February 23, 2012

Tickets available for Celebrate Women Luncheon

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Celebrate Women Luncheon at Southern Illinois University Carbondale on March 8 is a triple-purpose event.   

It commemorates March as Women’s History Month, recognizes the contributions of women to University life, and raises funds for student scholarships. The event includes guest speakers, special performances and presentations, displays of student work, and awards presentations.  It is a time to showcase the work and accomplishments of the University’s faculty, staff and students.

This is the 16th year for the Celebrating Scholarship By and About Women Luncheon and it is set for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Student Center’s Ballroom B.  The soup and salad luncheon tickets help fund scholarships for students.

Tickets are $25 and the deadline for reservations is March 1.  To purchase tickets, email uwpa@siu.edu, call the University Women’s Professional Advancement office 618/453-1099, or contact Martha Ellert at msellert@aol.com

Following opening remarks by Chancellor Rita Cheng and a welcome by Linda McCabe Smith, associate chancellor for institutional diversity, Jan Thompson, associate professor of radio-television, will make a presentation spotlighting her new feature-length documentary about prisoners-of-war.  An award-winning broadcast veteran with more than 300 television programs produced during a 28-year broadcast career, Thompson will show clips of  “Never the Same:  The Prisoner of War Experience,” the two-hour documentary that is the second installment of her work on the topic.  It is set for fall release.

Janet Fuller, director of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, will serve as the emcee for the luncheon, which will feature a celebration of women in music by Maria Johnson, associate professor of music, and Kathleen Shaffner, local artist and musician.  They’ll present original songs as well as pieces by Kelly Hunt and Karen Drucker.  The music will feature vocal harmonies and instrumentation incorporating a blend of gospel, bluesy piano, guitar and Latin percussion.

‘Zines is a special exhibit on display in Corker Lounge throughout the event.  Produced by women, gender and sexuality class undergraduate students, it will showcase the creativity and use of color in student works addressing a number of class topics, including body image and equal pay.

The 2011 Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity Award recipients will make presentations following the luncheon.  They’ll speak in Ballroom A from 1:30 to 3 p.m.

Speakers, along with their position at SIU Carbondale and the title of their lectures, will be:

            •  Nancy Martin, assistant professor of information systems technologies, “Will They or Won’t They?  Exploring Ethical Judgment, Gender, Age, Geographic Region and Behavioral Intent”

            •  Jennifer Mishra, assistant professor of music, “ Practicing in the New World:  An Exploration of Practicing Strategies Related to the Premiere of Contemporary Music”

            •  Regina Pfister, assistant professor of dental hygiene, “Revisiting Blood Pressure:  Accurate Technique Required”

            •  Deborah Seltzer-Kelly, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, “Apophatic Listening and the Acquisition of Tacit Knowledge”

Wrapping up the celebration of women will be the awards ceremony at 3 p.m.  The presentation will recognize the new winners of the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) and American Association of University Women (AAUW) Scholarships along with the recipients of the University Women of Distinction awards.  A reception follows in Corker Lounge.   

Event sponsors are the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies program, University Women’s Professional Advancement and the Carbondale Branch of American Association of University Women.  Organizers say the goal is providing the university community the opportunity to celebrate scholarship by female students and faculty members and recognize University Women of Distinction Award winners. 

For more information, email uwpa@siu.edu.