The Women’s Studies Department celebrated their 15-year anniversary last Friday, March 30 in Heritage Commons. The celebration included the unveiling of the Kalikow Award, POWA Award, Women’s Studies Senior Book Prize honorees, and Sally Boland Award Essay Prize award winners.
According to the Women’s Studies Department’s website, the Kalikow Award honors a faculty member who has “significantly contributed to the advancement of women’s issues.” Theo Kalikow, a previous Plymouth State University Dean, Interim president and co-founder of the Women’s Studies program presented the award herself to Dr. Rebecca Noel, a history professor and recipient of this year’s award.
According to the Social Science Department newsletter, Noel is also the co-president of the Plymouth State University chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, a national, all discipline honors society and this is her third year serving as the University’s Writing Across the Curriculum Coordinator.
The POWA (Powerful Outstanding Women’s Award) was presented to Leah Rearick at the ceremony as well. The Women’s Studies website outlines the POWA award as one given to, “a Plymouth State University student who brings women’s issues to the forefront, while demonstration genuine concern for the advancement of women and dedication to enhancing the status of women through continuous involvement in and advocacy of women’s issues.”
Rearick is from Farmington, N.H. and is a senior here at Plymouth State. She is majoring in English and has a minor in Women’s Studies.
In addition, this year’s Women’s Studies Senior Book Prize honorees were named: Jessie Grande, Sarah MacNeilage, Candace Yost, Lindsey Green and Bethen Conner.
The Sally Boland Scholarly Essay Prize winners were also announced at the ceremony. Sally Boland, for whom the awards are named, “taught at Plymouth State University for twenty-eight years,” according to the Women’s Studies website. “During her time on campus, she served as the Chair of the English Department, Coordinator of the Interdisciplinary Studies Program, and head of the Writing Across the Curriculum program. Instrumental to the founding of the Women’s Studies minor, Sally served as chair of the Women’s Studies Council.”
The Boland Awards are given to, “the best scholarly essay or paper which addresses a topic or theme related to women’s studies as a discipline and/or to the lives and work of women.” The winner of the award and $200 prize went to Caitlin Stevens for her essay “The Importance of Being Crafty.” Hillary Scheer was the runner up, for her essay, “Breaking Biological Boundaries.” Five honorable mentions were also awarded. Two went to Meghan Plumpton for her essays “Gothic Women” and “Hawthorne’s Women.” The others went to Riane Herlihy for “The Awakening of a Heroine,” Brittany Brockner for “Ladies Drink for Free,” and Erin Brearley for “Charlotte Temple: The Illusion of Authorial Intrusion.”
Other speakers included Robin DeRosa, the organizer of the ceremony and Chair of the Women’s Studies Council; English Department Chair Liz Ahl, Provost Julie Bernier, PSU President Sara Jayne Steen, the President of the University of Maine at Farmington, and co-founder of Women’s Studies at Plymouth State University, Theo Kalikow. Stephanie Gould performed music during a reception before the event.
For more information on the Women’s Studies program visit their website at Plymouth.edu/womensstudies/ or contact Robin DeRosa at rderosa@mail.plymouth.edu.