Women s Studies Celebrates

The Department of Women’s Studies had a full agenda when it held its fourth annual Awards and Recognition Ceremony. In addition to honoring the achievements of its graduate and undergraduate students, the event recognized outstanding Women’s Studies alumnae, faculty members, and Friends of Women’s Studies.

Another highlight of the ceremony was the induction of the first members of Iota Iota Ioata (Triota), the national Women’s Studies honor society for undergraduates who have maintained at least a 3.0 grade point average in two or more Women’s Studies courses. Triota’s Emily Joy, who is the organization’s first president and a student minoring in Women’s Studies said, “The organization offers a real opportunity to build community among undergraduates and give to the community through social change projects.” The first community action project of Triota has been collecting over 10 bags of clothing to donate to the local battered women’s shelter.

Student award winners were undergraduate major Rachel Strasinger, a Phi Beta Kappa and secretary of Triota, who has also been nominated for the UC C-Ring award and graduating MA student Alecea Standlee, who has a full scholarship to work on a doctorate in sociology at Syracuse University.

The alumna award went to Natalie Mathis, who is Managing Director of MUSE, the acclaimed Cincinnati women’s choir. Affiliate faculty member Barbara Watts received the outstanding faculty member honor. Watts is associate dean of the College of Law and founding mother of the department’s nationally known MA/JD program in Women’s Studies and Law. Friends of Women’s Studies recognition was given to Pat O’Reilly, professor of education emerita and former president of Friends, and Doreen Quinn, former Friends Board member and community activist best known for her work on behalf of LGBT rights in Cincinnati.

Anne Runyan

“The ceremony was a bittersweet one,” commented department head Anne Sisson Runyan, “ because, in addition to saying goodbye to a wonderful cohort of graduating students, we also had to say farewell to two of our excellent core faculty members, Michelle Rowley and Chris Cuomo, who are going on to Women’s Studies positions at the Universities of Maryland and Georgia, respectively.” Graduate students, led by Whitney Peoples, who just received the National Women’s Studies Association Women of Color Essay Award, paid a special tribute to these departing faculty members.