February 18, 2015
Luncheon will celebrate women, honor inclusivity
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s annual “Celebrate Women: Honoring Inclusive Excellence” luncheon is a celebration, an awards presentation and a scholarship fundraiser rolled into one event.
The 19th annual gala will be from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., March 2, at the Student Center. The event includes a silent auction in the John W. Corker Lounge from 10 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. The luncheon, by Crystal’s Catering and More, begins at 11:15 a.m. in Ballroom D.
Anita Hutton, accomplished pianist and retired assistant to the dean of the College of Liberal Arts, will perform music from women composers during the luncheon. Linda McCabe Smith, associate chancellor for institutional diversity, will present the welcome and Ronda Dunn, honorary chair, will speak, as will Jazma Sutton, a 2014 scholarship recipient.
Elyse Pineau, University Honors program visiting lecturer and communication studies associate professor emerita, will perform “Nursing Mother.” Pineau wrote the piece that is woven around stories of women’s lives.
The awards ceremony will recognize women who are receiving a variety of honors including the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS)/University Women’s Professional Advancement (UWPA) Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity awards, and the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and WGSS scholarships. Also honored will be the recipients of the Women’s Intersport Network of Southern Illinois (WIN Southern Illinois) Awards and the UWPA Mentoring Awards.
The event concludes with a dessert and coffee reception in the Corker Lounge.
The public is invited to attend. Tickets are $25 apiece. For tickets, or more information, contact Martha Ellert at 618/521-0613 or by email at msellert@aol.com. The deadline to purchase tickets is Feb. 27.
Event sponsors include WGSS, UWPA, the AAUW and WIN Southern Illinois.