Past Events
2004-2005

Triota Honor Society

Carlson Lecture

"Women in Politics"

Featuring Elizabeth Roberts and Jennifer Lawless

Thursday, October 20, 2005 Galanti Lounge, 7:30 PM

Photo album of the 25th anniversary reception

Women's Studies 25th Anniversary Celebration April 16, 2005

04/19/05 - The University of Rhode Island Women's Studies Program at the University of Rhode Island celebrated its 25th anniversary as a major at the Women's Center and the University Club on Saturday.

"It was a very exciting day," Stephen Grubman-Black, professor of Women's Studies, said. "It was a wonderful reception."

The celebration began at 4:30 p.m. in the Women's Center on Upper College Road with hors d'oeuvres and entertainment by alumna Jennifer Minuto.

"When you look at the Women's Center now and what it used to be, it's a beautiful building," Grubman-Black said.

Karen Stein, the director of the Women's Studies program, said the purpose of the reception at the Women's Center, which used to be a fraternity house, was to "show people who didn't know that we had this beautiful building."

The events continued on at the University Club where a silent auction was held, followed by a buffet dinner and numerous guest speakers.

Stein estimated that 110 people were in attendance. "We were expecting 100 and we had to fit an extra table in and squeeze some extra people in at the last minute," she said.

"One of the first graduates [Dawn Paul] of the program was there," Adjunct Professor Noel-Anne Brennan said. "It was really a blast from the past with all of the former students and professors there."

"It was like a class reunion," Lee Marshall, a Women's Studies graduate assistant, said.

Speakers for the reception included freshman Colleen Hayes-Costello and Holly Nichols, a past recipient of the Carlson Scholarship.

Stein said as part of the celebration ceremony, the program recognized numerous female administrators before the dinner.

"When the women's studies program was started, there weren't really any women as heads of department in the administration," she said.

Professor Dorothy Donnelly announced she was going to donate $25,000 to put in an endowment fund for scholarships in the Women's Studies program.

"Everyone leapt to their feet and gave her a standing ovation," Stein said.

When asked what she thought the celebration represented as a whole for the program, Stein said, "One word I like to think of is 'passion.' I think there is a lot of passion for the program."

Brennan felt it represented "25 years of success, and hopefully at least 25 more."

The audience was also treated to "Women's Studies at URI," a movie directed by Grubman-Black that began as a project for the interviewing class he teaches.

"It's a very good reminder of what Women's Studies has been," Grubman-Black said. "It's kind of nice for people to hear direct stories, direct testimony and in part that is what it was."

Grubman-Black added that the movie upheld a very energetic and upbeat message.

"We are looking forward to the next 25 years," Stein said.

Stein said the Women's Studies Program is working to develop an advisory board and a resource room, as well as a new Women's Leadership and Professional Development course. They will also provide guest speaker events throughout the year.

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The Woman's Studies Major At URI Is 25 Years Old

CELEBRATION on SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2005!

Featuring the mothers and founders of the WMS Program:

Judith Anderson, Winnie Brownell, Bernice Lott, Mary Ellen Reilly, Karen Stein, Sharon Strom, Tally Kampen. With: Lois Cuddy, Lynne Derbyshire, Wil Dvorak, Steve Grubman-Black, Mathilda Hills, and others. Click on the Download button to see the program and thoughts on WMS at URI by students and faculty.

Annual Report, 2004-2005

The 2004 Eleanor M. Carlson and Oscar M. Carlson Lecture

Anuradha Mittal "The New Human Rights Movement:Linking Ecology with Equity". Co-sponsored with the Honors Colloquium. September 28.

Talks

Reverend Richelle Russell spoke on "Gay Marriage: It's Political, Religious and Personal" on October 6 in the Galanti Lounge, URI Library

Readings

Joan Joffe Hall read her poetry on March 1 in the Women's Center.

Koren Zailckas, author of Smashed, read from her book at the Galanti Lounge on April 28.

Dana Shugar Colloquium
Spring 2005

Lisa Bowleg, Psychology Department, spoke on Oppression and AIDS on February 1 in the Galanti Lounge

Kathleen Torrens, Communication Studies, spoke on "The Indigo Girls" at the Women's Center on February 25

Valerie Karno, PhD, JD, English Department, spoke on "Shameful People, Shaming Punishments" at 5:00 on April 11, 2005 in the Dana Shugar Library in the URI Women's Center, 22 Upper College Road.

The 25th annual Fredrika Wild Schweers Lecture

Judy Norsigian, co-author of Our Bodies, Ourselves the book that transformed women's health in the US spoke at 7:30 on March 23 in White Hall on "Women's Health and the Media: Separating Fact from Fiction"