Luncheon Honors Women Who Make a Difference
April 21, 2015
More than 75 students, faculty members and staff members were honored earlier this month at the fifth annual Outstanding Women’s Luncheon, hosted by the Office of Student Life’s Women’s Programs and LGBTQ+ Initiatives.
The April 9 event featured lunch, entertainment and a program that included the reading of nomination excerpts for all honorees in attendance. Jane Lawrence, special assistant to the chancellor, delivered a heartfelt keynote address focused on the examples set by Chancellor Dorothy Leland and founding Chancellor Carol Tomlinson-Keasey.
“The luncheon exceeded my expectations,” said CARE Office Coordinator Kari Mansager, who won the Outstanding Woman’s Staff Award. “I enjoyed interacting with folks from across campus and to join in recognizing others.”
The luncheon's purpose is to recognize women on campus who invest in the success of other women, said Angi Baxter, Women’s Programs and LGBTQ+ coordinator. With that in mind, this year’s program allocated more time to discussing the qualities of those nominated for the awards.
“I believe that when you give an honor, you should honor the whole person,” Baxter said. “Reading the nominations gave everyone present insight into the impact these women are making in the lives of others.”
Typically, nominations are sought each year in March in conjunction with Women’s HerStory Month, and the luncheon is held in April. Anyone on campus can nominate someone who they feel deserves to be honored. From the nominees, a top individual is selected from the categories of undergraduate student, graduate student, faculty and staff.
In addition to Mansager, the other winners this year were:
- Outstanding Woman’s Undergraduate Award — Kimberly Fang
- Outstanding Woman’s Graduate Award — Holly Swift
- Outstanding Women’s Faculty Award — Pamleyn Gingold
Baxter is forming a committee for next year’s awards luncheon. The committee would be in charge of planning the event and selecting the winners from those nominated. To volunteer, email Baxter or call 209-228-2250.
