Women of Westminster Leadership Conference, March 13

Pictured above: Women of Westminster kick off 35 Years of WOW celebrations, Fall 2014.

Westminster’s annual leadership conference seeks to help students learn and develop crucial leadership skills that they can utilize to cultivate community engagement and social responsibility.

This year’s conference will also celebrate a landmark anniversary in Westminster College’s history.  In 1979, Westminster College opened its doors to women. This first class of brave women called themselves WOWs (Women of Westminster). Since their historic arrival on campus 35 years ago, the many women of Westminster have not only enhanced the schools’ traditions and prestige but gone on to change the world as lawyers, doctors, advocates, educators, and mothers.

In the spirit of this Year of the WOW, the 2015 Leadership Conference (schedule below) will highlight Westminster’s women’s history, examine the role of women in STEM to sports, explore every day sexism and feminism, and welcome the faculty, staff, and students that made coeducation at Westminster possible.

Please register for this event so that the coordinators will have an accurate headcount for dinner and festivities. The 4 p.m. keynote address is open to the public (no registration required). Register here.

2015 Leadership Conference

“Women of Westminster: Celebrating 35 Years”
Friday, March 13

Session 1 – 1:15 to 2 pm

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective College Students – Presented by Cynthia M. Frisby, Ph.D. , Associate Professor, University of Missouri School of Journalism

The Presidents of Westminster College: Looking Back to Move Forward – Presented by students Ryan Harrison ’15, Tripti Giri ’15, Sandra Nivyabandi ’15, Blake Stonecipher ’16, Westminster Skulls

Women in Science Fiction – Presented by student Clarisse Leech ’17

Women in Jazz – Presented by Wayne Zade, English Professor, Westminster College

Session 2 – 2:15 to 3 pm

Title IX: Then and Now – Presented by Joanie French, Former Women’s Professional Basketball League, U.S. National Volleyball team & Mary Phyl Dwight, Former U.S. Olympic Handball team

The Case of the Missing Mice: Why Biomedical Research Should Include Female Subjects – Presented by Jane Kenney-Hunt, Assistant Professor of Biology, Westminster College

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective College Students – Presented by Cynthia M. Frisby, Ph.D. , Associate Professor, University of Missouri School of Journalism

So You Don’t Want to be a Leader? – Presented by Dr. Carolyn Perry, Sr VP College/Dean of Faculty, Westminster College

Session 3 – 3:15 to 4 pm

Queering the Knot – Presented by Dr. Lisa Fein, Associate Professor Sociology, Westminster College

Turning the Columns Pink: The First Women of Westminster – Presented by Betsy Schultz-Humphreys ’83; Cathy Morrison ’84; Cheryl Mann ’85;  Phyllis Masek, Registrar, Westminster College; Professor Anne Lael, Retired Math Professor, Westminster College; Dr. Richard “Butch” Lael, Retired History Professor, Westminster College

If You Want to Achieve Empowerment, Stop Asking for Permission: Feminism & Belly Dance – Presented by Kandice Grossman, Professor of Women’s Studies, Columbia College

Westminster Women in STEM – Presenters TBD

Keynote Speaker Amanda Seales – 4 pm

Sideye Seminar: Identifying, Challenging & Ending Everyday Sexism

Amanda Seales’ now famous appearance on CNN challenging the notion of catcalling and street harassment as something women need to accept is at the cornerstone of this humorous insightful lecture on identifying, challenging, and ending the every day instances of sexism that continue to marginalize women’s voices/presence as equal members of society.

Dinner followed by coffeehouse session. All attendees invited, 5:30 pm.

For more information, including descriptions of each breakout session, be sure to visit the registration page.