Women's Studies Center Annual Report 2012 2013

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The FIU Women’s Studies Center promotes scholarly inquiry related to women and gender. Through interdisciplinary courses in women’s studies and cross-listed courses in other disciplines, the center enhances student knowledge about women, feminism, and the significance of gender in diverse cultures and contexts.

Table of Contents Director’s Message................................................................................................. 3 Student Spotlight..................................................................................................... 4 Faculty Spotlight...................................................................................................... 6 Faculty Notes - Congratulations............................................................................ 7 Alumni Spotlight...................................................................................................... 8 Elaine Gordon Scholarship Award......................................................................... 9 Featured Events............................................................................................... 10-11 Academic Programs.............................................................................................. 12 Women’s Studies Graduates 2012-2013.............................................................. 12 Mine Üçer Women in Science Lecture Series..................................................... 13 Global Partnerships............................................................................................... 13 By the Numbers..................................................................................................... 14 Board of Advisors.................................................................................................. 15

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WOMEN’S STUDIES ANNUAL REPORT 2012-13

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Director’s Message This academic year, the Women’s Studies Center has taken a big leap to identify the center’s future goals and plans to excel in education, research and community service. I am excited to share our major accomplishments with you.

In Fall 2013, the Women’s Studies Center will be changing its name to the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies. While the original name of the center has served us well these past 30 years, the new name will be more inclusive of our fields of research and scholarship, acknowledging the expansion of our program to include the study of multiple genders, including men and transgender individuals. The center will recognize the diversity of genderrelated issues, allowing faculty to research and study a broader framework encompassing the topic of gender as it relates to sexuality, literature, economics and science.

Not only does the new name reflect our core faculty’s wide range of research areas, but it particularly addresses the interests of FIU’s diverse student body as well.

This year, our core and affiliated faculty identified a strategic roadmap for the center — we will work towards increasing enrollment, recruitment and retention, and further our program’s identity and visibility through a recognizable, compelling curriculum. The center is also broadening its already strong community engagement with collaboration on an international level.

As usual, we have had a very active year. Overall, the center was involved in a total of 32 events, including cosponsored and student events. Our most notable was a talk with Gloria Steinem, “Knowing our Power,” which was jam-packed with more than 300 attendees. We co-sponsored “A Conversation with Lilly Ledbetter,” the long-time equal pay activist, which took place during FIU’s diversity week, hosted by the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs and Diversity. Both events received standing ovations. In addition, our graduate and undergraduate students presented equally successful events, including the fifth installment of The Vagina Monologues, the global initiative One Billion Rising, and the annual Women, Sexuality, and Gender Studies Association Conference.

I thank you for your support throughout the year and encourage you to explore the pages of this annual report to find out more.

Warm regards,

Yesim Darici Director, Women’s Studies Center Associate Professor of Physics WOMEN’S STUDIES CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2012-13

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STUDENT

SPOTLIGHT Cristina Garcia

Mileidy Aguado

Lynda Esserman

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Cristina Garcia

Mileidy Aguado

Degrees: B.A. in Women’s Studies and B.A. in Sociology,

Degrees: B.A. in Women’s Studies and

second major in Religious Studies

B.S. in Biomedical Engineering

Certificates: Mideast/Central Asia Studies and Professional

Mileidy Aguado is planning to pursue her studies at FIU’s

and Public Writing

Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work in the Master of Public Health (MPH) program, with a concentration

Cristina Garcia is the editor for Making Waves: The Journal

in Epidemiology (Fall 2014). Mileidy is a Graduate Assistant in

for Women’s Studies at FIU and is responsible for reviving the

the Women’s Studies program and is President of the Women,

journal which was last published in 2009. Cristina figured out

Sexuality, and Gender Studies Association (WSGSA).

on her own what it would take to recreate the journal as she collected poems, articles, artwork and essays from students

“As a pre-medical student, I never imagined that attaining

and faculty. She also worked at The Beacon, FIU’s newspaper,

a Bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies would benefit me

as a copy editor and was later promoted to production

as much as it has. Women’s Studies courses have taught

manager. Garcia is working towards creating her own book

me to see humanity with a different perspective and made

editing company.

me the well-rounded individual that I am today. Having this background will be invaluable to my future relationships with

“The Women’s Studies Center has been a blessing in my life.

patients as I’ve learned that diversity in gender, race, sexuality

It has given me the knowledge necessary to empower myself

and culture makes each person unique.”

and become an active agent in society. Now I feel it is my turn to educate, connect and empower others. Through literature, I hope to help others navigate the dialogues and ultimately bring about social justice.”

