Dr. Wendee Wechsberg was the Founding Director for the RTI Global Gender Center before retiring this year and remains an adjunct professor at Gillings School of Global Public Health. Having been a clinician and an NIH scientist working globally for 25 years, she remains committed to applied research with women and HIV. Dr. Wechsberg created and has chaired the International Women’s and Children’s Group (InWomen’s) , a network of over 900 participants from 44 countries working in the field of substance use. Dr. Wechsberg has received numerous awards including NIDA International’s excellence in mentoring 2013, NC’s Women Most Admired leaders 2023, 2024 and the Forbes Women 50 Over 50 Impact List in 2022. She was president of Women NC from July 2020 – July 2022, then moved to lead the advisory board.