September 29, 2026 | Hotel ZaZa

12th Annual WISE Luncheon

RESERVE YOUR SEAT HERE

Celebrating Houston women leading with excellence in science, technology, engineering, and math.

Date: September 29, 2026
Location: Hotel ZaZa, Houston Museum District
Time: 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

The Women in Science with Excellence (WISE) Luncheon honors exceptional women whose work is shaping Houston’s future across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. From groundbreaking research and clinical innovation to energy, education, entrepreneurship, and industry leadership, WISE recognizes women whose achievements have made a lasting impact on their fields and on our region.

Now in its 12th year, the luncheon brings together leaders from across Houston’s innovation ecosystem to celebrate excellence, hear inspiring stories, and recognize the women helping move discovery, business, and community forward.

About WISE

Founded by BioHouston, WISE was created to spotlight women who have excelled in their careers and contributed meaningfully to the advancement of STEM in Houston and beyond. Past honorees have included astronauts, medical researchers, educators, inventors, and senior executives whose leadership continues to inspire the next generation.

The luncheon is both a celebration and a gathering point for Houston’s broader STEM community—an opportunity to honor achievement, elevate visibility, and connect across sectors.

Texas Medical Center Innovation Factory is where the future of healthcare is built. Once a Nabisco Cookie Factory, the reimagined space now brings together entrepreneurs, researchers, clinicians, investors, and industry leaders to accelerate the next generation of healthcare solutions. Located in the heart of the world's largest medical center, the Innovation Factory is home to TMC Innovation, Medical Device Labs @ TMC, and Therapeutic Labs @ TMC, providing the expertise, resources, strategic partnerships, and collaborative community needed to accelerate innovations from concept to commercialization.

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Kearney, McWilliams and Davis, PLLC (“KMD”) provides comprehensive, tailored legal services designed to meet each client’s unique needs, leveraging deep experience of its attorneys across intellectual property, business formation and development, labor and employment, tax, oil and gas, estate and tax planning, immigration and residential and commercial real estate, and litigation.

Boulware & Valoir is a nationally recognized intellectual property law firm specializing in patents, trademarks, copyrights, and strategic IP counsel for innovators, startups, research institutions, and Fortune 100 companies. With deep expertise across life sciences, medical devices, biotechnology, and emerging technologies, the firm helps organizations protect and maximize the value of their intellectual property.

Prana Surgical is advancing the future of minimally invasive surgery with technologies designed to enable earlier intervention, precisely delivered. Its flagship Prana System™ helps physicians obtain definitive diagnostic information sooner, supporting personalized treatment decisions while reducing the need for invasive procedures and preserving healthy tissue.

March Biosciences is a Houston-based clinical-stage cell therapy company transforming patient care by unlocking new target spaces for the treatment of challenging blood cancers. Through innovative CAR-T cell therapies and a streamlined manufacturing approach, March Biosciences is developing next-generation treatments designed to improve outcomes for patients with hematological malignancies.

The Pearland Economic Development Corporation (PEDC) is dedicated to strengthening the region's economy by attracting, retaining, and expanding businesses while fostering innovation, workforce development, and quality of life. As a catalyst for growth in one of Greater Houston's fastest-growing communities, PEDC is helping position Pearland as a premier destination for life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and technology companies.

ARTIDIS is a clinical-stage health technology company pioneering a new approach to precision oncology by decoding the physics of cancer. Its nanomechanical tissue analysis technology measures metastatic potential in hours, enabling clinicians to make more informed treatment decisions from the very beginning of a patient's cancer journey.

Community Sponsors

Beacon CoLab is a network of co-working spaces that bring together emerging leaders in life science and biotech. Join researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators who are solving hard problems and pushing science forward, side by side.

Sayva is a business transformation partner purpose-built for biotech and life science companies, focusing on finance, accounting, technology, transformation, and fractional services. We support high-growth businesses as they move from R&D to commercialization.

VWR, part of Avantor, provides a broad portfolio of laboratory products, equipment, chemicals, consumables, and services that support research, healthcare, and biopharmaceutical workflows. From discovery and development through production and quality control, VWR helps scientists and organizations access the tools and solutions needed to advance their work.

Nominations

BioHouston invites nominations for the 2026 Women in Science with Excellence (WISE) Honorees.

WISE recognizes women whose work is advancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—and whose leadership is shaping the future of Houston and beyond. Nominees may come from academia, life sciences, engineering, energy, space, technology, or related fields.

For 2026, honorees will be recognized across the following categories:

  • Emerging Leader: Recognizing a rising professional who has demonstrated exceptional promise, leadership, and early impact in a STEM-related field.

  • Excellence in Innovation: Honoring a leader whose work has driven meaningful advancements, discoveries, or breakthroughs, contributing to progress within their discipline or industry.

  • STEM Leadership Award: Celebrating a distinguished leader whose career reflects sustained excellence, influence, and a lasting contribution to the advancement of STEM and the broader community.

NOMINATIONS CLOSED

2026 Judges

The WISE honorees are selected by a distinguished panel of esteemed senior executives and leaders from across Houston’s innovation ecosystem.

