Thursday, April 30, 2009

WPI Congratulates Alice Paul Award Recipients

On April 21, 2009, the Women & Politics Institute, in conjunction with AU’s Women’s Initiative, held the annual Alice Paul Awards Ceremony, honoring those members of the American University community who best exemplify the spirit, work, and vision of Alice Paul.  

Alice Paul, an American University Washington College of Law alumna, was a leader in the suffrage movement. She authored the Equal Rights Amendment, served as president of the National Woman’s Party, and played a vital role in the passage of the 19th Amendment. The recipients listed below carry on this fine tradition of leadership. Congratulations to all our winners!                                              

Alumna Award Recipient

U.S. Representative Betsy Markey (SPA/MPA ’83)

Rep. Betsy Markey was elected to Colorado’s 4th Congressional District on November 4th, 2008. From January 2005 to May 2007, Rep. Markey served the people of the 4th Congressional District as U.S. Senator Ken Salazar’s Regional Director for northern and eastern Colorado.   After completing a Masters in Public Administration in 1983, Rep. Markey was appointed a Presidential Management Fellow.  The U.S. Department of State then recruited Rep. Markey in 1984 to develop computer security policies for the newly-formed Office of Information Systems Security. She held a top secret security clearance and traveled extensively to U.S. embassies and consulates. Rep. Markey received the State Department’s Meritorious Honor Award for creating their first computer security training program.
 

Faculty Award Recipient    

Marty Langelan

Marty Langelan teaches The Politics and Policy of Sexual Harassment for the Women & Politics Institute. Marty Langelan received her B.A. and M.A. from Syracuse University. She is a nationally recognized expert on sexual harassment, labor force diversity issues, school and workplace violence, and conflict-intervention strategies. In addition to a 20-year career as an economist and senior manager in the federal government, she is the past President of the National Woman’s Party, the past President of the D.C. Rape Crisis Center, and the author of Back Off: How to Confront and Stop Sexual Harassers. Her research on effective strategies to stop harassment and assault has been featured in the Washington PostChicago Tribune, U.S. News & World Report, Fox Morning News, ABC News, 20/20, and other national media outlets.

 Graduate Student Recipient

Cori Racela

Cori Racela is a current student at the Washington College of Law working towards her Juris Doctorate. She earned her B.A. in History and Literature from Harvard University. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Gender, Social Policy and the Law, where she established a partnership with the ABA Domestic Violence Commission to institutionalize scholarship on violence against women. She is also the president of the Women's Law Association, holding sessions for women on how to be a successful in the law classroom, how to build relationships with women and network, and how read cases for the underlying gender themes. For two years, she produced the law school production of The Vagina Monologues, raising nearly $3,000 each year for local organizations that provide legal services to sexual assault survivors.

Undergraduate Award Recipient

Miriam Wood

Miriam Wood will be graduating in May with a B.A. in International Studies, focusing on international development, public health, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Miriam is an active member and leader of the United Methodist community on campus. She works with the Reconciling Ministries Network to foster the full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in the life of the church. She spent three months at the Ray of Hope Clinic and Community Center in Nairobi, Kenya conducting health education workshops, focusing primarily on women's health including reproductive health literacy. Her experiences in Kenya have inspired her to pursue a career as a certified mid-wife.

Staff Award Recipient

My-Lien Le 

My-Lien Le is the Events Specialist at the Office of Development in the School of Public Affairs.

Currently a dual-degree graduate student, she is enrolled in SPA's M.A. in Political Science program and SIS’s M.A. in Comparative & Regional Studies Program. In 2008, My-Lien completed SPA’s Women, Policy and Political Leadership (WPPL) graduate certificate program.  She received her B.A. in Political Science from James Madison University, while also participating in a variety of international internship opportunities.