I am writing with some news that may surprise you, but change is inevitable, and it’s time for me to move on and create some positive change (or good trouble) in other spaces and places.
Women in STEM at UT Austin (WiSTEM) leads exceptional programs that impact over 12,000 undergraduate students and over 12,000 pre-college students each year. In the fall of 2021, my amazing colleague, Ana Dison, and I, with our respective 16 and 20 years of experience leading the Women in Engineering Program (WEP), launched WiSTEM campus-wide. Over the past three years, we have developed a robust, far-reaching, impactful, and sustainable programming model that is well-positioned for future success, characterized by strong finances, detailed documentation, a powerful project management system, and a fantastic community of supporters like you. It has been an incredible opportunity and privilege to lead WEP for over 20 years and then design, create, launch, and grow a program like WiSTEM at such a prestigious, large, public research institution.
As you are likely aware, my work has been significantly impacted by the passage of SB 17 in Texas, leading to the reorganization/re-imagining and eventual dismantling of the unit in which Women in STEM was founded and operating, and the most recent executive orders targeting various aspects of our work and/or the work of our close supporters and collaborators. While Women in STEM is lawfully leading programs open to students of all genders, complying with SB17, and continuing to serve students, the campus, and the community with incredibly impactful programming, to sustain the success of these programs the past two years have required intense time, effort, and energy to navigate the challenges and obstacles. And with Ana, my work partner for nearly 20 years, retiring this past January, it has become a lonely space to lead.
I have a deep passion for this work. It is time for me to direct my passions and expertise to do this critical work in the way I know how, with the voice I want to use fully and loudly in our communities and across Texas and the state, without restriction. It is time for others to lead at UT Austin, and for me to embody UT’s mantra of “what starts here changes the world” and go out and change the world.
I became eligible to retire with full benefits from the University of Texas at Austin in January, at nearly the same time as the first federal executive orders were issued that are causing DEI programs across the country to close, companies with federal contracts to withdraw funding, and numerous other impacts in these spaces yet to be realized. To protect my retirement benefits from any potential closures or effects at The University of Texas at Austin, I retired from the university, effective January 31. I was rehired on February 1 as an “active retiree” to continue in my same role – STEM Girl Day was approaching, and camps were on the horizon.
I plan to lead WiSTEM through summer camps and retire from my full-time role at the end of this fiscal year, which concludes in August 2025. As mentioned, Ana and I worked hard to create a robust, far-reaching, impactful, and sustainable program with strong finances, detailed documentation, a powerful project management system, and a fantastic community of supporters like you. I have offered to help with any transition of new staff to ensure continuity of work. STEM Girl Day turns 25 in February, and I have offered to help ensure its success. I am hopeful that the university will make positive decisions about WiSTEM’s future, allowing all this great work to continue to impact 12,000 pre-college students, 12,000 undergraduates, and many more well into the future. (UPDATE: I will be supporting the transition with the new WiSTEM team through STEM Girl Day 2026 in a part-time supporting role.)
My work is not yet done. My passion for advancing gender equity in STEM remains, and I am eager to use my experience and expertise to support organizations, educators, individuals, and networks across Texas and beyond. What starts here changes the world!
Where will I spend my time in the future? Find me leading the Texas Girls Collaborative Project and STEMwise Connections. And playing in my garden!
Tricia Berry 