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:
Cameron Beatty, who taught in the ISU Leadership Studies Program from 2013-2016, recently co-authored the book “Operationalizing Culturally Relevant Leadership Learning,” a resource designed to raise leadership educators’ understanding of culturally relevant leadership pedagogy for the purpose of creating inclusive, socially just learning spaces. Beatty also published the article “Normalcy, Avoidance, Consciousness Raising: Exploring How Student Leaders Navigate Racial Battle Fatigue in the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice,” which explored how 18 student leaders of color, mostly Black and Latinx students, navigated racial battle fatigue as student leaders.
Laura Brown, assistant professor of English and member of the advisory board for the Archives of Women’s Political Communication, received the LAS Award for Early Achievement in Teaching at the LAS Fall Convocation on Sept. 7.
Dianne Bystrom, director emerita, gave a keynote presentation on “The Fight for the Right to Vote: It Still Matters” at the 2021 Iowa Council for the Social Studies conference held Oct. 4 in West Des Moines. She also presented a breakout session on “A Century of Suffrage: The History of Women as Voters” at the conference. On Oct. 7, Bystrom was the dinner speaker for the 18th annual Fall Student Research Symposium at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. Her presentation was sponsored by the Maxine Morrison Lecture Series. On Nov. 6, she presented “How Leaders Can Overcome the Impostor Syndrome” at the annual meeting of UNK’s Gold Torch Society, a mentoring program for undergraduate and alumni women. Bystrom, who earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from UNK in 1975, was in the first class (2000-2001) of alumni women mentors for the Gold Torch Society, which celebrated its 20th anniversary with events on Nov. 5-6.
Bystrom’s presentation, “A Century of Women’s Suffrage: Celebrating the 19th Amendment,” was among 29 topics from the Humanities Nebraska Speakers Bureau selected to represent the National Endowment for the Humanities’ special initiative on “A More Perfect Union” to advance civic education and commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary. The goal of the program is to help Americans better understand the world’s oldest constitutional democracy and how our founding ideals are met in a pluralistic society. Speakers can be scheduled as part of this program from Nov. 1, 2021, through Sept. 30, 2022.
Morgan Fritz, the 2019-2022 Katherine Bruntlett Annin Legacy of Heroines scholar, and Meg Grice, an Elizabeth Hoffman and Brian R. Binger Legacy of Heroines scholar since fall 2020, were named to the 2021 Cardinal Court during the 2021 Iowa State Homecoming week.
Sharon Haselhoff, a 1998 graduate in political science and the 1996-98 Political Science Alumni Legacy of Heroines scholar, was promoted to regional vice president of Elite Casino Resorts and will oversee the Grand Island Casino Resort to be built at Fonner Park in Grand Island, Nebraska. Haselhoff also serves as general manager of the Grand Falls Casino & Resort in Larchwood, Iowa. She funds two Legacy of Heroines scholarships – the Meylor Family Legacy of Heroines Scholarship and Haselhoff Family Legacy of Heroines Scholarship.
Iowa State University was awarded a Gold Seal by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for achieving a 72.9% student voting rate in the 2020 election, an increase of 11.1 percentage points over the voting rate in the 2016 election. Previously, the university was recognized with a Silver Seal for the 2016 election and a Gold Seal for the 2018 election. The university also received the 2021 Best Action Plan Award as a part of both the Iowa Campus Voting Challenge and Big 12 Voting Challenge. The award is presented to recognize the university’s efforts to develop and implement a campus democratic engagement action plan to help college students to improve nonpartisan civic learning, political engagement and voter participation.
Karen Kedrowski, center director, taught a course through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI at ISU) on “Women’s Representation: Why Does it Matter?” over four weeks in September and October. In addition, Kedrowski participated in a discussion on changes in Iowa election laws with Story County Auditor Lucy Martin on Sept. 30 at the Ames Public Library. She participated in the virtual panel “Gendered Strategies and Political Outcomes” at the American Political Science Association’s annual meeting on Oct. 3. On Oct. 5, she was interviewed by Stephanie Angleson at WOI-TV about Iowa’s redistricting process, and on Oct. 12 she was interviewed by Luke Meredith at WOI-TV about the Iowa State Conference on Civility and Deliberative Democracy. She was interviewed by John Pemble of Iowa Public Radio on Oct. 15 for a podcast about the Equal Rights Amendment and a 1979 debate at the University of Iowa that featured Phyllis Schlafly. On Oct. 22, Kedrowski gave a presentation on parliamentary procedure and politics versus leadership to Iowa State’s Emerging Leaders Academy.
On Nov. 1, Kedrowski was interviewed by Mary Sugden of WOI-TV about national issues in Iowa school board elections. On Nov. 4, she presented “Lessons from Suffrage” at Iowa Women in Higher Education’s Way Up Conference in Coralville. On Nov. 10, she joined ISU political science professor Jonathan Hassid in the panel discussion “Voter Rights and Registration,” a Daily Dialogue hosted by the Iowa State Daily. On Nov. 11, Kedrowski was recognized by the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition for her civic engagement efforts. On Nov. 12, IPR’s River to River aired Ben Kieffer’s interview with Kedrowski about Rep. Miller-Meeks’ decision to run in the 1st district, Rep. Axne’s possible political future and the Grassley-Finkenauer race.
Greta Johnson Rouse, a 2010 graduate in political science who interned at the Catt Center from 2007-2010, was appointed in April 2021 by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds to a six-year term on the Iowa Board of Regents. During her internship, which was supported by the Sharon and Alice Rodine Leadership and Advocacy Fund, Rouse helped launch the center’s annual Women Impacting ISU calendar in 2007. She also held the Elverna Christian Legacy of Heroines Scholarship from 2007-2010. In addition, Rouse was a member of the center’s Advancing Citizenship Together learning community from 2006-2007 and participated in its Ready to Run Iowa campaign school in 2009. She graduated from ISU in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Rouse served as the student member of the Iowa Board of Regents from 2008-2012 as an undergraduate at Iowa State and a graduate student at the University of Northern Iowa.
After earning her master’s degree from UNI, Rouse served as deputy communications director, scheduler and adviser for the office of former Gov. Terry Branstad and then-Lt. Gov. Reynolds from 2012-2014. Most recently, she was the executive manager of the Great Lakes Communications Corp. and the IGL family of companies. Her term on the Iowa Board of Regents ends on April 30, 2027.
Amy Erica Smith, Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Professor and associate professor of political science, was elected to the Ames Community School Board on Nov. 2.
Kelly Winfrey, coordinator of research and outreach for the Catt Center, was elected to the Ames Community School Board on Nov. 2. After the election, she was interviewed by WHO 13 political director Dave Price about her decision to run for office, how she spent election night and her thoughts on this year’s election cycle. Winfrey is an assistant professor in the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication and faculty member in the Leadership Studies Program.