Stony Brook is one of 13 universities chosen nationwide to be part of the American Association of University Women’s (AAUW) Elect Her — Campus Women Win initiative according to Dean of Students Jerrold Stein.
The Elect Her initiative aims to close the long-standing leadership gender gap by empowering and training women to run for office at all levels. The non-profit organization Running Start, which trains college women to run for campus elective office, will be holding a training session on March 9, from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm in the Student Activities Center’s Ballroom A.
Women account for only 17 percent of Congressional seats and 24 percent of the seats in state legislatures.
In addition to gaining the support of the Dean of Students and the AAUW locally, organizers at Stony Brook enlisted the support of nine leading faculty and staff members at the University including Chief Deputy to the President Tonjanita Johnson, Associate Dean of the School of Journalism Marcy McGinnis, and Associate Dean of Students for Multicultural Affairs Cheryl Chambers.
AAUW facilitator Pamela O’Leary, executive director of the Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN), and a former member of Representative Carolyn Maloney’s fundraising team, will lead the training session. To sign up for the training session fill out the online application at www.stonybrook.edu/electher.
The opportunity excites USG sophomore Anna Lubitz, a student liaison to the program. “There’s a clear connection between service in student government and future political service,” said Lubitz. “It’s our hope that this training has a lasting effect here at the University and beyond. Personally, I hope to learn many new techniques from the Elect Her training session.”
The other schools chosen for the 2012 program are: Boise State University, Denison University, George Washington University, Georgia State University, Georgian Count University, Howard University, Louisiana State University, Stanford University, University of Louisville, University of Virginia, Washington & Lee University, and Williamette University.
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