Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Health & Society
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Health & Society

Wonder Woman

Thursday, June 8, 2017, By Rob Enslin
Share
alumniCollege of Arts and Sciences

Although she didn’t know it at the time, Susan DeMar ’02 began preparing for her career at New Mexico State University (NMSU) more than 15 years ago, while enrolled at Syracuse University.

Susan DeMar with student

Susan DeMar (right) and Jessica Greenamyer, advisor and club president, respectively, of the American Association of University Women (AAUW)’s affiliate club at New Mexico State University (NMSU).

Back then, DeMar was raising three kids and working full time in Syracuse’s advancement division. She also was chipping away at a bachelor’s degree in psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, where most of her classmates were 10-15 years younger.

“I had a lot of eyes on me,” jokes DeMar, speaking by phone from her office at NMSU in Las Cruces, where she is an administrative assistant in the Department of Geography. “I guess some of the people in my classes looked up to me because I was older or had a job. Maybe they thought what I was doing was cool.”

If DeMar’s liberal arts education has taught her anything, it is how to navigate myriad assignments and collaborations. Such training has come in handy at NMSU where, in addition to working in one of the state’s top applied geography departments, she is a tireless crusader for women and underrepresented minorities in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

Hard work pays off. In April, DeMar received the NMSU 2017 Community Engagement Staff Award for serving as advisor of the American Association of University Women (AAUW)’s affiliate campus organization and as president of the NMSU Women’s Club. The distinction comes on the heels of her receipt of the Stephen W. and Robert E. Roberts Memorial Staff Award for dedicated service to NMSU.

“New Mexico State is very different from Syracuse, academically and culturally,” says DeMar, also a board member of the AAUW-Las Cruces branch. “For starters, we’re one of the state’s largest public universities. Because we are a federally recognized [U.S.-Mexico] border institution, we have a big Hispanic population. Many of our students come from poor family backgrounds, attending schools with inferior resources. Nevertheless, they are some of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen.”

DeMar applauds NMSU’s racial, ethnic and geographic diversity, citing it as one of the reasons she came to campus in 2004. (“I saw a job opening online, and got a phone interview,” she says. “They offered me a position, sight unseen.”) Moreover, NMSU’s balance of male and female students, far above the national average, affords her opportunities to break down educational and economic silos.

Susan DeMar award

DeMar receiving the 2017 Community Engagement Staff Award from NMSU President Gary Carruthers (left) and geography professor John Wright.

Witness DeMar’s involvement with AAUW, a 136-year-old organization that advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education and research. Her club at NMSU works closely with AAUW-Las Cruces on various events and activities, such as a series of recent workshops about navigating job offers and promotion opportunities, as part of the AAUW Start Smart and AAUW Work Smart programs.

“Participants learned about the gender pay gap [which is 20 percent, in favor of men], how to market their skills and experience, how to determine a fair target salary and how to properly respond to salary offers,” DeMar says. “It’s information they can use the rest of their lives, well beyond their next salary negotiation.”

Other AAUW events she has organized at NMSU include GIRLS CAN! and Tech Trek. GIRLS CAN! is a daylong conference, designed to encourage teens to continue their education and to help them achieve their long-term goals. Tech Trek is a weeklong summer camp, where girls, in DeMar’s words, are “immersed in a world that empowers and encourages them to think about themselves as future scientists, engineers, mathematicians and computer specialists.”

During an interview with KRWG-FM, Las Cruces’ National Public Radio affiliate, DeMar explained how the gender pay gap hits African American and Hispanic women particularly hard, as they try to land meaningful jobs and pay off student loans.

“AAUW is focused on helping these young girls with their leadership skills and [with promoting their] education, so they know how to ask for what they’re worth when they go out in the job market,” she said.

Later in the interview, DeMar pointed out that recognizing stereotypes, biases and cultural beliefs is the first step toward achieving gender equality. Areas in which women are seriously underrepresented, she added, are engineering, computer science and physics.

“Understanding the factors that affect women from diverse backgrounds from progressing in historically male-dominated fields will help them get ahead,” says DeMar, alluding to factors such as marital status, racial and ethnic background, and childcare obligations. “We [in higher education] need to be more responsive to student diversity and personal circumstances.”

Raised in Fulton, N.Y., near Lake Ontario, DeMar was the first woman in her family to attend college. It was while working at Syracuse that she considered moving from the Snow Belt to the Sun Belt—not an easy decision, given her ties to campus.

Girls Can

DeMar at GIRLS CAN! with Fattaneh Naderi-Behdani (far left), a Ph.D. candidate in chemical engineering at NMSU, and Greenamyer, a geography major.

“I loved my classes, particularly physics and English, and really enjoyed the people I worked with,” says DeMar, who, by then, also was a budding short story writer. “We had just appointed a new chancellor [Nancy Cantor], and were ramping up for our biggest capital campaign to date. It was an exciting time.”