Representing sectors including life sciences, healthcare, academia, energy, investment, and industry, the judging panel brings a depth of experience and perspective that reflects the breadth of Houston’s STEM landscape. These leaders are not only recognized for their professional accomplishments, but for their role in shaping organizations, advancing innovation, and influencing the future of their fields.

Judges review nominations based on excellence, impact, leadership, and contribution to both their industry and the broader community. Their collective insight ensures that each WISE honoree represents not only individual achievement, but the spirit of progress and possibility that defines Houston.

Judges will be announced soon—stay tuned as we unveil this year’s distinguished panel.

Sponsorship Opportunities

The WISE Luncheon offers companies and organizations an opportunity to support the recognition of women leaders in STEM while aligning with one of Houston’s longstanding celebrations of excellence and innovation.

Sponsorship opportunities include visibility before and during the event, recognition on event materials, and opportunities to host clients, colleagues, and community partners.

For sponsorship information, please contact:
Sahar Paz | Sahar.Paz@biohouston.org

Why Attend

By attending, you are not only supporting the honorees—you are contributing to a culture where women in STEM are seen, valued, and celebrated at the level they deserve.

While women are leading breakthroughs across science, healthcare, engineering, and technology, their contributions are too often underrecognized, underrepresented, or quietly carried forward without the visibility they deserve. The WISE Luncheon exists to change that—to create a space where excellence is not only acknowledged, but elevated.

This is more than a luncheon. It is a moment to convene a community that believes in recognizing leadership, to connect across industries and disciplines, to catalyze new ideas and opportunities, and to curate a room filled with the people shaping Houston’s future.

Attendees will experience:

  • High-value networking with senior leaders across life sciences, healthcare, energy, academia, and innovation

  • The opportunity to celebrate and amplify the achievements of women driving meaningful impact

  • A thoughtfully curated environment designed to spark connection, visibility, and collaboration

  • Stories that inspire not just recognition—but action

RESERVE YOUR SEAT HERE

WISE Legacy Honorees

For more than a decade, the Women in Science with Excellence (WISE) Awards have recognized extraordinary women whose leadership, innovation, and impact have helped shape Houston's STEM ecosystem. From pioneering researchers and physicians to entrepreneurs, engineers, and industry leaders, these honorees represent the talent, vision, and dedication that continue to advance science and innovation across our region.

We are proud to celebrate their achievements and the lasting legacy they have created for future generations.

  • Caroline Massiello Ph.D. | Rice University

    Cliona Rooney Ph.D. | Baylor College of Medicine

    Padmanee Sharma M.D., Ph.D. | The University of Texas MD Anderson

    Morag Watson | BP

  • Maria Elena Bottazzi Ph.D. | Baylor College of Medicine

    Vicki Hollub | Occidental Petroleum

    Sharon Dent Ph.D. | The University of Texas MD Anderson

    Marcia O'Malley Ph.D. | Rice University

  • BonnieBartel Ph.D. | Rice University

    Elizabeth Grimm Ph.D. | The University of Texas MD Anderson

    Janeen Judah | Society of Petroleum Engineers

    Barbara Murray M.D. | The University of Texas Health Science Center

  • Janet Braam Ph.D. | Rice University

    HelenHeslop M.D., D.S | Baylor College of Medicine

    Evelyn Medvin | Core Laboratories

  • Claire Farley | KKR

    Ellen Gritz Ph.D. | The University of Texas MD Anderson

    Ellen Ochoa Ph.D. | NASA Johnson Space Center

  • Bonnie Dunbar Ph.D. | University of Houston

    Lynn Elsenhans | Sunoco, Inc.

    Mary Estes Ph.D. | Baylor College of Medicine

  • MichelleBarton Ph.D. | The University of Texas MD Anderson

    Annell Bay | Marathon Oil Company

    Janet Butel Ph.D. } Baylor College of Medicine

    Naomi Halas Ph.D. | Rice University

    Guillermina Lozano Ph.D. | The University of Texas MD Anderson

  • Lydia Kavraki Ph.D. | Rice University

    Renu Khator Ph.D. | University of Houston

    Dianna Milewicz M.D., Ph.D. | University of Texas

    Sara Ortwein | ExxonMobil Upstream Research Co.

  • Susan Cunningham | Noble Energy

    Rebecca Richards-Kortum Ph.D. | Rice University

    Margaret Kripke Ph.D. | The University of Texas MD Anderson

    Peggy Whitson Ph.D. | NASA Johnson Space Center

  • NancyChang Ph.D. | OrbiMed

    Pam Darwin | Exxon Mobil Production Company

    Kathleen Matthews Ph.D. | Rice University

    Renata Pasqualini Ph.D. | The University of Texas MD Anderson

  • Melody Boone Meyer | Chevron Energy Technology Company

    Jessica Zenker Nasseri | YES College Preparatory School

    Jennifer West Ph.D. | Rice University

    Huda Zoghbi M.D. | Baylor College of Medicine