The Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics is pleased to recognize the accomplishments and activities of its faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters:
Dianne Bystrom, Catt Center director, and Kelly Winfrey, assistant professor of journalism and coordinator of research and outreach for the center, attended the Central States Communication Association convention in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on April 14-17. Bystrom served on three panels – “Credibility, Outsiders and the 2016 GOP Primary”; “The Iowa Caucuses: Realities and Myths” and “Analyzing the 2016 Presidential Election: Reflections on the Primaries and Predictions for the General Election.” She also presented “She Said, She Said: Comparing Hillary Clinton’s Communication Strategies in her Campaigns for the Democratic Nomination for President.” Winfrey chaired the panel “Analyzing the 2016 Presidential Election: Reflections on the Primaries and Predictions for the General Election” and served on two other panels – “The Iowa Caucuses: Realities and Myths” and “Analyzing the 2016 Presidential Primary Debates.” She also presented “Framing Hillary in Iowa: Media Frames in Local Coverage of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Campaign.”
Dianne Bystrom, Catt Center director, gave a presentation on “Women and Politics in the 2016 Election” on May 3 as part of an “Election 2016” class offered by the Iowa State Alumni Association’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
Four students in the Leadership Studies Program presented their research at Iowa State’s Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression on April 5 in the Memorial Union. Katie Black, a junior in industrial engineering with a leadership studies certificate and a teaching assistant for the Leadership Studies Program, presented “Learning Leadership: A Qualitative Study on the Differences of Student Learning in Online Versus Traditional Courses in a Leadership Studies Program.” Kierstin Blomberg, a senior in meteorology with a leadership studies minor, presented “Analyzing Climate Change in the Arctic by Examining Indices of Severe Weather from Contemporary Climates.” Kelsie Leathers, a sophomore in apparel, merchandising and design with a leadership studies certificate, presented “Inclusive vs. Traditional Sex Education: An Investigation of the Student Educational Experiences.” Chris Levandowski, a senior in civil engineering with a leadership studies certificate, presented “Evaluating Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) Properties and Wind Energy Applications.” Black and Leathers were mentored by Amber Manning-Ouellette, a lecturer in the Leadership Studies Program.
Linda Brigance, a recipient of the 1997 Carrie Chapman Catt Prize for Research on Women and Politics and professor emeritus of communication at the State University of New York in Fredonia, recently donated her dissertation research materials to the Iowa Women’s Archives at the University of Iowa. Her 1999 dissertation, “Rhetoric, Reasoning, and Relevance: Theorizing Public Controversy,” used the 1992 Iowa Equal Rights Amendment referendum controversy as a case study to examine audience standards of reasonableness and relevance and the role of those standards in collective decision making. The donated collection includes transcripts of interviews with state and national leaders of both the pro- and anti-ERA factions and primary documents such as organizational newsletters and brochures; news releases; print, television and radio advertising; and political ephemera. Brigance was recently elected to the board of trustees of the Buffalo Presidential Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to spotlighting the historical legacy of the Buffalo, New York, area’s role in presidential politics.
Students associated with the Catt Center presented at the Women’s and Gender Studies Program’s undergraduate student conference, “Transforming Gender and Society,” on April 9 in the Memorial Union. Shelby Dill, a senior majoring in women’s studies with a leadership studies certificate, presented “Catwoman & Liminal Space.” Rachel Schroeder, a senior majoring in psychology and the 2015-2016 Haselhoff Family Legacy of Heroines scholar, presented “Work-Life Balance Amongst Iowa State University’s Graduate Students.”
Jean Hagert Dow, who earned a bachelor of science degree in 1971 in art education from Iowa State University, has published the book “Deep Digs. . .A Pocket Art” about the creative process. The book is 22 pages of poetry about the struggles and accomplishments in the art world. Dow lives in Ames, Iowa.
