March is Women’s History Month, and groups on campus are celebrating women’s professional accomplishments and encouraging other women to pursue their dreams.
Our calendar of events is accompanied by photographs from UT’s Special Collections‘ Civil Rights Collection, 1900-1990 MS.0334, and the William G. Keen World War II Papers, 1938-1948 CSWS.WWII.1.0011, as noted.
Join our faculty, staff, and students by participating in one of the following events:
African American Trailblazer Series: The African American Trailblazer Series is dedicated to recognizing and honoring the accomplishments of African Americans affiliated with UT who are trailblazers in their disciplines or within the fields of diversity, inclusion, and social justice. Distinguished faculty member Cynthia Fleming will close out this year’s series from 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 Thursday, March 3, in the College of Communication and Information Scripps Lab.
In 1977, Fleming became the first black woman to earn a PhD in history from Duke University. In 1982, she joined UT’s history faculty as one of the first two black women faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences. Fleming retired in 2014 after thirty-two years of service to UT.
Women in STEM Advancing Research, Readiness, and Retention (WiSTAR3): Stephanie TerMaath from the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering will lead the discussion “Things I Learned in Grad School” at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, March 3, in Greve Hall, Room 408. This development program and support network for faculty and graduate students can help you learn to interview for a tenure-track position in academia, how to get the most out of the figures in your next publication, or how to respond to instances of bias or discrimination in the workplace.
Women’s Empowerment Summit: The second annual summit will be held from 9:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 5, in the Haslam Business Building. The summit includes two breakout sessions, a lunch panel, and keynote speaker Amanda Seales. Register online through Wednesday, March 2.
The Legacy and Challenge of Suffrage: Votes for Women in Tennessee: In 1917, Knoxville was scene to a tense showdown between activists for women’s votes, local law enforcement, and Tennessee lawyers. Wanda Sobieski, a Knoxville attorney and adjunct professor in the College of Law, will lecture on the story of controversy and courage to explore the struggle over voting rights in our region. The event is 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 9. The cost is $15 and includes a boxed lunch. Register online.
Fleming-Morrow Distinguished Lecture in African-American History: The inaugural Fleming-Morrow Distinguished Lecture in African-American History will be delivered at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10, in the College of Law Room 132 by Bancroft Prize–winning historian Tomiko Brown-Nagin. She is the Daniel P.S. Paul Professor of Constitutional Law and Professor of History at Harvard University. Brown-Nagin’s lecture is titled “The Honor and Burden of Being First: The Life and Times of Constance Baker Motley.” Motley, appointed judge in the U.S. District Court in New York in 1966, issued rulings that helped remove professional barriers for women and criminal defendants.
Writers in the Library: Marilyn Hacker: Poet Marilyn Hacker will read from her work at 7:00 p.m. Monday, March 28, in the Hodges Library Lindsay Young Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public. Hacker is a distinguished poet and translator with a career spanning forty years and numerous poetry collections. She has been the recipient of the National Book Award, the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize, and the Lambda Literary Award, and has published award-winning translations.
New Horizons in Intersectionality: Research, Policy, and Activism: Race, class, gender, and sexuality sometimes overlap in ways that create intentional and unintentional systems of discrimination or disadvantage. Scholars and community members will explore the intersection of these classifications and how they can lead to inequalities during a conference March 23 and 24. The two-day event also will examine ways to advocate for social justice. It is free and open to the public. Read more about the conference.
Women in Leadership: CURENT (Center for Ultra-wide-area Resilient Electric Energy Transmission Networks) will host a college-level seminar/panel from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Friday, April 1, in Min H. Kao Building Room 622. Jacinda Woodward, senior vice president at TVA; Kim Greene, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Southern Company; Anda Ray, senior vice president at Electric Power Research Institute; and Jennifer Cistola, senior vice president (retired) at CableLabs, will speak and visit with students from all engineering disciplines.
Tomorrow’s Engineers Today: Middle-school girls are invited to this daylong event, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Saturday, April 2, in the Min H. Kao Building, hosted by the Society of Women Engineers to engage in experiments, learn about the engineering profession, and talk with college students currently majoring in engineering. There is also a half-day info session for parents, educators, troop leaders, and others who want to help their students succeed in STEM fields. Register online.