garzione

Dean, College of Science
Member, BIO5 Institute

Rakhi Gibbons

Director of Licensing and Intellectual Property
Tech Launch Arizona

Felicia Goodrum

Professor and Interim Associate Department Head, Immunobiology
College of Medicine-Tucson
Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Molecular and Cellular Biology
Member, BIO5 Institute
Member, Cancer Center

Melanie Hingle

Professor and Associate Director, School of Nutritional Sciences and Wellness
College of Agriculture, Life & Environmental Sciences
Member, BIO5 Institute
Member, Cancer Center

Tanya Hodges

Regional Academic Programs Manager, Yuma Campus
Executive Director of Business Initiatives and Grant Development
Lecturer, Department of Agriculture Education, Technology & Innovation
College of Agriculture, Life & Environmental Sciences

Corey Knox

Deputy Director, Arizona Astrobiology Center
Research, Innovation & Impact
Arizona Space Institute

Sharon Megdal

Director, Water Resources Research Center
Professor and Specialist, Department of Environmental Science
C.W. and Modene Neely Endowed Professor and Distinguished Outreach Professor
Division of Agriculture, Life and Veterinary Sciences, and Cooperative Extension
College of Agriculture, Life & Environmental Sciences

Kathleen Melde

Associate Dean, Faculty Affairs and Inclusion, College of Engineering
Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Juanita Merchant

Regents Professor, Medicine
Chief, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
College of Medicine-Tucson
Member, BIO5 Institute
Member, Cancer Center

Maggie O'Haire

Associate Dean for Research and Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine
Professor, Psychology, College of Science

Mary Peterson

Professor and Director, Cognitive Science Program
Department of Psychology, College of Science
Professor, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute

Margaret Pitts

Senior Associate Dean, Graduate College
Associate Professor, Communication
College of Social & Behavioral Sciences

Sudha Ram

Anheuser-Busch Endowed Chair and Professor of Management Information Systems, Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Eller College of Management
Professor, Computer Science, College of Science
Member, BIO5 Institute

Andrea Romero

Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
Office of the Provost

Lisa Romero

Associate Vice President, Marketing and Communications
Research, Innovation & Impact
RII Senior Leadership Team

Edella Schlager

Professor and Director, School of Government and Public Policy
College of Social & Behavioral Sciences

Valerie Shirley

Associate Professor of Indigenous Education
Director, Indigenous Teacher Education Program
Dean's Fellow for Indigenous Education
College of Education

Shufang Su

Professor and Department Head, Physics
College of Science

Gayatri Vedantam

Professor and Associate Director of Research, School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences
College of Agriculture, Life & Environmental Sciences
Member, BIO5 Institute

Ofelia Zepeda

Regents Professor, Tohono O'odham Language and Linguistics
Director, American Indian Language Development Institute
Affiliate Faculty, Department of American Indian Studies
College of Social & Behavioral Sciences