Diversity Matters

Pioneering diversity initiatives is hard work, but someone has to do it. That is why Dr. Iris Wagstaff nominated herself to take the challenge head on. Knowing that her time in the area is limited, please note that she is on a mission. Iris has served as a AAAS Science Policy Fellow at the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) since Sept 2015. There, she is developing a strategic diversity initiative to expand NIJ's pool of Research & Development grant peer reviewers, applicants and graduate fellows. 

When asked why did she join WE this past August, she shared that she wanted to network with others in the area who do evaluation while she resides in Washington, DC for her fellowship. She states, "WE seems like a really great group of people! I really enjoyed meeting everyone at my first meeting and it was great to see the diversity in backgrounds and expertise of the group. I was able to share contact information with the members present and I hope this will lead to future professional collaborations". 

In her free time, this Goldsboro, North Carolina, native enjoys traveling, exotic cuisine, reality TV (America's Next Top Evaluator...has a ring to it) and spending time with friends. She is currently Director of a non-profit that supports females in STEM and currently chairing the national NOBCChE (National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers) conference. She constantly shows her "Aggie Pride!" through mentoring and outreach efforts. 

Looking for Iris? She's definitely not hard to find. You may contact her at irisrwag@yahoo.com, follow her on Twitter @IrisRWagstaff or connect on LinkedIn.