Sandra Robert

CEO of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS)

In her capacity as Chief Executive Officer, Robert is leading the strategic refresh of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS), including market positioning, revenue expansion and diversification, partnerships, membership, research, and governance structure. 

Before coming to AWIS in January 2019, Robert served as the first executive director of the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives (CESSE), leading the development of its first operational structure, bringing its signature CEO event to profitability, broadening the membership model, and strategically redesigning the partnership program to maximize mutual value. 

Robert loves to “speak geek” and has supported the national engineering and manufacturing communities through leadership roles at Eastern Michigan University’s Center for Entrepreneurship, Society of Manufacturing Engineers and Corporation for a Skilled Workforce. She is an avid advocate for the advancement of women in STEM careers, believing that it is imperative to bring the vast expertise of women to bear in solving the world’s grand challenges.

Robert has a B.A. from the University of Michigan, and pursued graduate studies in Operations Management at Eastern Michigan University.  She is a certified association executive (CAE) through the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).

Robert and her husband have three children and four grandchildren, and share personal passions for hiking, traveling, renovating historic homes, and spending lazy afternoons on the porch.