Please email us at UCIWIR2021@gmail.com for questions or if you’re interested in participating as a mentor or mentee.
Our Story, Our Mission
Who we are
UCI WIR is a grassroots, volunteer-led organization.
UCI WIR’s first group began in May of 2021. We continue to grow to allow more opportunities for women to benefit from this experience. The more organizers involved, the more groups UCI WIR can facilitate. We welcome interest from all to join the committee.
What we do
As early career researchers, postdoctoral scholars grapple with novel dynamics within academia. Simultaneously, women in academia are often faced with obstacles less understood by their male counterparts. The Women in Research at University of California, Irvine (UCI WIR) program was developed to support postdoctoral women by providing them with an opportunity to discuss their experiences, uncertainties, and aspirations with other women in a group setting.
How we do it
Mentorship meetings provide support, advice, and encouragement in areas that are unrelated to scientific undertakings. UCI WIR is not intended to provide opportunities or networks for mentees in their respective fields. Instead, the goal of UCI WIR is for women to discuss issues that would similarly affect all women and early career researchers, regardless of their discipline, and in doing so provide a support network that transverses disciplines.
What to expect
The structure
Meetings are such that one senior mentor (i.e., an experienced member of faculty) meets with 5 to 6 postdoctoral scholars from various disciplines. This facilitates both senior and peer mentorship. To ensure unfettered participation from all mentees and mentors, mentees are not paired with seniors from their affiliated laboratories. Confidentiality is is VITAL to the program’s success and any breach will not be tolerated.
The commitment
Mentorship meetings are 1.5 hours. Meetings are held in-person. The first orientation meeting occurs at the Starbucks on UCI main campus outside Natural Sciences II. Group members are encouraged to choose a meeting location that suits all participants at the end of the orientation meeting. Virtual attendance is only permitted under rare and exceptional circumstances.
For the first three months, meetings occur monthly. Thereafter, meetings occur once every two months, resulting in a total of seven meetings over 12 months.
Meeting themes
A theme for each mentorship meeting will be chosen by the organizing committee depending on the prevalent themes and the example questions will be provided to the senior mentor prior to the meeting.
During the meetings, mentees are encouraged to discuss and ask all related issues and questions, respectively.
TO JOIN
MENTEES
We solicit mentee interest throughout the year and form groups on a rolling basis. To participate as a mentee, please email us with ‘UCI WIR mentee’ in the subject line and include:
- Your career stage and position at UCI
- All your affiliated laboratories
- What you hope to gain from participating in UCI WIR
UCIWIR2021@gmail.com
MENTORS
To volunteer as a mentor, please email us with ‘UCI WIR mentor’ in the subject line. Your support is invaluable!
UCIWIR2021@gmail.com
NEWS
May 2025: UCI Dynamic Womxn Awards recently honored one of our faculty mentors, Dr. Katherine Thompson-Peer. See our commentary below.
At UC Irvine, women are leading the way—breaking new ground, building community, and creating spaces that uplift and empower. Among them are the dedicated participants of the Women in Research (WIR) mentoring initiative, a growing network committed to supporting early-career women and shaping a more inclusive future in research through mentorship, collaboration, and community.
This year, WIR once again takes center stage as one of its champions is recognized for her outstanding contributions. On May 22, 2025, Dr. Katherine Thompson-Peer, Assistant Professor at UC Irvine, was honored with the Spotlight Award at the Dynamic Womxn Awards—a distinction given to individuals whose leadership and impact shine across multiple areas and whose stories speak powerfully to the spirit of the award. Dr. Thompson-Peer’s long-standing mentorship of early-career women researchers having participated in the WIR program over 2 years supporting 2 groups of women in this time embodies the mission of WIR and reflects her deep commitment to equity in academia.
The Dynamic Womxn Awards, hosted annually by UC Irvine’s Womxn’s Center for Success, are more than just a recognition ceremony—they’re a powerful celebration of changemakers. These awards honor individuals who have made meaningful, often unsung contributions to gender equity, community growth, and inclusive leadership. In 2023, the Dynamic Womxn of the Year Award was awarded to Dr. Alie Male, WIR’s founder and president, whose vision helped build a mentoring culture that continues to thrive and expand across campus.
