February 22, 2025

BiSSL Ph.D. student Emily Payne awarded the Susan M. Arseven ’75 Make-a-Difference Memorial Award! The award was given by the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) at their annual conference at Texas A&M University. The award encourages and provides financial assistance to A&M graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in science and engineering fields. Two awards of $1000 each are accompanied by a commemorative plaque and certificate. 

Dr. Susan Arseven’s career in computer science began after earning a B.S. in Physics from the University of Michigan and an M.S. in Library Sciences from Columbia University. She initially worked at IBM, leading a project at the University of Pennsylvania to create the first major automated library system. Dr. Arseven furthered her education with a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Texas A&M University, followed by a role at American Cyanamid, where she progressed from systems analyst to Chief Information Officer. In 1981, she completed an Executive MBA at Columbia University. Later, she served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Union Camp Corporation until 1999. Throughout her career, Dr. Arseven was involved in advisory and community roles, including at Pace University’s School of Computer Science.

Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) is an organization of undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and staff at Texas A&M University that serves and represents women in all areas of science and engineering at Texas A&M University. Their mission is to promote the involvement of women in the fields of science, engineering, and technology. They aim to stimulate and encourage young women to pursue such careers as well as act as a support system for those that are currently pursuing professional degrees.