The Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics is pleased to recognize the accomplishments and activities of its faculty, staff, students and alumni:
Iowa PBS producer Laurel Bower and the crew of “Carrie Chapman Catt: Warrior for Women” won an Upper Midwest Emmy Award in the Documentary-Historical category on Nov. 14, 2020.
Dianne Bystrom, director emerita, served as the respondent for a panel on “Examining Communication about and Responses to Identity and Image at the Crossroads of Election 2020” on Nov. 22 during the annual meeting of the National Communication Association, which was conducted via Zoom. She also moderated a panel on “Women in Politics Today” on Dec. 3 for the final of a four-part series sponsored by Humanities Nebraska on “Valuing the Vote.” The series was presented via Facebook Live.
Jennifer Dreibelbis, a 1996 graduate in journalism and mass communication and political science, was appointed to the city of Omaha’s Community Advisory Board in November 2020. This 15-member board made up of community members helps city government improve its hiring, retention and promotion of Black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) and address diversity, equity and inclusion in city government. Dreibelbis was a Catt Center intern in 1996 and a Deloris Wright Legacy of Heroines scholar from 1996-1997. Dreibelbis also has a Master of Public Administration from the University of Nebraska – Omaha.
Dr. Lauren Hughes, a 2002 graduate in zoology and Spanish, was appointed as a member and secretary of the American Medical Student Association foundation board beginning in January 2021. The foundation board is dedicated to supporting the activities of the AMSA through research, education, career development and community impact initiatives. Hughes was a 2000-2001 member of the Catt Associates learning community and a 2000-2002 Helen Jensen Howe Legacy of Heroines scholar.
Catt Center director Karen Kedrowski presented a biography of Carrie Chapman Catt before the Alpha Delta Kappa, Tau of Des Moines chapter on Nov. 10, 2020. On Nov. 13, she recorded “The Life and Legacy of Carrie Lane Chapman Catt and Women in Politics” for the History Alive: Votes for Women program with the Iowa History Museum. On Nov. 19, Kedrowski participated in the virtual panel discussion “The 2020 Elections: A Century of Women in American Politics” for the Southwestern Political Science Association Women and Politics. Also on November 19, the Kedrowski participated in a panel sponsored by the National Women’s History Museum and the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library, “‘Fit’ to Vote: The Influence of Immigration and Citizenship Rights on the Woman Suffrage Movement.” She appeared on Iowa Public Radio’s River to River on Dec. 2 to discuss Biden’s cabinet nominees and the potential second coronavirus relief package in Congress, and Jan. 6 to discuss the Georgia Senate elections and the Electoral College vote in Congress. On Dec. 10, she presented on suffrage history to the League of Women Voters of LaPlata, Colo.
Maggie Luttrell Roby started a new position at Cargill as the pricing process leader for the company’s transition to SAP (Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing). In this three-year assignment, she will lead the process review, improvement and change management with Cargill’s animal nutrition North American business. Roby graduated from Iowa State with a Bachelor of Science in history and women’s studies with a certificate in community leadership and public service (now leadership studies) (2009) and a Master of Education with a certificate of social justice in higher education (2011). She was a member of the Catt Associates learning community, a Catt Center intern and a Helen Jensen Howe and Jane Greimann Legacy of Heroines scholar.
Grace Tuzik, a 2020 graduate in public relations, started a new position as a junior marketing coordinator at New Home Star, a real estate sales management and consulting firm in Elmhurst, Illinois. She is assisting the marketing team with Sales Associate Marketing Initiatives (SAMI’s), hosting webinars and maintaining relationships with their builder partners. Tuzik was the Catt Center’s public relations and events management intern from 2018-2020.
Kathryn Walker, a 2019 graduate in political science, earned a master’s degree in legislative affairs from George Washington University in December. She currently works as a special assistant at the U.S. Agency for International Development. Walker was a 2018-2019 Legacy of Heroines scholar and Andrew Goodman Foundation ambassador.
Kelly Winfrey, coordinator of research and outreach for the center and assistant professor in the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, presented her research paper “But is She Electable? Sexism and the 2020 Iowa Caucus” and was a panelist on the Bill Ayers Communication Forum, “Crises and Opportunities after the 2020 Presidential Election,” at the National Communication Association annual convention held Nov. 19-22 via Zoom. She was also elected to the position of vice-chair-elect of the Political Communication Division of the NCA, a three-year term serving as vice-chair-elect, vice-chair and then chair.