10:15–11:30 a.m.
Embracing the Awkward: Successful Approaches to Conflict Management
Prince George’s Room
Students often avoid conflict as it relates to their lives, which leads to negative outcomes and damaged relationships. This workshop will discuss the roots of conflict, the fears in addressing conflict, and options to use when embracing it in a healthy manner, such as mediation. Participants will practice resolution strategies through role-playing and will leave feeling more confident about facing conflict.
James Bond is the assistant director of the Office of Student Conduct at the University of Maryland, College Park. Bond received his bachelor’s degree in government and journalism from the University of Maryland and his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.
Amanda Carlton is the associate director of the Center for Student Programs at Georgetown University. Before arriving at Georgetown in February 2012, Carlton worked at the University of California, Berkeley, and San Jose State University after she earned her master’s degree at the University of Denver. In her current position, Carlton oversees the development of leadership and training programs, advises several student organizations and the graduate student government, and enjoys helping students explore their leadership identities, values, and impact on campus.
Get Them Moving, Talking, Reflecting, and Engaged! A Recipe for Successful Facilitation
Pyon Su Room
Would a new activity spice up your organization or staff meeting? Is there a topic your team would like to know more about, but you worry that bringing in a guest lecturer might be boring? Have you wondered how facilitating an activity or discussion might help? This interactive session provides examples of facilitation types and techniques and how to incorporate them into the next meeting or training in order to make a lasting impression.
Bronwen Bares Pelaez is originally from New York and earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, and completed her master’s in higher education administration from the University of South Carolina. Pelaez currently serves as the associate director for the Women’s Center at Florida International University, where she is also pursuing a doctorate in higher education administration.
Jennifer Guerra’s hometown is Los Angeles. She attended California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and graduated with an animal science degree and a minor in Spanish. Guerra recently earned her master’s degree in higher education administration from Florida International University.
Getting into Graduate School
Margaret Brent Room B
During this workshop, we will discuss the various types of graduate schools, the admissions processes and requirements for getting in, and tips for creating a great application. Following the presentation, there will be an opportunity for everyone to share plans for attending graduate school and to learn about additional opportunities from other participants.
Briggs Rolfsrud is an admissions manager with Johns Hopkins University. Rolfsrud completed her bachelor’s degree in social studies and education from St. Catherine University and her master’s in higher education from Harvard University.
This workshop is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon
University Tepper School of Business.
Go Fish: How to Catch (and Keep) Contributors
Nanticoke Room
Learn how to ask for money—even if you hate to—in this energetic and interactive workshop and develop skills to raise money for a favorite charity or for a future political candidacy. Just as different fish require different bait and equipment, different people need different approaches. This presentation explains relationship fundraising and how to help each donor move from concern to passion to cash. As a participant, you will discover how to build a functioning fundraising operation; ask for money, even if you think you hate to; use storytelling to build personal relationships; build a powerful finance team; and plan fundraising events that actually raise money.
Nancy Bocskor teaches citizens in the United States and abroad how to communicate with passion to effect change in their communities. She has raised money for more than 100 members of Congress and candidates and has trained activists and leaders in all 50 states and more than 20 countries. The author of Go Fish: How to Catch (and Keep) Contributors: A Practical Guide to Fundraising, Bocskor is also a professor at George Washington University, where she teaches fundraising courses.
Leading the Way: Women in the Peace Corps
Grand Ballroom Lounge
The Peace Corps traces its roots and mission to 1960, when then-Sen. John F. Kennedy challenged students at the University of Michigan to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries. Today, more than 60 percent of Peace Corps volunteers are women. Join Acting Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet and a panel of returned volunteers to learn how women are changing the face of international development.
Carrie Hessler-Radelet serves as the acting director for the Peace Corps. She has more than two decades of experience in public health focused on HIV/AIDS and maternal and child health. Hessler-Radelet holds a master’s degree in health policy and management from the Harvard School of Public Health and a bachelor’s in political science from Boston University. She and her husband have two grown children, Meghan and Sam.
Molly Douglas is a regional recruiter for the Peace Corps. Douglas joined the Peace Corps staff after serving two years as a volunteer in Leskovik, Albania. She earned her bachelor’s in foreign service, culture and politics, and international development from Georgetown University.
