 She was previously the president (2013–2015) of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), which holds the largest broadly multidisciplinary and multicultural STEM diversity conference in the U.S. A pioneer in the genomics of the stationary phase of yeast, she is known for her innovative programs to attract and retain underrepresented minorities in STEM.Werner-Washburne has made great strides in the field of Genetics.She has done gene sequencing with organisms that are disease vectors, which allows a greater understanding of genetics in general.