UD College of Business Hosts Women in STEM Leadership Conference 2026

After Ogechi Ugwulebo earned her MS in Cybersecurity from the University of Dallas, she went on to found Women in STEM Leadership (WISL), an organization dedicated to mentorship and professional development for women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. WISL’s mission is to equip women, girls, and underserved youth with the education, mentorship, leadership development, and the opportunities they need to pursue leadership in STEM fields and to thrive in the global innovation economy.

By Rebecca Grillot, BA ’10

After Ogechi Ugwulebo earned her MS in Cybersecurity from the University of Dallas, she went on to found Women in STEM Leadership (WISL), an organization dedicated to mentorship and professional development for women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. WISL’s mission is to equip women, girls, and underserved youth with the education, mentorship, leadership development, and the opportunities they need to pursue leadership in STEM fields and to thrive in the global innovation economy. 

How It All Began

When Ugwulebo was planning the first Women in STEM Leadership Conference, she contacted her former professor from UD’s College of Business, Dr. Sandra Blanke, associate professor of cybersecurity and director of the Center for Cybersecurity Education. Ugwulebo had been inspired by Dr. Blanke as an influential woman leader in STEM and awarded her Leader of the Year in Information Security at that first conference. 

Dr. Blanke was eager to get involved in WISL after her experience at the conference, and the two women began a partnership that is having ripple effects in the STEM community. Blanke now serves on the WISL board, and UD’s College of Business now hosts the WISL Conference each year. 

“With UD’s support, the conference has continued to grow, not only in attendance and the range of organizations represented, but also in the programs and opportunities that have grown out of the partnership, including our youth coding camp,” said Ugwelbo.

Making an Impact 

The conference theme this year was “From Presence to Impact: Driving Change That Lasts,” focusing on expanding the role of women in STEM from simple presence to empowering them to influence decisions, shape outcomes, and create lasting change. Speakers as well as panelists spoke on a variety of practical and relevant topics: responsible AI and biomedical innovation, leadership growth, work-life balance, and authenticity. Speakers included Gupta College of Business Dean J. Lee Whittington, UD Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Inimary Toby-Ogundeji, and Karen Bass from Bass Business Solutions, as well as several members of the WISL Advisory Board.

This year’s 42 conference attendees, who ranged from CEOs to students, represented organizations including Amazon and Amazon Air, Bank of America, Charles Schwab, Cato Networks, Sedgwick, Nikon Instruments, Howden, Successware, CERTcuit, Dallas College, UT Southwestern, and the University of Dallas. Conference organizers aim for attendance by a broad range of professionals in order to stimulate networking, impact, and growth of ideas. WISL also sponsors high school students to attend the annual conference, giving young women who may not otherwise have access to such an experience the opportunity to meet women leaders in STEM and envision themselves in those roles. 

“The Women in STEM Leadership Conference is vital because it creates a premier platform where high-level technical innovation and purposeful leadership intersect,” said Dr. Toby-Ogundeji, who spoke on responsible AI and biomedical innovation. “For women professionals in STEM, events of this caliber provide a crucial venue to highlight cutting-edge research while building high-impact professional networks across industries. It also offers a forum whereby attendees can build genuine, collaborative support systems across sectors.”

Dr. Toby-Ogundeji was particularly excited to have several of her mentees in attendance and for the opportunity to share relevant student research being done at UD. “The level of engagement around building a sustainable, supported pipeline for the next generation of STEM professionals was incredibly energizing and demonstrates just how essential the conference is for driving long-term impact.”

The day concluded with a celebration of WISL’s outreach program, Python Programming Camp, a free coding camp for middle schoolers hosted this past June at UD. “We believe the journey to leadership starts early,” Ugwelbo explained. The curriculum for the camp was developed in partnership between WISL and UD, and software engineer Samuel Amajoh was hired to teach it. Organizers say they know the program was wildly successful because the students didn’t want to leave when it was over.

Inspiration for the Future

Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Management Dr. Julia Fulmore has attended the WISL conference for the past several years and found this year’s topic and leadership particularly influential. 

“What stood out to me most was how inspirational it was to see so many successful women in STEM and related fields sharing their experiences, perspectives, and advice,” Dr. Fulmore reflected. “The environment was welcoming and friendly, creating plenty of opportunities for networking and for participants to connect with women from different industries, career stages, and professional backgrounds. That kind of environment makes it easier to build relationships, exchange ideas, and learn from one another.”

One of the clearest signs of impact, Ugwelbo explains, is when women come back and bring others with them. Rachel Wheeler, senior regional manager for Amazon Air, first attended the conference three years ago. “The experience had such a meaningful impact on me that I joined the WISL Board and increased the involvement of my colleagues,” Wheeler explained. This year, her team requested the slides from Dean J. Lee Whittington’s keynote, “Your Job as a Leader,” so that they could present the material to their own teams, passing on the influence of the conference even more broadly.

“That kind of ripple effect, where the ideas shared at the conference carry forward into day-to-day leadership, speaks to the quality and relevance of the programming,” said Wheeler.

“What I find particularly valuable about this conference is that it goes beyond surface-level networking,” Wheeler continued. “Showing up is just the beginning, and WISL helps women take the next step toward driving meaningful change in their organizations and communities.”

Ugwelbo says that conference attendees “leave with three things: practical leadership frameworks they can use immediately, relationships that cross industries and career stages, and greater confidence that comes from seeing women who are leading and creating impact.”

About the Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business

The Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business at the University of Dallas has been a pioneer of graduate business education for more than 50 years. Located in Irving, Texas, the college was the first in Texas to offer an AACSB-accredited Doctor of Business Administration. Today, the college offers flexible Master of Business Administration, Master of Science, and professional education programs ideal for early- to mid-career professionals seeking to advance their careers under the guidance of faculty who are both scholars and accomplished business leaders. SB Hall, which opened in January 2016, houses the college, providing students with state-of-the-art technology and practical tools to prepare them for their future careers. For more information, visit udallas.edu/cob.

About the University of Dallas

The University of Dallas is the premier Catholic liberal arts university in the nation, recommended by the Cardinal Newman Society for its rigorous Core Curriculum and vibrant intellectual and spiritual life. With campuses in Texas and Italy, UD forms students intellectually, socially, and spiritually for a life well-lived through undergraduate, graduate liberal arts, graduate business programs, and professional programs in the humanities, ministry, and classical education. Learn more or apply at udallas.edu.