Laara Manler is a diversity outreach specialist with the Peace Corps. Manler completed her volunteer work in Loma Grande, Cordillera, Paraguay, before joining the Peace Corps staff. She earned her master’s degree in intercultural service, leadership, and management at the School for International Training Graduate Institute.
Listen to Me! I Have Something Important to Say
Atrium Room
How do you get people to listen to what you have to say, particularly when you are a young woman in a world designed by and for older men? Join us to talk about ways to ensure that your thoughts and ideas will be heard. Bring your experiences and take away knowledge and skills that will help you become more influential in almost any environment.
Ruth H. Axelrod is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland. Axelrod specializes in leadership and organizational development. After 15 years as a manager, she now devotes her time to teaching, consulting with nonprofit organizations, and educating the public about environmental issues.
Maximize Your Online Presence: Control Your Brand
Charles Carroll Room A
Social media is rapidly changing the way people market their skills and experiences and the way people network. Take control of the information that search engines know about you. Make a plan for your online presence and know how to implement it. Learn which social media sites are appropriate for your “brand” and best practices for using them.
J. Nicole Simpson is the assistant director for undergraduate programming and career services in the Office of Career Service at the University of Maryland. She earned a master’s degree in higher education administration from the University of Arkansas and a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Wisconsin, Parkside. Simpson is the co-founder of Esteem LLC, which seeks to promote a sense of empowerment while inspiring a spirit of action with at-risk women by equipping them with tools to actualize their dreams.
The Missing Ingredient: Cultural Competency for Student Leaders
Benjamin Banneker Room A
Many people believe that cultural competency is common sense, when in fact it is a skill that needs to be learned and developed. For leaders, cultural competency can be the key to success or the reason for downfall. During this interactive and informative workshop, attendees will discuss what cultural competence is and how it can make participants better leaders.
Joan Maze is the director of African American student development at Towson University, where she focuses on the development and retention of African and African American students. Maze earned her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Xavier University of Louisiana and a master’s in African American studies from Temple University.
Overcoming the Myth of the Perfect Girl: How to Overcome Pressures to Conform and Build Your Own Vision for Success
Charles Carroll Room B
Do you ever get the sneaking suspicion that some of the goals and expectations you’ve set for yourself aren’t really your own? Today, many young women are achieving new levels of success, yet so many are also left feeling stuck and fearful when the road most traveled doesn’t bring them the contentment and happiness they expected. This workshop will offer ways young women can start building their own wellness toolboxes, filled with healthy mindsets, beneficial habits, creative coping strategies to combat stress, and the power of self-reflection and self-awareness. Topics covered include promoting purpose within the college community and beyond; managing stress; cultivating physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness; and building meaningful relationships.
Ana Homayoun founded Green Ivy Educational Consulting and has become a nationally recognized innovator of motivational organization, time management, and purpose-centered wellness strategies for adolescents and young adults. Homayoun is a graduate of Duke University and holds a master’s in counseling and a pupil personnel services credential from the University of San Francisco.
The Power of the Mentor Relationship
Juan Ramon Jimenez Room
Mentors can play a critical role in helping college students navigate through academic, personal, and professional roles. Recent data from the University of Maryland suggest that alumni wish they had more opportunities to create mentoring relationships during their college careers. This workshop will provide some general guidelines for finding and utilizing a mentor as well as suggesting practical tips from mentors and mentees on how to make the most of this important relationship. Panelists represent mentor and mentee relationships and how those have grown and enriched each member involved.
Terry Zacker works in the development and external relations area for the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Maryland. A graduate of the University of Maine (bachelor’s of science), the University of Vermont (master’s in education), and the University of Maryland (doctorate), Zacker has worked in a number of areas in student affairs during her 30-year career. She enjoys being a teacher, coach, and mentor for undergraduate students.
Randi Levitt graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s in sport and recreation management and a minor in leadership studies. In her time there, she held various leadership positions as a facilities supervisor for Campus Recreation Services, a community advocate in the Office of Student Conduct, a chapter president for Zeta Tau Alpha, a teaching assistant for multiple leadership classes, and a member of a variety of campus committees and advisory boards. Levitt’s desire and passion to pursue graduate study in student affairs and higher education are based on the relationships she formed with mentors throughout her undergraduate years.