Several students associated with the Catt Center with majors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences were among those recently honored with university awards for their outstanding academic achievement, community service or exemplary leadership to the Iowa State community. Dan Gavin, a senior in history with a leadership studies certificate, received the Charles F. Frederiksen Leadership Award. Christina Hillman, a senior in psychology and child, adult and family services and a 2016 Women Impacting ISU Calendar honoree, and Krista Klocke, a senior in speech communication and communication studies with a leadership studies certificate and the 2013-2016 Phyllis Davis Legacy of Heroines scholar, received the Wallace E. Barron All-University Senior Award. Aygul Parpucu, a senior in genetics and psychology with a leadership studies certificate, received the Sandra and Lynn Davis Leadership Award. Jeane Robles, a senior in genetics and the 2014-2017 Helen Jensen Howe Legacy of Heroines scholar, received the Kappa Alpha Theta High Flyer Award.
Sharon Haselhoff, the 1996-1998 recipient of the Political Science Alumni Legacy of Heroines scholarship who established the Meylor Family and Haselhoff Family Legacy of Heroines scholarships in 2015, was presented with the Women Mentoring Women Award by the Sales and Marketing Executives Inc. of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This award is given to a woman who has dedicated herself to the betterment of women in their professional and life journeys by supporting, encouraging, coaching and mentoring other women to take risks, develop skills and grow in their areas of expertise.
Amber Manning-Ouellette, leadership studies lecturer, received a $3,000 Engineering-LAS Online Learning course development grant award to work on more interactive software and curriculum development as well as utilize an undergraduate teaching assistant, Katie Black, for the online section of LD ST 322, “Leadership Styles and Strategies in a Diverse Society” for the fall 2016 semester. Black is a junior majoring in industrial engineering with a leadership studies certificate. ELO offers these grants as seed funding to create and/or enhance online courses for the College of Engineering and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Students associated with the Catt Center were among those honored at the Department of Political Science awards reception and Pi Sigma Alpha initiation on April 14. Elli Rigolle, a senior in political science and French and the Sharon Rodine leadership and advocacy intern, received the Alda and Weldon Brown Award. This award is given to the graduating senior in political science with the highest cumulative grade point average. Lissandra Villa – a senior in journalism and mass communication and political science, former Archives of Women’s Political Communication intern, and the 2013-2016 Elverna Christian Legacy of Heroines scholar – received the Ross Talbot Outstanding Graduating Senior Award. This award honors the academic and personal achievement of a graduating political science major. Also named as outstanding students were Jessica Bales, a senior in public relations and political science and the 2015-2016 Elizabeth Hoffman and Brian R. Binger Legacy of Heroines scholar; Thomas Jacobs, a senior in political science with a leadership studies certificate; Rigolle and Villa.
Jeane Robles, a senior in genetics and the 2014-2017 Helen Jensen Howe Legacy of Heroines scholar; Kyle Perkins, a senior in psychology with a leadership studies certificate; and Alexandra Polk, a junior in psychology and a participant in the Catt Center’s 2015 Global Leadership Study Abroad Program, are among the 20 students selected to represent Iowa State at the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in San Francisco on May 31 to June 4, 2016.
Kristine Perkins, the Catt Center’s public relations/student programs coordinator, and her husband, Kyle Perkins, welcomed the birth of their son, Glen Robert Perkins, on April 23.
Kate Tindall, the Jane Greimann Legacy of Heroines scholar from 2013 to 2015 and former Archives of Women’s Political Communication intern, will start a position as communication specialist for the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering at Iowa State on May 16. She will work on outreach, social media and communication projects for the department’s faculty, staff and student groups.
Kelly Winfrey, assistant professor of journalism and coordinator of research and outreach for the Catt Center, received an $1,800 Women’s and Diversity grant to support the 2017 Ready to Run® Iowa campaign training program. The grants support initiatives that enrich the experiences of women and diverse faculty, staff and students at Iowa State University.