The peer mentor is a student staff member who acts as the primary point of contact between the Program for Women in Science and Engineering (PWSE) and the members of the WiSE Learning Communities. The WiSE Learning Communities are residentially based and activities last for an academic year. PWSE has twelve learning communities in seven residence halls. Each learning community is comprised of approximately 20-25 first-year women majoring in a science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) major. Because women are an underrepresented population within the STEM majors, they often feel isolated and disconnected from campus. The WiSE Learning Communities exist to reduce these feelings and to assist students with their transitions to college. Each learning community is led by one peer mentor, who work to serve as a role model for their students. Peer Mentors assist learning community members in achieving the following goals:
- increased capacity to succeed in diverse and challenging curricula
- development of community leadership skills
- development of a greater sense of personal well-being
- increased self-efficacy
- increased career maturity
- create a community based on shared goals of scholarship and excellence
- development of cross cultural understanding
2012 First-year Coordinators and Peer Mentors
| First Name |
Last Name |
Position |
Telephone |
Email |
| Coordinators |
| Andrea |
Ramos |
First-year Learning Community Coordinator |
515-294-9964 |
pwsega@iastate.edu |
| Lora Leigh |
Chrystal |
On-campus Coordinator |
515-294-5278 |
lchrysta@iastate.edu |
