Faculty Women of Color in the Academy National Conference
April 3 - 5, 2013
Hosted by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Welcome Back!
What a wonderful event! With nearly 300 attendees, 75 institutions, and 30 states represented, the inaugural Faculty Women of Color in the Academy (FWCA) National Conference was a great success!
On Wednesday, April 3, the conference kicked off at the I Hotel and Conference Center with Featured Presentations and Poster Sessions by faculty women of color, from throughout the nation, displaying their research and engaging attendees. This was followed by a networking reception, a performance by the University of Illinois Black Chorus, and an opening keynote by Dr. Gabriella Gutiérrez y Muhs, co-editor of Presumed Incompetent: The Intersections of Race and Class for Women in Academia. The keynote ended with a question and answer session, followed by a book signing by Dr. Gutiérrez y Muhs.
On Thursday, April 4, the conference was held at the Illini Union, with panels exploring Politics in the Academy, including the journey into leadership, research on women of color in the Academy, and women of color and promotions. Featured moderators included Chancellor Phyllis M. Wise, with panelists President Nancy "Rusty" Barceló and President Cassandra Manuelito-Kerkvliet; President Patricia Arredondo, with panelists Professor Shirley Hune and Professor Brenda Lloyd-Jones; and concurrent sessions at day’s end, featuring a pre-tenure panel, post-tenure panel, and a panel from full to administration. The panels included Professors Yoon Pak, Isabel Molina-Guzmán, and Judy Tzu-Chun Wu; Professors Mrinalini (Meena) Rao, Frances Aparicio, and Elaine Richardson; and Dr. Irma McClaurin, Vice Provost and Vice President Valerie Lee, and Dean Victoria Chou. Thursday night, an Empowerment Exchange was held at the I Hotel and Conference Center, blending a social gathering and networking event with food, music, and dancing, along with multiple raffles and a Conference Book Shop.
On Friday, April 5, the conference culminated at the I Hotel and Conference Center, offering plenary sessions that explored the health of women of color, and the economics of being a faculty woman of color. The panels featured Professors Ruth Enid Zambrana, Sumie Okazaki, Adrien Wing, Mari Castañeda, and Cynthia Turner. In addition, the conference offered keynotes each day who shared valuable insight through their personal stories of challenge and success. They were Chancellor Phyllis M. Wise; President María Hernández Ferrier; and Professor Beverly Guy-Sheftall. The question and answer sessions, after each keynote, served vital to the building of community fostered throughout the conference.
Thank you to those who attended, and to those who showed interest in future participation! Please check the conference website for updates. Also, please feel free to email us with questions or comments.