Marsha Guenzler-Stevens is the director of the Adele H. Stamp Student Union at the University of Maryland and a past NCCWSL Woman of Distinction. Guenzler-Stevens has served as a mentor for many young women at the university as well as through her many professional activities. A faculty member for the higher education master’s program and for the Women in Leadership undergraduate course, Guenzler-Stevens has a wide-ranging sphere of influence as a mentor.
Teaching Gender and Leadership outside the Classroom: Co-curricular Gender Programs for Colleges
Thurgood Marshall Room
This workshop will introduce the co-curricular and curricular programs at the College of St. Benedict’s campus that demonstrate how students are engaged in conversations on gender and leadership in unique ways. Participants will be led through a variety of brainstorming activities to develop versions of these programs on their campuses. The presenters will address assessing the need for these programs, finding support and resources on campus, implementing and sustaining the programs, and addressing any potential problems that may arise. Participants will leave with ideas on how to move forward and tools to carry out ideas on their home campuses.
Heather Nicole Saladino is a residence hall director for the College of St. Benedict. In addition, she coordinates the Hynes Scholars sophomore leadership cohort through the Institute for Women’s Leadership. She leads 12 women students in intensive gender and leadership training through their sophomore year. Saladino has a bachelor’s in sociology from Central Washington University and a master’s in college student services administration from Oregon State University.
Want Fair Pay? Campus Teams Explain What to Do
Margaret Brent Room A
Just one year after graduating from college, a pay gap already exists between men and women graduates working full time. Among other things, that means it takes women longer to pay off student loans. Workshop attendees will learn creative ways to bring attention to this problem and address it. They will hear from college students and faculty at California State University, Northridge; Dakota State University; and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. These schools incorporated the pay gap and student debt into curricula, created websites, hosted events, and held campuswide awareness campaigns.
Deborah Swerdlow is the grassroots advocacy coordinator at AAUW, where her work focuses on educating and mobilizing AAUW’s members and supporters to take action on our federal advocacy priorities. Before working at AAUW, Swerdlow worked at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, where she planned the organization’s high school advocacy trainings and handled a portfolio of policy issues that included pay equity, reproductive rights, health care, and judicial nominations. Swerdlow holds bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Middle Eastern studies from the University of Florida.
Michele Roberts is a stay-at-home mother of three who has been educating her children for the past 20 years. Along with raising her children, Roberts is now a college student at California State University, Northridge, pursuing her bachelor’s in religious studies with a minor in gender and women’s studies.
Alina Sarkissian is a business management major at California State University, Northridge. She has high aspirations for herself and has served in numerous leadership positions at CSUN, including vice president of University Ambassadors and assistant director of Associated Students Productions. Sarkissian believes strongly in the power of creating your own opportunities.
Brianna Vear is a senior at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, where she is majoring in sociology and pursuing four minors. She has worked at MCLA’s Women’s Center for four years and is the co-founder of a student organization taking action for gender equality. Vear has twice attended the National Young Feminist Leadership Conference and has presented at MCLA’s Undergraduate Research Conference and at the National Conference of Undergraduate Research.
The Work-Life Challenge and Finding a Balance That Works for You
St. Mary’s Room
This workshop is for women in all professions. The emphasis is on good career planning, good career choices, time demands and how to address them, getting help in your personal life and professional life, the importance of self in the work-life balance, having reasonable expectations and a personal definition of success, and making transitions to alternative professional settings to avoid abandoning a career. The presentation will inform young women who aspire to be professionals about the realities of the work-life struggle and how to overcome the challenges.
Susan Blakely is a lawyer with 25 years of practice experience and is the author of the book Best Friends at the Bar: What Women Need to Know about a Career in the Law. Visit her website at www.bestfriendsatthebar.com for further information on her and the book.
Voices from the Field: A Discussion of the Impact of Racial and Gender Stereotypes of Black Women in the Workplace
Benjamin Banneker Room B
Participants will engage in a discussion regarding the unique challenges of black women in workplace settings as a result of racial and gender stereotypes. Participants will learn lessons from the field about stereotypes in the workplace and hear about research regarding the particular experiences of black women in academia.
Tammy Lewis Wilborn is a licensed professional counselor with Youth Villages and a doctoral student at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. She completed a master’s in mental health counseling at Loyola University, New Orleans, and will complete her doctorate in May 2014 with a focus on counselor education, school counseling, and guidance services.
Conference Workshops • Session One • Session Two • Session Three • Session Four