Heather Metcalf, PhD, is the Managing Director of Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship for the Women in Engineering ProActive Network. Dr. Metcalf has undergraduate degrees in applied mathematics and computer science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania, master’s degrees in computer science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and gender studies from the University of Arizona, and a doctorate in higher education with a focus on science and technology policy from the University of Arizona.

As an intersectional feminist, mixed-methodologist, and applied researcher, Dr. Metcalf uses their interdisciplinary background to engage in a variety of research, policy, and programmatic efforts related to social justice in STEM.

At WEPAN, Dr. Metcalf currently serves as an investigator on several NSF-funded projects including the ADVANCE Resource and Coordination (ARC) Network, which focuses on gender equity in academic STEM through an inclusive, intentional, and intersectional lens; ACCESS+, which engages change makers as they work to integrate equity into all STEM professional society activities; the ADVANCE and INCLUDES I-Corps Inclusion Collective, which aims to create more equitable and inclusive I-Corps programs; the New Jersey Equity in Commercialization Collective, which works with technology transfer offices and investors across New Jersey to build more diverse, equitable, and inclusive commercialization ecosystems; the Women of Color in Engineering Collaborative, a collective effort of more than 20 leading organizations seeking inclusive engineering workplaces for women of color, and the Commemorating 20 Years of ADVANCE project, a collection and digital archival project about the people and change efforts of NSF ADVANCE-funded initiatives. Dr. Metcalf is also PI for the WEPAN Accelerator, an entrepreneurship accelerator program for women in STEM funded by the Small Business Administration, and a Co-PI for the American Association of Colleges and Universities’ Convergence Program, a year-long entrepreneurship program for BIPOC women in STEM funded by the Luce Foundation.

Dr. Metcalf has published more than 30 peer-reviewed journal articles, has licensed anti-bias training materials for effective search and hiring processes, and advocates for change as a Public Voices Fellow. Their work has been featured in the media, including Public Radio International, The Atlantic, The Guardian, National Public Radio, Inside Higher Ed, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Scientific American, Nature, and Forbes, among others.  

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