Rebecca Farrell Ewing, Executive Director
Judi Nudelman, Founder
Valeria Marquez Cardenas, Program Director
Women in Neuroscience
About the Program:
Women in Neuroscience: Equipping and Empowering Future Scientists
WiN's mission is about empowering students from under-resourced and underserved communities to pursue research and leadership pathways in neuroscience fields, ultimately contributing to advancing scientific innovation and improved health outcomes.
About the speakers:
With over twenty years of experience, Rebecca Farrell Ewing, Ph.D., LPCC-S (KY), has dedicated her career to empowering individuals to thrive in their overall health and wellness while honoring their autonomy, purpose, and dignity. Her work is rooted in principles of intersectionality, inclusivity, equity, social justice, and diversity. Dr. Farrell Ewing has held leadership roles in both nonprofit and for-profit organizations, alongside her teaching experience in higher education. Her dedication to mobilizing communities and resources through collaborations, partnerships, and policy reforms is highlighted by her active involvement in various multidisciplinary teams, boards of directors, task forces, and committees.
Judi Nudelman entered the computer field with IBM as a systems engineer in 1962 when few women were in the corporate and STEM worlds. Throughout her thirty-year career, she broke new ground, strived for excellence and overcame obstacles confronting women. Since retiring in 1991, Judi has used her experience and skills to establish new organizations and assist people. She was her husband Harvey’s caregiver for five years. In 2018, after Harvey died, she established Women in Neuroscience. Since 2019, she has led the Central Texas CurePSP Support Group and since March 2025 serves as a Commissioner on Austin’s Commission on Aging.
Valeria Marquez Cardenas is a recent UT graduate with a degree in neuroscience and a teaching certificate in 7-12th grade Life Sciences. They are a two- time alum and current program director for Women in Neuroscience, which provides neuroscience lab experience during the summer for underrepresented communities. Additionally, Valeria has four years of stroke research experience, using software such as ITK-SNAP for lesion tracing (T1 and FLAIR) and Brainsight. They are also familiar with data collection and analysis techniques such as EEG, and TMS, and behavioral testing. In the near future, they will be applying to PhD Neuroscience programs across the United States. They are hoping to continue pursuing their interest in aphasia, and how it affects bilingual vs monolingual populations whether it is in stroke survivors or people with frontotemporal dementia.
Agenda:
6:45am - Coffee & Networking
7:10am - Breakfast Buffet
7:25am - Introductions & Announcements
7:50am - Speaker Introduction
8:20am - Q&A
8:30am - Leave inspired or curious!
