The Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics is pleased to recognize the accomplishments and activities of its faculty, students and alumni:
Cameron Beatty, who taught for the Leadership Studies Program from 2013-2016 as a graduate assistant and lecturer, and Amber Manning-Ouellette, a leadership studies lecturer from 2015-2018, recently were awarded a $6,625 grant from the Association of College and University Housing Officers International for their research on “Exploring the Racial Battle Fatigue of First-Year Undergraduate Student Leaders of Color.” Manning-Ouellette and Beatty also co-authored a journal article, “Teaching Socially Just Perspective in First-Year Seminars: A Faculty Guide to Strengthen Inclusive Teaching Methods,” which was published in 2019 in the “Journal of Faculty Development.” Beatty is currently an assistant professor of educational leadership and policy studies at Florida State University. Manning-Ouellette is an assistant professor of higher education and student affairs at Oklahoma State University.
Beatty – who is also affiliated with Florida State’s Leadership Studies Program and Leadership Learning Research Center – is the lead co-author on a book chapter, “Comprehensive Initiatives and Programs for College Men,” published in 2019 in “Men and Masculinities on Campus: Theoretical Foundations and Promising Practices.” He also is one of three co-authors of a monograph, “Critical Considerations of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture in Fraternity/Sorority Life,” published in 2019 in “New Directions for Student Services.”
Dianne Bystrom, director emerita of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics, attended the National Council of the League of Women Voters of the United States on June 20-23 at the National Conference Center in Leesburg, Virginia, as one of two delegates from Nebraska. LWV leaders from 44 states plus the District of Columbia participated in trainings, presentations, networking and strategic conversations about the future of the organization during the meeting. Bystrom is serving a two-year term (2019-2021) as co-president of the League of Women Voters of Nebraska.
Elli Grapp, the Sharon and Alice Rodine Leadership and Advocacy intern at the Catt Center in 2015-16, recently moved to Bellevue, Nebraska, and began a position as people services manager at the YMCA of Greater Omaha. She will be responsible for the day-to-day administrative operations of the YMCA of Greater Omaha’s association office as well as coordination of association-wide leadership development opportunities. Grapp graduated in 2016 from Iowa State with a bachelor’s degree in political science and French. She earned a master’s degree in international peace and conflict resolution in 2018 from American University.
Three women with connections to the Catt Center will be honored Aug. 8 by the Business Record with 2019 Women of Influence awards. Pat Miller, who retired from Iowa State in 2018 after directing the Lectures Program for 35 years, and Georgia Van Gundy, executive director of the Iowa Business Council, were two of eight women selected for Women of Influence recognition. Deidre DeJear of Caleo Enterprises/The Directors Council was selected as the 2019 Meredith Emerging Woman of Influence. Miller, who earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from ISU, was one of 12 women selected for the first Women Impacting ISU calendar in 2007. Van Gundy, who graduated from ISU with a bachelor’s degree in finance, has served on the Catt Center’s Ready to Run Iowa Advisory Board since 2016. DeJear attended the 2017 Ready to Run Iowa: Campaign Training for Women program and ran for Iowa secretary of state in 2018.
The Business Record’s annual Women of Influence awards celebrate the work of women who have made a difference by blazing a trail either personally or professionally for other women to follow. This year’s event will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 8, at the Des Moines Marriott Downtown, 700 Grand Ave., Des Moines. It will begin with networking and hors d’oeuvres from 4-5:15 p.m. and an awards presentation from 5:15-7 p.m. To register for this year’s event, click here. Full profiles on each of the honorees will be published in the July 26 edition of the Business Record.
Samone Whitfield started a new position on June 3 as the assistant director of development for priority initiatives with the Iowa State University Foundation. Whitfield served on the 2018 and 2019 Women Impacting ISU calendar selection committee.