Women’s Leadership Series creates leadership, service opportunities in Statesboro

March 29, 2017

The Women’s Leadership Series (WLS) kicked off 2017 with its first session, “Perceptions and Identities of International Women in the Workplace” on March 9.

Faculty Team Leaders Arpita Saha, Ph.D., Shainaz Landge, Ph.D., and Ph.D. student Maya Buser De conceptualized this exciting session. The session was composed as a roundtable, with 10 international participants from campus and the community, to share the experiences of being international business members, faculty and students in Statesboro.

WLS is sponsored by the Women’s and Gender Studies Program (WGST). The series arose out of a WGST collaborative panel on women and mentoring, led by WGST Director Lisa A. Costello, Ph.D., at the 2016 Diversity, Inclusion and Fairness (DIF) Conference.

“After the WGST panel, so many attendees approached us and said, ‘How can we do this again?’” said Costello. “The panel was really fruitful and informative, and I wanted to ensure we could find another way to empower each other to succeed.”

The WLS is designed to create leadership opportunities for women to serve the campus and become session leaders for future Series events. It empowers women also to seek leadership opportunities for professional success. Sessions include faculty, students and community members as both panelists and audiences.

The outcomes of the series include defining women’s leadership from multiple perspectives, examining women’s leadership in various settings and structures, understanding the advantages and challenges associated with women’s leadership, considering the ways in which diverse women’s leadership activity can empower individuals and/or changes structures, and learning strategies for women’s leadership and how they can be applied to create more equitable and fulfilling workplace and classroom spaces.

“WLS grew organically from an expressed need for spaces in which to discuss the advantages and challenges of being a woman in leadership,” said Costello. “It also grew out of a desire from the campus community to engage in conversations about leadership across disciplines and across colleges. With representation thus far from almost every college on campus in our sessions, I would say in that respect the Series is already a success.”

The WLS will meet next on Friday, April 7, from 2 to 4 p.m. in room 2148 of the College of Education Building. Michele Martin, assistant director of Student Affairs, CRI Programs, will lead a panel titled “Achieving Work-Life Fulfillment.”

Men and women who are looking to learn, grow in their careers and network in the area are encouraged to attend the next session. Sessions are free and open by RSVP only. To RSVP for the next session, email Janina Jones at janinajones@georgiasouthern.edu.

Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers 119 degree programs serving 20,673 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered and hands-on approach to education. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.