Lynda Esserman Degrees: B.A. in Women’s Studies Lynda Esserman is a Women’s Studies major and benefactor.

She has served on the center’s board of advisors, was the hostess of the Spring 2008 Women’s Studies gala and continues to support the program. Lynda has been a member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society since 2012 and continues to apply her knowledge and experience to effect social change.

“The Women’s Studies program at Florida International University embodies the true essence of a liberal arts education. Earning a Bachelor’s in Women’s Studies has afforded me the extraordinary opportunity to explore and study religion, politics, history, psychology, sociology and literature through a feminist perspective. The Women’s Studies program has enhanced my ability to think critically about the role of gender, ethnicity and class within each of these disciplines.”

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FACULTY

SPOTLIGHT Vrushali Patil Founded in 1975, Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, is recognized as the leading international journal in Women’s Studies and is at the forefront of new directions in feminist scholarship. In the summer of 2013, the journal published a paper by Vrushali Patil, Associate Professor, Global & Sociocultural Studies and Women’s Studies, titled “From Patriarchy to Intersectionality: A Transnational Feminist Assessment of How Far We’ve Really Come” (Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, Summer 2013; vol. 38, no. 4).

The traditional feminist concept of patriarchy, as a term for naming gender inequality or gendered power relationships between women and men, has been critiqued from a number of fronts. In the contemporary period, development agencies and programs, neoliberal capitalism and cultures, global media, and Northern-dominated feminist activism and scholarship function to internationalize similar Eurocentric, nationalist meanings of man and woman with little adjustment. From the perspective of intersectionality, merely reframing these dynamics through the lens of domestic intersectionality will only perpetuate the reification of the local.

People need to approach the production of various patriarchies as intersectionalities emergent from multiple histories of local-global processes, or as emergent from layers of multiple locals and globals that exist relative to and in relation to each other. Only then can people begin to advance analyses that are appropriate for our complex, globalized world.

Kathleen McCormack

Michaela Moura-Koçoğlu

Kathleen McCormack, professor of English

Michaela Moura-Koçoğlu, adjunct professor

and Women’s Studies faculty, recently had

in Women’s Studies, presented her paper,

her third book published, George Eliot in

“The Global Dimension of Violence Against

Society: Travels Abroad and Sundays at the

Women: Human Trafficking, Sexual Slavery

Priory (Ohio University Press, 2013).

and Survival in Hawai’ian and Nigerian

George Eliot (1819-1880), born Mary Ann Evans, was an English novelist and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. Using a male pen name to ensure that her work would be taken seriously, she wrote seven novels, including Middlemarch (1871–72), described by some as the greatest novel in the English language.

McCormack drew on unpublished diaries of the life of Eliot to reveal her as a member of a large and elite, if slightly Bohemian, international social circle through which Eliot moved as a literary celebrity. The newly mined sources used by McCormack revised the previous conclusion of biographers that George Eliot was an ostracized recluse due to her scandalous unmarried cohabitation with George Henry Lewes. Eliot enjoyed an active life in Victorian society where she gathered material for her later novels from among some of its prominent participants, especially those who gathered at her Sunday salons.

Fiction” at the 2013 Comparative Literature Conference at Texas Tech University. Her paper examines how contemporary women’s literature succeeds in capturing the myriad global forces resulting in women’s victimization, while manifesting a ‘feminization of survival.’ Literary discourse provides a more nuanced understanding of the ways in which women become not merely victims, but also agents in resisting and adapting to political and economic global forces that indelibly alter their lived realities.

Key to enhancing an understanding of women’s exploitation is looking at the interconnection between capitalist economies, patriarchal societal structures, and the dehumanization of women’s bodies. Moura-Koçoğlu’s research is based on two novels: Kiana Davenport’s Song of the Exile (1999) which depicts the sexual violation of ‘comfort women’ during World War II, and Chika Unigwe’s On Black Sister Street (2009) that sheds light on the trafficking of girls and women from Nigeria to Belgium for sexual slavery.

