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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
In 2023, the program’s reach expanded to include high school students who demonstrate commitment to six core values at UArizona: integrity, compassion, inspiration, adaptability, inclusivity and determination. The 2023 Young Women of Impact class represented 18 public schools across seven Pima County districts.
Read the full 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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Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health
Office of the Provost
Research Development Services
School of Information
Tech Launch Arizona
Tech Parks Arizona
Undergraduate Admissions
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<< Back to 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.
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
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
Comprised of 30 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
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We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples. Today, Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, with Tucson being home to the O’odham and the Yaqui. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the University strives to build sustainable relationships with sovereign Native Nations and Indigenous communities through education offerings, partnerships, and community service.
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