WiCS+
Women in Cognitive Science (WiCS+) is an organization that is dedicated to celebrating the contributions of women to the field of cognitive science. It was founded by Dr. Judith Kroll (then from Penn State, now University of California, Irvine), Dr. Randi C. Martin (Rice University), and Dr. Suparna Rajaram (Stony Brook University):[1][2]. The organization was founded in 2001 with the support of the ADVANCE Leadership Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF)[3].
WiCS+'s growth over the past 25 years included maintaining funding from the NSF with efforts to support scientists in various stages of their career.
WiCS+ is affiliated with the Psychonomic Society (PS), Cognitive Science Society (CSS), Association for Psychological Science (APS), and Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition.
WiCS+ was involved in development and continues to partner with WiCS-Canada[4] (founded in 2016) and WiCS-Europe[5] (founded in 2017).
MISSION: WiCS+ is organized around six core goals
- Celebrate the contributions of women to the field of cognitive science
- Provide a space for discussions and training on gender equity issues for all community members
- Support the visibility of women on editorial boards, influential committees, and leadership positions in professional organizations
- Encourage a new generation of women to enter cognitive science
- Assist with professional development across a wide array of careers
- Build a global community of scholars through networking and outreach
Activities and Programs
WiCS+ offers a range of ongoing programs and events[6][7]
- Annual Workshop — held in conjunction with the Psychonomic Society (PS) annual meeting, with social hours supported by the American Psychological Association (APA) Science Directorate
- Junior Scientist Networking and Travel Awards — co-sponsored with PS and APA Division 3
- Writing Support Groups — peer writing accountability groups for members
- Virtual Coffee Hours — informal networking sessions
- Speaker Lists — a publicly available directory of WiCS+ members available as speakers for conferences and events
- Networking Hubs — searchable database connecting members by area of cognitive science specialization
- Member Spotlights — features promoting the visibility of WiCS+ members and their research
- Job Opportunities Board — listings for and by WiCS+ members
Funding and Partnerships
NSF has been a sustained supporter of WiCS+, funding seven conference awards through the Perception, Action, and Cognition program. Throughout its history, WiCS+ has partnered with major professional organizations including the Psychonomic Society[8], the Cognitive Science Society, the Association for Psychological Science (APS), and the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (SARMAC).
Leadership
As of 2024–2025, the WiCS+ Leadership Team consists of:
| Name | Institution |
|---|---|
| Kate Arrington | Lehigh University |
| Alesha D. Bond | Davidson College |
| N. Bonnie Nozari[9] | Indiana University |
| Rachel Ostrand | IBM Research |
| Sarah Shomstein | George Washington University |
| Joo-Hyun Song | Brown University |
The organization is also guided by an Advisory Board of 20 senior scholars[10] from institutions including MIT, McGill University, Rice University, Temple University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, among others.
References
- ↑ Martin, Randi C.; Rajaram, Suparna (2024-07-01). "The Founding and Growth of Women in Cognitive Science: An Enduring Legacy of Judith Kroll". The American Journal of Psychology. 137 (2): 215–223. doi:10.5406/19398298.137.2.12. ISSN 0002-9556.
- ↑ "Kroll Legacy paper.pdf". Google Docs. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
- ↑ "ADVANCE: Organizational Change for Gender Equity in STEM Academic Professions (ADVANCE) | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation". www.nsf.gov. 2020-03-06. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
- ↑ "WiCSC". WiCSC. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
- ↑ WiCS+Europe. "WiCS+Europe". WiCS+Europe. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
- ↑ Arrington, Catherine M.; Multhaup, Kristi S.; Song, Joo-Hyun; Nozari, Nazbanou (September 2021). "Women in Cognitive Science: Networking, Visibility, and Career Pathways". NSF Award. 21 (2138047): 38047.
- ↑ "Events". Women in Cognitive Science. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
- ↑ https://www.psychonomic.org/page/supportedawards. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ University, Carnegie Mellon ($dateFormat). "Nozari Receives Early Career Award - News - Carnegie Mellon University". www.cmu.edu. Retrieved 2026-03-10. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ "About". Women in Cognitive Science. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
https://www.womenincogsci.org/
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