In carrying out Catt’s work to educate voters and involve citizens—especially women—in the political process, the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics:
- Offers leadership development and mentoring opportunities to ISU students interested in politics, public service and women’s issues through the Legacy of Heroines scholarship program;
- Fosters research on issues related to women and politics through the Archives of Women’s Political Communication, annual Carrie Chapman Catt Prize for Research on Women and Politics, and studies conducted by center staff and students;
- Brings prominent women leaders, national and international scholars, and political activists and practitioners to campus for lectures, programs, and seminars through the Mary Louise Smith Chair in Women and Politics and in collaboration with other programs with a focus on women’s leadership, women and politics, and women’s issues; and
- Encourages women and men to pursue careers in politics, public administration, and public service through the Ready to Run® Iowa campaign training program and by hosting the visits of local, state, national, and international leaders who serve as mentors and role models.
The Catt Center works with faculty, staff, and students throughout the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Iowa State University, leaders in the public and private sectors, and political and women’s organizations across state and nation. The center’s programs blend the resources and scholarship of the academic environment with the experiences of practitioners in fields important to the political process.
