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:
Carmen Ballagan, senior in speech communication and criminal justice with a minor in leadership studies and a Rice-Neville Legacy of Heroines scholar, co-presented “Black Lives Through the Lens: A Discussion on How the Media Portrays African Americans” during the Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity (ISCORE) on March 4 in the Memorial Union in Ames, Iowa. Ballagan is from Urbandale, Iowa.
Dianne Bystrom, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics, presented “Gendered Frames: Media Coverage of Women Presidential Candidates from 2008 to 2016” as part of a panel presentation on “Gender Dynamics of the Campaign Trail: Stereotypes, Messages and Communication” on March 7 at the Women and American Democracy conference sponsored by the Democracy Studies Program at Ohio State University.
Vivian Cook, junior in performing arts and the Lauri K. and James R. Young Legacy of Heroines scholar, is assistant-directing Iowa State’s spring musical, “The Secret Garden.” “The Secret Garden” will be performed April 8, 9, 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. and April 10 and 17 at 2 p.m. in Fisher Theater. Cook is from Ames, Iowa.
Carly Crist, December 2015 psychology graduate, Iman Kashmola, senior in genetics with a certificate in leadership studies, and Caitlin Ward, senior in statistics, were invited to join Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious honorary society in the United States history dating back to its founding at the College of William and Mary in 1776. Nearly 600 Iowa State students qualified by GPA, but only 28 juniors and 74 seniors received an invitation. Crist was a 2015-2016 Phyllis Davis Legacy of Heroines scholar. Kashmola and Ward received Stanley Global Leaders scholarships to participate in a Catt Center sponsored study abroad to Sweden in the summer of 2015.
Dr. Lauren Hughes, deputy secretary for health innovation for the Pennsylvania Department of Health, has been selected for the 2016 University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine Distinguished Award for Early Career Achievement. She was affiliated with the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics as a Helen Jensen Howe Legacy of Heroines scholar from 2000-2002 during her time at Iowa State University. Hughes graduated from Iowa State in 2002 with bachelor’s degrees in zoology and Spanish and from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in 2009. She also earned a master’s degree in public health from George Washington University in 2007.
Krista Klocke, senior in speech communication and communication studies with a minor in psychology and a certificate in leadership studies, was one of five Iowa State students to receive the 2016 Wallace E. Barron All-University Senior Award. Klocke is a Phyllis Davis Legacy of Heroines scholar from Ames, Iowa.
The ISU Alumni Association established the Wallace E. Barron Award in 1968 to recognize outstanding seniors who display high character, outstanding achievement in academics and university/community activities, and promise for continuing these qualities as alumni. Four other students were selected to receive this award: Kaitlyn Aldrich, senior in civil engineering with a minor in French and a 2016 Women Impacting ISU calendar honoree; Christina Hillman, senior in child, adult and family services and psychology and a 2016 Women Impacting ISU calendar honoree; Angadbir Sabherwal, senior in mechanical engineering; and Joseph Webb, senior in finance. They will be honored and recognized at the Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Council luncheon on April 22 from noon to 1:15 p.m. at the Iowa State Alumni Center.
Brian Le, senior in kinesiology and health, and Olivia Carrasco, sophomore in mechanical engineering, who are both enrolled in the Leadership Studies Program, were two of four Iowa State students to present “Anyone Know Where I Can Cash in my White Privilege Points? Do I Need a Card? I Keep Hearing I Have This, but I’m not Sure Where to Go or How to Use It,” during ISCORE on March 4 in the Memorial Union in Ames, Iowa. Le is from Des Moines, Iowa, and Carrasco is from Muscatine, Iowa.
Amber Manning-Ouellette, leadership studies lecturer, was the keynote speaker at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Midwest Student Leadership conference on Feb. 12-14 in the Memorial Union at Iowa State University. She also co-presented “Creating Synergy Among Academic Affairs in First-Year Leadership Courses” at the 35th annual Conference on the First-Year Experience on Feb. 20-23 in Orlando, Florida. On March 4, Manning-Ouellette presented “Using Inclusive Language in Leadership” during ISCORE in the Iowa State Memorial Union.
She presented her dissertation research, “In a Woman’s Voice: A Qualitative Study on How First-Year College Women Understand their Sexual Experiences,” in a video format for the American College Personnel Association – College Student Educators international video on demand series. The video was highlighted during the ACPA convention held on March 6-9 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. She received a $500 research grant from the ACPA Commission on Admissions, Orientation and the First-Year Experience and the National Resource Center on the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition for research on women in STEM and service learning. Additionally, Manning-Ouellette and her mentee, Kelsie Leathers, received an Iowa State Honors Program mentor grant for their research project “Inclusive vs. Traditional Sex Education: An Investigation of Student Educational Experiences.”
Jamie Rix, senior in political science and public relations and teaching assistant for CL PS/W S 333,”Women and Leadership,” was recently voted runner-up for “Best Student Leader” by the Iowa State student body. She currently serves as a senator for Iowa State’s Student Government and is the former director of ambassadors for Student Government. She is also the current president of the Campustown Student Association for the Campustown Action Association. Every year, the Iowa State Daily polls the student body for their favorite companies and organizations in Ames. Rix is from Minnetonka, Minnesota.
Alex Van Alstyne, December 2015 management and marketing graduate with a certificate in leadership studies, started Salt & Pretzel Co. in May 2015 in Ames, Iowa, with his dad, Troy Crowe. Initially, the wholesale and catering company produced pretzels, pizza dough and other dough-based products. They recently expanded and opened a bistro-bakery in north Ames.
Lissandra Villa, senior in journalism and mass communication and political science and an Elverna Christian Legacy of Heroines scholar, co-presented “Inclusive and Uncommon Leadership: Subverting a Perfectly Acceptable Student Ambassador Program,” during ISCORE on March 4 in the Memorial Union in Ames, Iowa. She recently accepted a summer internship at Time magazine at their District of Columbia bureau. Villa is from Webster City, Iowa.