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Hello WiSTEM,
Ana Dison has been a cornerstone of the Women in Engineering Program (WEP) and Women in STEM (WiSTEM) at The University of Texas at Austin. Her dedication, leadership, and innovative approach have significantly advanced gender equity in STEM fields. She has created and expanded programs that have impacted thousands of students and will continue to broaden participation in STEM well into the future.
After more than 30 years of service to UT Austin, 16 years with WEP, and 3 years co-founding WiSTEM, Ana is retiring effective January 10, 2025. We will miss her greatly!
As we approach a momentous occasion, we are excited to celebrate Ana Dison's remarkable career as she prepares for her well-deserved retirement. Ana has been a guiding light and an inspiring leader in our programs, and her impact on so many lives is truly immeasurable.
Share Your Ana Stories, Congratulations, Photos & More
To honor Ana and all she has accomplished, we invite you to contribute your stories, photos, and cherished memories that reflect the unforgettable moments you’ve shared with her or the impact these programs have had on you. Your contributions will not only celebrate her legacy, but also create a collective tribute that she can treasure.
By Tuesday, January 7, submit documents online at https://utexas.app.box.com/f/e6ea2ba90dc34e9588c57ee8218f1718 or send them to triciaberry@utexas.edu. Anything received after this date will still be collected and compiled to share with Ana…it just may miss being shared on her last day.
Support WiSTEM Programs in Ana’s Honor
Consider making a donation to the endowment established in Ana’s name, which will continue to support the programs she has passionately led. This is a wonderful way to ensure her influence will live on and inspire future generations.
Established by Ana’s husband, Tom Dison, in honor of Ana’s UT Austin legacy as the founding WiSTEM Director, the Ana M. Dison Excellence Fund for Women in STEM (WiSTEM) will provide programmatic support for WiSTEM well into the future. We look forward to honoring Ana with the endowment supporting students and programs she founded, expanded, and led. Your contribution can help us grow the endowment and have an even greater impact on student success through WiSTEM programming. https://give.utexas.edu/?menu=OGPANADISON
Ana’s Student Success Impact
Ana has been instrumental in developing and expanding numerous WEP and WiSTEM programs to support and retain women in engineering and STEM. Throughout her career, she has continually met individually with students to provide guidance and support, helping them navigate academic challenges and career planning. Over 6,000 women in engineering graduated during her WEP tenure, and she has directly served over 3,700 students in semester or year-long mentoring and student success WEP and WiSTEM programs.
She has led initiatives such as:
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First-Year Interest Groups (FIGs): Ana coordinated and enhanced FIGs within the Women in Engineering Program for over 15 years, providing over 1,300 first-year students with a supportive community and essential resources and providing over 50 FIG mentors with leadership and skills development opportunities.
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Living Learning Community (LLC): Ana expanded the WEP LLC to serve two whole floors with the WiSTEM LLC, providing a supportive residential community for first-year women in engineering. WEP and WiSTEM LLCs have served over 1,200 students through Ana’s leadership.
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Peer Assistance Leaders (PALs): Under her leadership, the PAL program grew from 8 to 162 mentors, supporting thousands of first-year engineering women during her tenure. Over 1,200 PALs grew as leaders through Ana’s mentorship and support.
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WEP Leadership Seminar: Ana co-created the semester-long leadership skills-building class for undergraduate engineering students. Through Ana’s leadership, over 650 students gained life skills to help advance their careers through the seminar.
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Graduates Linked with Undergraduates in Engineering (GLUE): Ana expanded GLUE to serve up to 50 undergraduate students annually. GLUE paired undergraduates with graduate mentors for research experiences, significantly boosting participants' confidence and retention rates. Over 500 undergraduate students and over 350 graduate students expanded their skills and gained confidence in research, mentoring and leadership under Ana’s guidance.
And in 2021, Ana co-founded Women in STEM (WiSTEM) to expand student success programs to serve over 12,000 STEM students across the university each year.
If you are interested in attending Ana's retirement celebration on campus on January 10th at 2 p.m., shoot me an email for details.
Thank you for being part of this celebration. Let’s come together to honor Ana Dison and the incredible journey she has shared with all of us!
Happy Holidays!
Tricia Berry
Executive Director, Women in STEM (WiSTEM)
triciaberry@utexas.edu
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