University Hosts Annual Conference on Women and Gender  

Karen Gevirtz, Vanessa May, Rifat Salam and Leslie Bunnage Photo Credit: Ashley Wilson

More than 260 passionate scholars and advocates gathered for the Seton Hall University Conference on Women and Gender held on February 12. Sponsored by the Women and Gender Studies Program, the event featured breakout sessions with expert panels and a keynote address by noted sociologist Rifat Salam. An awards luncheon honored the winners of college and high school essay contests as well as Seton Hall University's 2016 Woman of the Year.

The Office of the Provost's Woman of the Year award recognizes and honors outstanding leaders at Seton Hall who have made significant contributions to the success of women at the University. Bernadette Wilkowski, academic specialist for the Educational Opportunity Program's Center for Learning, Instruction and Assessment, was presented the award by Joan Guetti, senior associate provost, for her motivational efforts promoting student engagement and success within the classroom and beyond over the past 30 years.

Bernadette Wilkowski Photo Credit: Ashley Wilson

"I am incredibly humbled to have received this prestigious award," said Wilkowski, of Roselle. "As a professional woman, I try to inspire, challenge and empower young women at Seton Hall with kindness and compassion, also conveying a definite set of values. I learned how important it is to talk and listen to young women--and young men, showing interest in their dreams, goals and achievements. My precious Catholic faith keeps me centered, and I hope that I will be blessed to continue working in this special 'vineyard' called Seton Hall University."

Angela Weisl, Miranda Hajduk, Caroline Fernandez, Noora Badwan and Toni-Anne Fajardo Photo Credit: Ashley Wilson

The Elizabeth Ann Seton Center for Women's Studies writing prize was awarded to Toni-Anne Fajardo, of Secaucus, an accounting major with minors in English and fine arts. Fajardo presented her essay "The Marine Going Beyond the Binary: Lucy Brewer's Subversion of Gendered Behaviors" at a panel session moderated by Angela Weisl, professor of English. Joining them were students receiving honorable mention, including:

• Noora Badwan, of Wayne, a senior English honors major and history minor, who shared her essay "Subversive Storytelling: 'Tricksters' Attacking Misogyny through Tales in Chaucer and the Arabian Nights"

• Caroline Fernandez, of Verona, a senior secondary education and English major, who read her essay "Attachment and Motherhood in The Turn of the Screw"

• Miranda Hajduk, of Belvidere, a senior English honors and creative writing double major, who presented her essay " Peyntyng Leones: The Generic Validation of Female Experience and the Subversion of the Antifeminist Satire"

The high school essay prize was presented by Mary Balkun, professor and chair of the Department of English, to Aeva Karlsrud, of Frenchtown, a junior at Delaware Valley Regional High School. Karlsrud read her essay "Art Activist, Anonymous: The Woman Who Changed the Art World." Students receiving honorable mention included:

• Sara Portela, of Livingston, a junior at Livingston High School , who wrote her essay "A Declaration of Independence"

• Rana Hussein, of Mount Laurel, a sophomore at Lenape High School, who composed "Unapologetically, Me"

• Matt Quinn, of Livingston, a Livingston High School student, who wrote his essay "The Thinker"

The conference concluded with Salam's keynote address made possible by Leslie Bunnage, assistant professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work. Salam, associate professor of sociology and deputy chair of the Department of Social Sciences, Human Services and Criminal Justice at City University of New York (CUNY), discussed "Negotiating Identity, Navigating Divides and Building Bridges: South Asian Women in Millennial America" to a full audience.

"This was so incredible. I very rarely get to speak to a mixed audience. It's usually graduate students and other academics. It was really stimulating to be in an audience that's so diverse," said Salam. "I think the conference showed that academics isn't some dry thing. With students, you have an opportunity to reach a broader understanding. I hope from my talk [on South Asian women], that my story resonated with the students and that they received an understanding of a different group of people that they may not know much about."

The annual event was organized by Karen Gevirtz, associate professor of English, and Vanessa May, associate professor of history. "We hope the conference supported attendees in their journey of servant leadership and social justice, encouraged them to embrace diversity and left them with excitement in the possibilities to make a difference," said Gevirtz. "We are absolutely thrilled about the conference's growth over the past three years and can't wait to see what next year will bring."

Next, the Women and Gender Studies Program will host the Guerrilla Girls on Monday, March 14 at 4:00 p.m. in the University Center's Seton Hall Theatre. 

For more information about the Women and Gender Studies Program or the Conference on Women and Gender, click here or contact Vanessa May or Karen Gevirtz. 

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