Fargo, N.D. – Donald Schwert, director of the Center for Science and Math Education and professor of geosciences at NDSU, and Canan Bilen-Green, executive director of the FORWARD project and professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering, presented at the 15th International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists Conference in Adelaide, Australia, in mid-July. The presentation was a collaborative effort that included presenters from five universities with National Science Foundation ADVANCE projects.

The team presented both oral and poster sessions. The oral sessions highlighted the National Science Foundation ADVANCE initiative and best practices implemented at ADVANCE institutions. The poster sessions included overview posters from each institution showing the varied programming and paths to institutional transformation. The conference was a unique opportunity for the five institutions with National Science Foundation ADVANCE programs not only to share best practices, but also to learn about the experiences of institutions from other parts of the world. Participation in the conference by the five institutions was supported by additional National Science Foundation funding.