LIFT-ing Women in STEM: WREN Celebrates Gender Equity Award Win

We’re thrilled to share that the LIFT team has been awarded 2nd place in the Gender Equity Project category at the inaugural University of Wollongong (UOW) International Women’s Day Gender Equity Awards!

This recognition is a proud moment for all of us at WREN (Women’s Research Engineers Network), as we continue our mission to support, connect, and champion women in research and engineering across Australia.

The LIFT Project — standing for Learn, Ignite, Flourish, and Transform — is a powerful initiative aimed at uplifting women through education, inspiration, growth, and leadership. Supported by the Australian Government’s Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship (WISE) grant, the project is led by UOW iAccelerate, in collaboration with UOW Makerspace, the award-winning Women’s Leadership Program, and proudly, WREN.

Together, we’ve created and delivered events and opportunities that bring women together to share knowledge, spark innovation, build confidence, and create impact. This award reflects the collective energy, effort, and passion of the entire LIFT team in fostering meaningful change.

Members of the panel shared their stories and that of the incredible women of UOW and their actions that drive the future of gender equality in Australia and beyond.

As we “March Forward”, this recognition is not just a celebration of where we’ve been—it’s a call to action for what’s ahead. WREN remains committed to supporting initiatives that empower women and advance equity in STEM and research.

We are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our collaborators, actively building a future where gender equity isn’t the goal—it’s the norm.

A huge congratulations to the LIFT team, including (in featured photo order):

Front row: Danielle Skropeta, Georgia Watson, Tamantha Stutchbury, Sharon Robinson AM

Back row: Helen Georgiou, Lorraine Denny, Emily Yap, Jingjing Liu, Shamika Almeida, Jon Roberts

Acknowledgment: The LIFT Program is supported by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science and Resources through the Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship (WISE) Initiative