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FACULTY NOTES

CONGRATULATIONS

Women’s Studies Faculty Recognized as 2013 Top Scholars Whitney Bauman, Religious Studies

Lindsay Malloy, Psychology

Evelyn Gaiser, Biology

Bianca Premo, History

Angela Laird, Physics

Yuk-Ching Tse-Dinh, Chemistry

Asia Eaton and Dionne Stephens selected for APA ProDIGS grant award

Marilyn Hoder-Salmon, Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award

The American Psychological Association grant for the program

Marilyn Hoder-Salmon, founding director of the Women’s Studies

“Promoting Psychological Research and Training on Health

Center at FIU and Associate Professor in English, was awarded

Disparities Issues at Ethnic Minority Serving Institutions

the Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award, sponsored by the Jewish

(ProDIGs),” supports early career faculty for specific, limited and

Museum of Florida, in April of 2013. This event honors five

highly focused activities related to the preparation of a federal or

remarkable women each year who have been successful in

foundation funding proposal.

fields generally dominated by men. Each of the winners made a presentation describing the obstacles and inspirations they

Eaton and Stephens’ project is titled “Identifying intimate partner

encountered on their individual journeys to success.

relationship scripts to reduce verbal sexual coercion among Hispanic emerging adults.” This project seeks to identify the beliefs and attitudes that Hispanic emerging adults hold regarding male to female verbal sexual coercion in intimate relationship contexts. The long term goal of this research is to develop a quantitative measure of verbal sexual coercion specific to this population’s belief systems and to implement a large scale culturally appropriate intervention to decrease the rates of dating violence in diverse Hispanic communities.

Hoder-Salmon was a founding member of the Dade County chapter of the National Organization for Women and the Florida Women’s Political Caucus. At FIU, she initiated a Women’s History Month Conference that became a South Florida institution, involving Miamians in the national and international feminist community. By the time she stepped down in 1999, the center offered a Bachelor’s in Women’s Studies, and plans for a graduate certificate were under way. She continued as a faculty member in the English Department and as an Honors College fellow until May 2012. Hoder-Salmon brought transformative skills honed by feminist and civil rights activism to promoting women’s studies, and fostered understanding and advancement for women faculty and students.

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ALUMNI

SPOTLIGHT Christi M. Navarro ’13 Christi Navarro completed her doctoral studies in Public Health at FIU’s Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work in Spring 2013. Her dissertation, Gender Differences in the Influence of Protective Factors, Risk Factors, and Health Risk Behaviors on HIV Risk Behaviors Among Youth in South Florida, reflects her research interest in psychological, feminist, and other interdisciplinary perspectives of health behavior. Prior to that she received a Certificate in Women’s Studies (2008) and served as a Graduate Assistant for several years in the Women’s Studies office, assisting with student advising and organizing conferences.

A recipient of both the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship and FIU’s Dissertation Year Fellowship, Christi currently manages a $2.7 million C-PREP grant, which provides high-risk youth in Broward and Dade counties with teen pregnancy prevention and adult education.

Guadalupe Garcia ’11

Lindsay Rosenthal ’07

Guadalupe “Lupe” Garcia earned a

Lindsay Rosenthal graduated Magna Cum

Bachelor’s in Women’s Studies in 2011. She

Laude in Fall 2007 with a Bachelor’s in

is currently pursuing her Master’s in Clinical

English and a Certificate in Women’s

Mental Health and School Counseling with

Studies. In 2010, she earned a Master’s in

the College of Education at FIU. Her

Humanities from the University of Chicago.

dedication and commitment to raising

Her graduate research focused on structural

awareness commenced as an

violence in the foster care system.

undergraduate and continues to this day.

Lupe actively promotes the movement for equality and justice, a

Recently, the Ms. Foundation for Women selected Lindsay for

passion she is very proud to have acquired through the Women’s

its 2013-2014 fellowship. As a member of the organization’s

Studies program.

