Commission on the Status of Women

CSW Outstanding Achievement and Contribution Awards

2005 Award Recipients

Cindy Boglin

Director,
ASU East Center for Academic Support

During the period of time that Cindy Boglin has worked at ASU, she has been consistently dedicated to addressing women’s issues and to increasing opportunities for women. Cindy has been especially sensitive to work/life balance issues that many of her female staff members face as full-time employees and working mothers. From lobbying for the installation of baby changing tables to helping female employees negotiate the difficulties of balancing parenthood with careers, Cindy makes work/life issues a priority.

In addition to helping employees, Cindy is also dedicated to raising awareness of issues affecting women students. For example, while Cindy worked at the Barrett Honors College, she helped organize a program about body image and eating disorders – issues that affect many college students. These are issues that she continued to address when she moved to the East campus. In conjunction with Student Affairs, Cindy helped to organize the Body Pride Awareness week which was the first of its kind at the East Campus. Cindy also helped to organize a series of brown bag lectures for students, faculty, and staff that inspire women to reach their highest potential.

Cindy’s list of contributions to the women of ASU goes on and on and it is clear that Cindy’s dedication to these issues is consistent and "unwavering."

Mary Logan Rothschild

Professor of History and Women’s Studies

In her twenty plus years at ASU, Mary Rothschild has proved herself as a tireless advocate for women’s issues and gender equity. Mary has not only served as mentor to countless female faculty members, but she was instrumental in bringing Women’s Studies to ASU. Through her dedication to this program, Women’s Studies evolved from being a certificate program to a major program with over one hundred affiliate faculty across ASU. It has become an important intellectual center for research addressing women’s lives as well as a resource regarding women’s concerns on the ASU campus as a whole.

In addition to establishing the Women’s Studies program, Mary has also been dedicated to the retention and promotion of female faculty. This goes beyond her academic home in the Women’s Studies to include women faculty in departments as divers as theatre, languages and literatures, American Indian studies, and numerous others. She has also raised issues of gender equity and family in committee positions in the Academic Senate.

Mary’s contributions will be felt around ASU for years to come. As one colleague notes, Mary is "a moving force that ensures women’s voices are heard and given a space at ASU."

Jessica Tartaro

Graduate Student,
Clinical Psychology & V-Day Co-Facilitator

Jessica has been a long-time advocate for women at ASU. Since 2002, Jessica has served as co-facilitator of ASU V-Day. During this time, Jessica has greatly expanded the role of V-Day activism, working to build the movement beyond the success of the play, The Vagina Monologues. As a result, ASU V-Day has become a successful activist group. One of the greatest accomplishments of this group is the establishment of Home Safe, an anti-violence resource center on campus. Jessica was instrumental in getting Home Safe off the ground. Not only did Jessica help with the vision of the center, but she tirelessly advocated for support from the student government. As a result of these efforts, Home Safe was able to open its doors in Fall 2004.

In addition to Home Safe, Jessica has also worked to support women’s issues around the world. This year, Jessica worked hard to develop a coalition between ASU V-day and the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA). Through this effort, ASU V-Day was able to raise thousands of dollars for RAWA, which allows this group to provide many needed educational and health services to women in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Jessica is always one to stand up and doing something about women’s issues. She inspires women to break their silence and raise their voice – just as she has.

Renee Turban

Lecturer,
Computer Science & Engineering

Renee Turban is firmly dedicated to improving conditions for women in the field of computer science. Not only is Renee an enthusiastic instructor who motivates her students to become actively involved in their major and to take on leadership responsibilities, but Renee is also firmly dedicated to providing her students with opportunities outside of the classroom as well. For example, Renee has taken students to important women’s conferences, brought in successful women from the industry to give talks to students, and has organized student luncheons with faculty to introduce women students to resources in their department. All of these activities were designed to inspire and support women’s success in a male dominated field.

One of Renee’s most important contributions can be seen in the establishment of the Women in Computer Science group at ASU. This organization has served as a powerful resource for women student in computing majors. Not only does this organization provide opportunities for students to gain professional and academic support, but it also provides opportunities for women students to reach out into the community and inspire high school girls to think about careers in the industry.

It is clear that Renee is a passionate individual who is dedicated to changing climate for women in the computer sciences.

Serena Turley

President of the Women’s Student Coalition

Throughout her time at ASU, Serena has consistently demonstrated her passion for improving conditions for women. As president of the Women’s Student Coalition, Serena worked hard to restructure this organization and to reinvigorate a number of women student clubs at ASU. In one year alone, Serena organized on-campus debates about reproductive rights and Proposition 200 – debates which raised community and student awareness about these issues. In addition, she led Coalition officers and members in raising funds to bring the Guerilla Girls to campus, igniting discussion about the issues of gender equity in the fine arts. As a result of all of these efforts, the Women’s Coalition has once again established itself as a strong, visible presence on campus for men and women who seek gender justice in our community.

In addition to organizing a number of different advocacy efforts, Serena has also devoted her time to preparing future women leaders. Serena is currently developing a leadership forum which will not only educate and empower younger students to carry on the Coalition and its activities effectively, but it will also enhance their ability to contribute to women’s equity after they leave ASU. There is little doubt that Serena is a skilled, effective and creative leader, whose efforts have made a lasting impact on the ASU community.

ASU Body Pride Committee

As many of us know, body image is a huge issue that affects students, faculty, and staff alike. And being at ASU has its own set of unique pressures to look a certain a way. Sometimes these pressures can be overwhelming and lead individuals to destructive behaviors. For over the past ten years, the ASU Body Pride Committee has worked to move individuals away from unnecessary pressures and to help them learn to accept the beauty and uniqueness of their own bodies. As part of these efforts, each year the Body Pride Committee has hosted Body Pride Week at ASU. The purpose of Body Pride Week is to raise awareness and educate the ASU community about body image and eating issues while promoting campus resources, normal eating, active living, self-acceptance, respect and appreciation for size diversity.

The Body Pride Committee is made up of a variety of faculty, staff and students from a number of different departments and organizations – including Student Health, Counseling and Consultation, Student Development and the Multicultural Student Center, just to name a few. All of the representatives work collaboratively to bring innovative programming to the ASU community. For example this year, the Committee actively fund-raised to bring the Body Image Project Exhibit by artist Larry Kirkwood. This collection of finished casts taken directly from the bodies of men and women, brought attention to the issue of body image in an artistic and thoughtful way. The exhibit was a success and many students noted that it changed their views of their own bodies.

The work of this committee touches the lives of women in a profound way and helps to change negative body image into body pride.