Mary Ann Evans


Mary Ann Evans

"Mary Ann Evans' professional legacy thrives in the lives of women…they have been inspired through her work…even when it meant bucking tradition, breaking tightly-held all-male networks, or facing blatant intolerance and bias."
- Pam St. John

Mary Ann Evans, through her work at Iowa State University (ISU), has been a voice for women within the academic community, a path builder for girls and women interested in nontraditional careers, and an enabler for international women in science and engineering. Since 1978, she has been a leader in recommending how ISU could better serve women students and employees. She was a driving force on the University Committee on Women for more than 20 years. When it became clear that both faculty and students had a critical need for childcare, Evans led the way in developing the ISU Child Care Resource Program, which grew from a single child care center to a system of services. She completed this important work while at the same time returning to school to earn master's and doctoral degrees from ISU. Recognizing how few women were enrolling in science and engineering at ISU, she founded and directed the Program for Women in Science and Engineering (PWSE), a university-wide administrative program focused on women in science and engineering. PWSE is a comprehensive program serving numerous girls and women, both on and off campus, with initiatives such as career conferences, mentoring programs, internships, role models, and scholarships. Evans was also a co-founder of Iowa State University's International Women in Science and Engineering program (IWISE), whose activities have reached women working in research institutes, universities, government labs, nongovernmental organizations in more than 20 countries. She has been active in the community, serving as a volunteer at the Center for Creative Justice, Ames United Way, Ames Civil Service Commission, and the Iowa Women's Political Caucus. Evans was born September 1, 1939 in Buffalo, NY. Evans was inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame in 2004.