(Washington, D.C.) – Today U.S. Senator Patty Murray announced that she has included $400,000 in funding for the WSU Mentorship Program for Women in the Pure and Applied Sciences in Pullman. Senator Murray included the funding in the Labor, Health, Human Services and Education (LHHS) Appropriations bill – the annual spending bill that funds healthcare and education priorities. Senator Murray is a senior member of the LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee.
"I am pleased to have secured this much needed funding to help encourage women to enter science and engineering fields," Murray stated. "This center will position WSU as a national leader in recruiting and retaining female faculty and students who are pursuing careers in science and engineering.”
WSU President Elson Floyd applauded Murray’s effort, "This funding, secured by Sen. Murray, will enable WSU to attract and retain the best women science and engineering faculty. It will also help us devise programs that will facilitate their successful academic careers as researchers and instructors. In so doing, the money will also help us prepare the next generation of women scientists and engineers. "
This funding will help establish WSU’s Center for the Recruitment, Promotion, and Advancement of Women in Science and Engineering. It will provide funds to hire a qualified, experienced staff to provide mentorships for women in the pure and applied sciences. The center will also encourage women to participate in the sciences and provide female science faculty with support in their programs.
Senator Murray has been a vocal leader for broadening opportunities for women in science. She has asked the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a formal study to examine the issue of diversity in the science, technology, engineering and math workforce.
The LHHS Appropriations bill was passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee today. It will now be scheduled for debate before the full Senate.
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