Advocacy and Policy department, she will identify strategies for increasing access to, and eliminate practices that limit,

“As a high school student, a degree in Women’s Studies never

health care services for girls currently inside the juvenile

crossed my mind. It wasn’t until I arrived at FIU and took an

justice and foster care systems and during their transition

elective in Women’s Studies that I felt a great sense of pride for

to more independent living. Specifically, Lindsay’s research

being the first generation Hispanic woman in my family to go

and advocacy will support the repeal of formal restrictions

to college. My involvement with the Women’s Studies Student

on access to abortion care, including the Hyde Amendment

Association and Eve Ensler’s play, The Vagina Monologues, also

– which restricts access to abortion services for those reliant

convinced me to pursue a degree in Women’s Studies. These

on public funding – and an end to the practice of terminating

experiences helped me to improve my self-confidence, leadership

Medicaid coverage for incarcerated individuals. She previously

and social skills, and to make lifelong friends. Perhaps the most

worked at the Center for American Progress as a Research

gratifying aspect of this journey is knowing that I not only earned

Assistant and with the White House Domestic Policy Council.

a degree that I truly love but that I was able to make a difference along the way.”

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ELAINE GORDON

SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Jordan M. Guedes – Award Recipient This year, the recipient of the Elaine Gordon Scholarship in Women’s Studies is Jordan Guedes.

Jordan is a double major in Women’s Studies and Psychology, and he is a member of FIU’s Honors College. He will also be earning a minor in Art History and a Certificate in Queer Studies. Jordan works as an intern in the Women’s Studies Center, which shows his dedication to the program as well as to women’s issues. He is the type of student that has a passion for learning, a commitment to the university, and a commitment to issues of social justice.

By helping women and minorities counter the effects of inequality, Jordan feels he has found his purpose in life.

He would like to follow in Gordon’s footsteps by helping people in his own way, as a trained therapist. Jordan works closely with women’s shelters and advocacy groups in order to help women reach equality.

Front Row (left to right): Abbey Gadinsky Snyder, Pam Gadinsky, Jordan Guedes, Isaac Gadinsky, Liebe Gadinsky.

Back Row (left to right): Brian Gadinsky, Jonah Gadinsky, Seth Gadinsky.

ABOUT ELAINE GORDON Elaine Gordon was a person of the highest character and integrity, representing the state of Florida as a legislator for 22 years, during which time she was elected for 11 consecutive terms. Gordon became an advocate for equal rights in 1964 and was one of the founding members of the Miami chapter of the National Organization for Women. She was a champion of Florida’s 1989 hate crimes law which became a model for the nation, and her many legislative activities and accomplishments have left a legacy of people she has helped.

Consistent over time, Gordon was the voice and guardian of abused children, victims of sexual assault, the elderly, the indigent and the mentally ill. She continually sponsored and passed legislation for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment; and she protected women and children through child support enforcement and protection from domestic violence. While in the legislature, she also introduced the terms Ms. and Chairperson. Gordon was a woman ahead of her time, being the first woman to chair a standing committee in the legislature, as well as the first woman inducted into the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame.

The FIU Elaine Gordon Scholarship in Women’s Studies was established in 1999 to honor the life and work of Elaine Gordon, a pioneering feminist, legislator and leading advocate on issues involving women’s rights, health care, mental health and children’s rights. It was one of her final wishes that her work be carried on through a scholarship that would help others.

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FEATURED

EVENTS

FALL 2012

One Billion Rising

Ruined

February 14 at FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus

by Lynn Nottage

V-Day, the global movement to end violence against women and

September 7 at Gables Stage

girls, invited one billion women and their loved ones to walk out,

A searing variation on Brecht’s Mother Courage is translated to a brothel in the conflict-torn Congo. This probing work is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit during times of war. The production was a huge success with a packed house, completely sold out.

dance, rise up, and demand an end to this violence. One billion were counted along with activists and stars from over 182 countries.

The Vagina Monologues February 21-23 at the SIPA Auditorium A series of monologues performed by FIU students, faculty, and

Knowing Our Power – A Talk with Gloria Steinem

staff, based on the stories of hundreds of women interviewed by

Signature Event

the author Eve Ensler. The play explores various issues concerning

October 23 at FIU’s MARC Pavilion

women all over the world, touching not only on women’s rights, but

Renowned writer, lecturer and activist Gloria Steinem has been

also on empowerment, respect, and awareness.

a leader in feminist and social justice movements for over 40 years. She joined us for a community conversation on the 2012 election as a “turning point” in our national future, analyzing the impact of election results and concluding with a call for action.

Worlds Ahead: How far ahead are we?

