Missouri University of Science and Technology honored Dr. Jessica Cundiff, associate professor of psychological science and director of the ADVANCE program at Missouri S&T, as the 2025 Woman of the Year today (Wednesday, April 9) during a reception at Hasselmann Alumni House. 

The Woman of the Year award is given annually to a full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty member who serves as a role model for S&T students, contributing to the university through research, scholarship, teaching and service. As part of the award, Cundiff received a professional development stipend funded by Missouri S&T graduate Cynthia Tang, founder and former chair of Insight Industries Inc.

The event also honored Missouri S&T’s Women’s Advocate Award recipient, Jessica Gargus, assistant vice chancellor for student health and wellbeing at Missouri S&T.

Cundiff joined the university in 2015 as an assistant professor of psychology. Prior to joining Missouri S&T, she served as a visiting assistant professor at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, and as a research analyst at the Computing Research Association in Washington, D.C.

Since joining S&T, Cundiff has taught various psychology courses for both undergraduate and graduate students. She has served as the director of the ADVANCE Program since 2022, an initiative funded by the National Science Foundation.

“Many faculty have areas of expertise that can contribute to campus improvements in numerous ways, but not all willingly direct their scholarship in this way,” writes one faculty nominator. “This is an important distinction that should be remarked upon and valued.”

“I feel very lucky to have a close relationship with a faculty member who has developed my confidence in my abilities as a student and employee, enhanced my skills and abilities, and who has inspired me to be a better leader myself,” writes a former student.

At Missouri S&T, Cundiff has received the Faculty Teaching Award, the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education and the Faculty Excellence Award. She was named to the Missouri S&T Women’s Hall of Fame in 2022.

Cundiff holds a Ph.D. in social psychology and women’s studies and a master’s degree in social psychology, both from The Pennsylvania State University, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin.

About Missouri University of Science and Technology

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.