Barbara A. Yates was the founder and first director of WGGP, formerly known as Women In Development (WID). Yates was known for her dedicated, compassionate, and unconventional spirit. Her solo flying across Cambodia and serving in the Foreign Service in the Democratic Republic of Congo only serve as a couple of examples to the adventurous person that she represented.

Barbara Yates’ background of policy change and her passion for women’s equality in academia and the workplace led her to establish WGGP/WID in 1980 and where she served as director until 1985. Her dedication to WGGP is apparent in the lasting legacy that she has left WGGP through a generous Barbara A. Yates endowment. The Barbara A. Yates Graduate Fellowship will provide the awardee with financial support plus tuition and fee waiver for an academic year.