Alan Lincoln, retired senior director of corporate relations, was one of DeMar’s supervisors. He remembers her being a “positive, encouraging and very dedicated” employee. “Susan has a personality that makes it hard to say ‘no’ to her,” he says. “She was a valuable player of our team and a genuinely kind lady. It’s no surprise that New Mexico State is honoring her for her accomplishments.”

No sooner had DeMar set foot in sun-drenched Las Cruces, with its arid climate, rugged landscape and magical desert vistas, than she embraced her new surroundings. (“New Mexico State has an outdoor pool that is open year round. We can go swimming in January,” she exclaims.) A chance encounter with a member of AAUW-Las Cruces inspired her to join its board and then launch an affiliate club at NMSU. That DeMar’s own daughters experienced sexism while majoring in electrical engineering in college has lent a personal edge to her work.

Shirley Armstrong is co-president of AAUW-Las Cruces, the oldest and largest branch of its kind in the state. “Susan has been instrumental in helping us achieve our long-time goal of starting an AAUW student-affiliate group on the NMSU campus,” Armstrong says. “She is a delight to work with, is an effective board member and has a fantastic relationship with her students.”
NMSU’s first AAUW meeting drew 10 people; the second, 20. Now in its third year, turnout is often 50-60. One participant is Martha Mitchell, professor of chemical and materials engineering. “The local AAUW branch wanted to have a student affiliate club for many years, but it took Susan’s determination and connection with the students to actually make it happen,” she says.

Students and colleagues alike praise DeMar for her welcoming demeanor and willingness to let students drop by her office for a study break or cup of coffee. One person puts it this way: “Susan has had a concrete and substantial impact on my life. She’s awesome. I hope you appreciate her.”

AAUW club members

DeMar with some of NMSU’s AAUW club members.

Although DeMar plans to retire in 2019, she shows no signs of slowing down. Her immediate goal is to become a Start Smart salary-negotiation workshop facilitator. (AAUW has more than 700 of them, serving over 240 colleges and universities in 45 states.) Dorrie Sieburg, AAUW’s salary-negotiation program manager, thinks DeMar has what it takes to become a good facilitator. “I can’t thank Susan enough for the great support she has given [AAUW] and for her wonderful outreach,” she says.

Adds Paige Robnett, AAUW’s college and university relations manager: “We are so excited to work with her.”

DeMar also plans to remain active with the NMSU Women’s Club, promoting educational and social activities, and pursuing special service projects that enrich the community. DeMar is particularly proud of the Ruth Mary Webber Scholarship, which she established at the club two years ago, in memory of her mother.

“I like to keep busy,” concludes DeMar, who also enjoys hiking, gardening and singing in the Mesilla Valley Chorale. “My ultimate goal is to start an AAUW club at Syracuse University. That would be like coming full circle.”

  • Author

Rob Enslin

  • Recent
  • Scott Warren Promoted to Senior Associate Dean for Research Excellence at Libraries
    Wednesday, June 7, 2023, By Cristina Hatem
  • Syracuse University Professor Calls for Proper Treatment for Clergy Sex Abuse Victims
    Wednesday, June 7, 2023, By Keith Kobland
  • Vice Chancellor Haynie and IVMF Advisory Board Members Recognized as Nation’s Finest 50
    Wednesday, June 7, 2023, By Stephanie Salanger
  • ‘There’s No Safe Place from Wildfire Smoke’ says Maxwell Environment Professor
    Wednesday, June 7, 2023, By Daryl Lovell
  • Sean O’Keefe G’78 Joins Government Hall of Fame
    Tuesday, June 6, 2023, By Jessica Youngman

More In Health & Society

From Academic Advising to Multicultural Affairs: Practicums Help School of Education Students Explore Higher Education Careers

Far from asking students to fend for themselves with little oversight, the mentoring and self-reflection at the core of student practicums in the School of Education’s M.S. in Higher Education program give students the tools to understand the college workplace—and…

Beyond the Battlefield: A Broader Understanding of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Since 2014, June has been designated by the federal government as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month, bringing attention to the serious mental health condition some individuals develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening or traumatic event. While PTSD is…

Syracuse University Ambulance Marks 50 Years of Service to Campus Community and Imparting Lifelong Lessons to Its Members

In the fall of 1973, a medical crisis unit staffed by students was established at Syracuse University to provide first aid at campus events, particularly in Archbold Stadium. The new unit was supported by University administrators, including Dr. Vincent Lamparella,…

Building a Fossil Fuel Free Future

Expert: Electrification Is the Key to a Sustainable Future for Buildings If you’ve been on the market for a new home, properties with a natural gas-powered stove were probably promoted as especially valuable. How Americans heat and cook in their…

Chemistry Professor Presents New Research on Anti-Obesity Drug

An experimental anti-obesity drug could reliably curb appetite and normalize blood glucose levels without causing nausea and vomiting, which are frequent side effects of current weight-loss and diabetes drugs. The new peptide treatment not only reduces food consumption but also…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • @SUCampus
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2023 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.