Gender, Race, and Sexuality in a Globalized World Graduate Student Event March 20 at FIU’s MARC Pavilion

SPRING 2013

The Women, Sexuality, and Gender Studies Association

Islamic Hijab

(WSGSA) Conference welcomed scholarly work by graduate

February 8 at FIU’s Graham Center Ballrooms

and undergraduate students from all disciplines. The annual

A talk by Dr. Soroush Dabbagh, visiting scholar from the University of Toronto, on the moral permissibility of unveiling, from both philosophical and jurisprudential perspectives.

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multidisciplinary conference gave students the opportunity to present their ongoing research and thesis proposals, along with participating in panel discussions.

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World Water Day 2013

Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade

March 21 at FIU’s College of Law

April 14 at Miami Beach

FIU’s Global Water for Sustainability Program (GLOWS) and the

FIU students and President Mark B. Rosenberg showed their

Women’s Studies Center joined forces to explore this issue as a

Panther spirit at the Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade. The

prelude to World Water Day 2013, which was established by the

university had great representation, including a float, at the

United Nations to advocate for the sustainable management of

annual event with a strong presence of Women’s Studies

freshwater resources.

faculty, staff and students.

Diversity Week 2013

Take Back the Night

April 1 at FIU’s Graham Center Ballrooms

April 16 at the Graham Center Ballrooms

A conversation with Lilly Ledbetter, guest speaker and author

Take Back the Night is a program designed to promote sexual

of Grace and Grit: My Fight for Equal Pay and Fairness at

assault awareness, prevention and safety while unifying women,

Goodyear and Beyond, which drew a crowd of more than

men and children. A march and rally took place in order to

200 participants.

speak against the silence that all too often isolates survivors and hinders the healing process.

Women in Science: The Good, the Bad, and the Truly Wonderful!

Women in Motion: Fitness, Sport, and the Female Body

April 10 at FIU’s Academic Health Center

May – August 2013 at the Wolfsonian-FIU

This event was a sit-down ‘Lunch and Learn’ session with

This 2011 Frost Exhibit, co-curated by FIU professors and

Dr. Victoria Freedman from the Albert Einstein College of

Women’s Studies faculty members Dr. Laurie Shrage and

Medicine’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology,

Dr. Dionne Stephens, is now on view at The Wolfsonian-FIU

discussing the role of women in the scientific community.

Museum in Miami Beach.

For a complete list of past events, go to wstudies.fiu.edu WOMEN’S STUDIES CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2012-13

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WOMEN’S STUDIES

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS WOMEN’S STUDIES GRADUATES 2012-2013 Bachelor’s Degree

Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies (also online)

Mileidy Aguado

Amal Ardito

Daniel Capellan

Venka Duncan-Starkey

Rebecca Elizondo

Lynda Esserman

Katherine D. Fernandez

Ertha Jean Francois

Erika Gomez

Clara Gonzalez-Herndon

Carolina Hernandez

Kiamesha Jones

Chelsea R. Klaiber

Catherine G. Michelena

Virginia Morgan

Shamira O’Neal

Jacklyn Roiz-Rivera

Rhonda Zoloth

The B.A. in Women’s Studies provides students with the opportunity to examine the social,

Undergraduate Certificate

historical, political, and cultural experiences of women, men and gendered minorities from

Katherine Booty

an interdisciplinary perspective. This degree offers a comprehensive theoretical foundation in

Millicent Decamps

feminist and cross-disciplinary theory and research, with a focus on evaluating obstacles to,

Miriam Padron

and opportunities for establishing women’s rights as human rights, locally as well as globally.

Deborah Rimer

Students can also choose to complete a Second Major in Women’s Studies.

Joella Vargas

Alecia Vasciannie

Certificates

Katherine Vásquez

The center offers two undergraduate certificates and a graduate certificate that provide an

Internships

opportunity for students to integrate scholarship about gender from a variety of disciplines with

Genesis Adrian

a major in another field. Students may enroll in any of the following certificate programs:

Ertha Jean Francois

Jordan Michael Guedes

Katherine Rengel

Ian Roland

Coveannda L. Sumpter

Chana Adina Weinberger

• Undergraduate Certificate in Women’s Studies (onsite and online) • Undergraduate Certificate in Queer Studies • Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies The Certificate in Women’s Studies includes a core of required courses central to an understanding of women and gender in a social and historical context that combine easily with other majors. The Certificate in Queer Studies empowers students to learn, through focused study across disciplines, about the experiences of individuals with non-normative or minority sexual identities. Upper level undergraduate students, post-baccalaureate students or students enrolled in other graduate programs may pursue the Graduate Certificate.

