NEWS

Phyllis Baca, New Mexico EPSCoR partner and component lead on both Workforce Development and Diversity, was recently honored with the Seventh Annual IMPACT! Award by the New Mexico Network for Women in Science and Engineering (NMNWSE) and the New Mexico Commissions on the Status of Women. The IMPACT! Award is given annually to a New Mexico woman for "extraordinary efforts in encouraging and helping women enter and succeed in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), as well as promoting networking an communication among women in these careers." Along with being passionate, dedicated, and an inspiration to those around her, Phyllis is a great leader in paving the way for more women in STEM fields and practices what she preaches as the Department Chair of the Computer and Information Technology Department at Santa Fe Community College.

In continuation of her dedication to STEM education for women and underrepresented groups, under our Energize New Mexico grant Phyllis is the project lead for achieving a significant representation of diverse groups in all EPSCoR-supported programs, as well as increasing student access to and engagement in research at all education levels and improving post-doc and STEM faculty effectiveness.

The press release about the IMPACT award states the following:

Through her teaching at Santa Fe Community College's engineering department and volunteering with numerous local, state, and regional agencies such as Project Lead the Way and Expanding Your Horizons, Phyllis has touched the lives of hundreds of NM educators and thousands of NM students, and has dramatically increased the number of women and Hispanics obtaining STEM degrees in NM. She has truly made an IMPACT!

We couldn't agree more. Congratulations, Phyllis!

Read the full press release here, and learn more about our Education and Workforce Development component here and in our Strategic Plan (PDF).

Photo, left to right, nominator Tinka Gammel presents the IMPACT! Award to Phyllis Baca. Photo in banner and press release courtesy of New Mexico Network for Women in Science and Engineering.<