Come celebrate the women of Emporia State University on Friday, March 31 from 3:30pm – 5:00pm at the Sauder Alumni Center. The Ethnic and Gender Studies program and the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies are sponsoring the reception.
Join the women and men of the Emporia community in celebration of the 2017 Women’s History Month Reception and Awards Ceremony. The recipients of this year’s Ruth Schillinger Award, Dr. Mary F. Headrick Award, and Susan B. Anthony Scholarship also will be honored.
The first reception took place in March 1996 when the first Schillinger Award was presented to Ruth Schillinger herself. This year marks the 22nd anniversary of the Schillinger Award.
The Ruth Schillinger Award is named after a Dean of Women and ESU’s first Affirmative Action officer. To earn this award an individual must make extraordinary contributions to the women of Emporia State over a sustained period.
Dr. Rochelle Rowley, assistant professor of sociology, anthropology, and crime and delinquency studies, is this year’s recipient. Dr. Rowley’s teaching and research deals with multiple gendered issues. In the classroom, she teaches on topics dealing with women, families, and children, and acts as a mentor to her female students. Her research engages gender in varied ways, and she encourages female students in their research as well. Dr. Rowley is an SOS Board Member, and on-campus she has been part of the Diversity and Inclusion Alliance, an advisor for SAFE and for PRIDE, and also currently serves on the Ethnic and Gender Studies Steering Committee.
The Mary Headrick Award is named after a former counselor in the ESU Counseling Center, who was known for helping women reach their full potential. This award is designed for those who go the extra mile and make a long-term commitment to promote the growth of women in our schools and community.
This year’s recipient of the Mary Headrick award is Karla Rodgers, who retired last year as a senior administrative assistant in ESU’s Counseling Services. While working in Counseling Services, Karla advocated for women’s issues and women students. Karla worked with the former Women’s Programming Board, and was integral to the continued success of the Mary Headrick award and the Susan B. Anthony scholarship. Karla, in fact, worked with Dr. Mary Headrick for many years.
Finally, the Susan B. Anthony Scholarship is awarded to an ESU student who has demonstrated the most beneficial input into the growth and education of women on the ESU campus in addition to excellence in scholarship.
Receiving the scholarship for the 2017-2018 academic year will be Ashley Borders. Ashley is a junior communication major, minoring in leadership. While at Emporia State, she has been actively involved in E-Team, where she has an opportunity to encourage women to develop their leadership skills. Ashley sees herself carrying on Susan B. Anthony’s legacy by using her voice for the empowerment of women.
Friends and family of award recipients, students, and community members are welcome to join ESU as we honor hard working and amazing women.