The University of Wisconsin-Madison will honor Leslie Petty, Shenikqua Bouges, Jessica Perez Chavez, Mary Muse, Monica White and Sami Schalk with Outstanding Women of Color awards at a closed reception on Wednesday, March 3.
This will be the 13th Annual Outstanding Women of Color Recognition for UW-Madison, who has celebrated more than 60 honorees since 2007. Each year a new and impressive array of talented and passionate candidates emerge, Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Diversity & Inclusion Cheryl B. Gittens said.
“Typically, our honorees have never had an opportunity to meet, although they may have heard of one another,” said Gittens in a statement. “It isn’t uncommon for them to form new working and volunteer partnerships and they always find new friendships and connections.”
The honor of being named an awardee is based on the premise that faculty, staff and community women who are deeply involved in teaching, research and outreach, along with personal and family responsibilities, are unsung heroes, Gittens added.
Usually an in-person event, this year’s Awards Recognition will be virtual due to COVID-19.
“This year’s virtual event will feature a collective presentation that brings us together in the spirit of past in-person gatherings and every year is a reunion of past and present honorees,” Gittens said. “So virtually gather your friends and family to meet our honorees and share this moment.”
This year’s six honorees include:
- Shenikqua Bouges, Advanced Geriatric Fellow, School of Medicine and Public Health/Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology;
- Mary Muse, State Director of Nursing, Wisconsin Department of Corrections;
- Jessica Perez Chavez, Doctoral Student, Counseling Psychology, School of Education;
- Leslie Petty, Assistant Dean of Evening, Executive, and Corporate Executive MBA Programs, Wisconsin School of Business;
- Sami Schalk, Associate Professor, Department of Gender & Women’s Studies, College of Letters and Sciences;
- Monica White, Associate Professor, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, Community and Environmental Sociology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
For more information on this year’s honorees, go to 2021 Outstanding Women of Color.