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MINE ÜÇER

WOMEN IN SCIENCE LECTURE SERIES This year, the Mine Üçer Women in Science Lecture Series included 66 women speakers, featuring visiting scholars and FIU faculty from across the sciences. Made possible by a generous donation from Mine Üçer, avid philanthropist and dedicated advisory board member for the School of Integrated Science and Humanity, the speaker series promotes the awareness, participation and advancement of women pursuing academic careers in science.

Some of the lectures this year included: Huntington’s Disease by Cynthia McMurray, Senior Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Women in Science: The Good, The Bad, and the Truly Wonderful!

by Victoria Freedman, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs in Biomedical Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; and What Do Women Want? The Medicalization of Women’s Sexuality Versus A New View

by Maureen McHugh, Professor of Psychology, Indiana University-Pennsylvania.

GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS The Women’s Studies Center has partnered with the Footprints Foundation and its founder, Lorna Owens, for women’s health, education and empowerment in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as in Liberia.

In a recent partnership with the Miami-based organization Hear Congo, the Women’s Studies Center joined the global struggle to end violence against women. President of Hear Congo, Kaleba H. Ngoie-Kasongo, works to rebuild the shattered lives of vulnerable women and children in the Democratic Republic of Congo with the help of a global network of partners.

The Women’s Studies Center at FIU together with the Yildirim Beyazit University in Ankara, Turkey, are collaborating to organize a global conference titled “Women’s Summit” to take place in March 2015 in Ankara.

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BY THE

NUMBERS

6 68 25

Number of women scientists hired by FIU during the 2012-13 academic year

Women’s Studies majors

Women’s Studies graduates

32

Number of events hosted, sponsored or co-sponsored

by Women’s Studies

66

Speakers in the Mine Üçer Women in Science Lecture Series

$10,000 107

Raised for the Mine Üçer Women in Science Lecture Series

Women’s Studies faculty

500+

Attended the Gloria Steinem and Lilly Ledbetter events

81

Number of unique Women’s Studies courses offered

$573,436

National Science Foundation grant to increase the participation and advancement of women in academic science and engineering careers (2011-2014)

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BOARD OF

ADVISORS Lorna Owens is a former midwife, registered nurse, attorney, legal commentator and now author who travels the world teaching the art and science of success to women’s groups and organizations.

At any given time you can find Owens volunteering at local community events in Coconut Grove. She also hosts a local television talk show called “And the Women Gather” on TeleAmerica Channel 88, as well as a radio show on Blogtalk by the same name. She is the author of Everyday Grace Everyday Miracle, Daily Sustenance on living the life you were born to live.

Mary Lou Pfeiffer is the owner and operator of Pfeiffer Originals art glass studio, president and partner in Caressa-me, an aromatherapy company, and a recipient of the FIU Alumni Torch Award.

She has served on the advisory boards for FIU’s College of Arts & Sciences and the Program in the Study of Spirituality. Pfeiffer was the contributor of the Helen J. Dunnick Endowment to teach American Indian Studies at FIU.

Suzanna M. Rose is the executive director of the School of Integrated Science and Humanity, as well as professor of psychology. From 2008-2010 she was the Sr. Associate Dean for the Sciences in the College of Arts & Sciences at FIU. Previously, she served as chair of the Department of Psychology (2004-2007) and director of the Women’s Studies Center (2000-2007). Rose has published extensively on issues related to women and gender. She has been a member of eight editorial boards for journals in psychology and women’s studies and has served on the American Psychological Association’s grant panels.

Mine Üçer is a philanthropist with a special interest in projects targeting the education of girls and young women. She was born in Ankara, Turkey. After completing an Economics degree at Gazi University in Ankara, she worked at the British Embassy as a Commercial Officer. Mine and her husband, Erol, are passionate about expanding the reach of education in Turkey and elsewhere. They support valuable projects aimed at bright high school and university students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Mine is also the sponsor of the FIU Women in Science Lecture Series.

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Women’s Studies Center Modesto A. Maidique Campus 11200 S.W. 8th Street, DM 212 Miami, Florida 33199 Phone: (305) 348-2408 Fax: (305) 348-3143 Email: wstudies@fiu.edu

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wstudies.fiu.edu

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