Both Dr. Male and Dr. Thompson-Peer reflect the best of what the Womxn’s Center for Success stands for: community-rooted leadership, transformative mentorship, and a commitment to justice that goes beyond formal roles or recognition. Their contributions remind us that real progress is fueled not just by policy but by people—people who are willing to invest time, energy, and care into helping others grow.
As we recognize these milestones, we also honor the collective effort behind WIR’s success. The women who give their time—through mentoring, organizing, or supporting behind the scenes—are the heartbeat of the program. Their continued dedication keeps the initiative moving forward and ensures its impact reaches even more women entering the research world.
The story of WIR is one of shared leadership, mutual support, and lasting impact. And it’s clear: the women of WIR are not just supporting the next generation of researchers—they are leading the way.
The WIR Team
April 2025: WIR was recently featured by Minority Postdoc! Check out the article here: https://www.minoritypostdoc.org/articles/2024-15-2-adams-UCI_WIR
Photos from some of our recent events and mentorship groups
Meet our Organizing Team!
Alie Male, PhD
President
When I arrived at UCI, there were no programs for postdoctoral scholars to receive mentorship or advice from faculty outside of their own office or laboratory. During my time at UCI, several women expressed a desire to connect with, and learn from, other successful women in academia. I founded Women in Research at UCI (UCI WIR) to do just this. UCI WIR supports women at their most crucial and earliest career stages, helping them to succeed and flourish amid the many obstacles women face in academia.
Asha Densi, PhD
Organizer
Academia does not provide a level playing field for women researchers. Women need a safe space to talk, discuss and find ways to implement changes that can make workplace conducive to their needs. This require awareness among younger women professionals and mentorship from women in leadership positions. I joined UCI-WIR to be a part of a team that helps women to achieve their career goals and to learn from those who have the experience of navigating through the challenges of being a woman researcher.
Jenna Adams, PhD
Organizer
The transition between being a postdoctoral fellow and an independent, early career researcher is a critical step in which many women leave academia, known as “the leaky pipeline”. I became involved in UCI WIR to create mentorship communities that will help women postdocs from all backgrounds have the support needed to live up to their potential – whether that is staying in academia, exploring industry, or positions outside of research all together. As a previous WIR participant, being in this program connected me with an amazing group of postdoctoral women and a mentor who could relate to those unique experiences only women in research face. I am excited to pay it forward by now being an organizer of this program and helping the next generation of women scientists!
Belén Torrado, PhD
Organizer
As an organizer member of the WIR, I am proud to be a part of a community that strives to support and empower women. At WIR, we understand the challenges that women face in academia, and we believe that good mentorship can help them overcome these obstacles and achieve their goals. I am committed to contributing to the creation of a safe and inclusive space for women to come together, share their experiences, and support one another.
Laurel Brigham, PhD
Organizer
I joined the UCI WIR committee as an organizer in my final months as a mentee in the WIR program. I have found joy and belonging as a mentee in WIR and I was inspired to give back as an organizer. I’m passionate about fostering spaces for women to feel seen, heard, and understood. The WIR program creates those spaced by building community amongst women at UCI while it sets women up for success in academia and beyond by connecting them with a seasoned mentor.
Dervla Meegan-Kumar, PhD
Organizer
Postdoctoral appointments are times of significant career growth, yet, are often when early career researchers are most isolated. The UCI WIR program provides the opportunity for postdoctoral women on campus to engage in a unique combination of professional development, peer and traditional mentorship, and community building. The program fosters welcoming, supportive spaces and stimulates conversations around negotiating, work-life balance, growing your own research group, and more that provide insights to succeeding in academia at this critical junction point in our careers. After having an exceptionally positive experience as a WIR mentee, I was eager to join the organizing committee to “pay it forward” and ensure successive generations of postdoctoral women have access to this invaluable opportunity
Hannah Louise Savage, PhD
Organizer
Being a postdoc can be challenging, with its highs and lows making it a uniquely demanding journey. For me, discovering a community of like-minded individuals through the Women in Research (WiR) group was instrumental in helping me navigate this path. It provided a space for sharing both triumphs and setbacks, where I could openly discuss the challenges that women particularly face in academia. This sense of solidarity and support was invaluable to my growth. Inspired by my positive experiences, I joined the organizing committee to help other women at UCI find the same community and safe space that proved to be so helpful for me.
Previous organizing teams: https://www.pda.grad.uci.edu/resources/uci-wir/women-in-research-organizing-committee/