AAUW State College Lectureship with Penn State Forum
As an organization with a legacy of contributions to both the “town” and “gown” sides of the State College community, the Branch wanted to create a visible and long-lasting gift in recognition of its 100th anniversary in 2016. The gift had to be in alignment with the mission of AAUW to advance equity for women and girls and in accordance with the stated educational values of the State College Branch, in particular:
We believe that collaborative, community-based initiatives form a robust foundation for advancing equity locally, and ultimately, globally.
Jessica Weiner (in blue) poses with members of AAUW State College. Jessica Weiner, social entrepreneur, change agent and CEO of Talk to Jess, LLC, presented “Generational and Cultural Differences in Branding and Consumer Behavior.”
In collaboration with Penn State University, the branch established an endowment to create the AAUW State College Centennial Lectureship “to increase knowledge about the advancement of equity for women and girls and to provide an opportunity to engage with the community at large.” The goal was to expose the community to women whose vision and leadership had made a positive difference, and who would serve as role models for a new generation of leaders.
The venue for the lectureship is the popular Penn State Forum. The Forum was established in 1996 to introduce the university and local community to some of the most notable leaders and policy makers in their professions. Modelled after the National Press Club, the Forum includes lunch followed by remarks from a distinguished speaker. After the presentation, a facilitator poses questions submitted by members of the audience. The Forum regularly attracts diverse audiences of several hundred who have been educated and inspired by speakers ranging from composer Marvin Hamlisch to the president of PBS to author Margaret Atwood.
In recognition of its centennial in 2016, AAUW State College established an endowment with Penn State to create the AAUW State College Centennial Lecturer for the Penn State Forum. The lectureship is “to increase knowledge about the advancement of equity for women and girls and to provide an opportunity to engage with the community at large.”
2018-2019 Lecturer: Dr. Amy Goldberg, Surgeon-in-Chief at Temple University Health System, who spoke about how her experience treating victims of gun violence led her to create a nationally recognized gun violence education program.
2019-2020 Lecturer: Jessica Weiner, who advises national brands such as Mattel and Dove about issues facing women and fosters the use of accurate and diverse images of women.
The venue for the lectureship is the popular Penn State Forum. The Forum was established in 1996 to introduce the university and local community to some of the most notable leaders and policy makers in their professions. Modelled after the National Press Club, the Forum includes lunch followed by remarks from a distinguished speaker. After the presentation, a facilitator poses questions submitted by members of the audience. The Forum regularly attracts diverse audiences of several hundred who have been educated and inspired by speakers ranging from composer Marvin Hamlisch to the president of PBS to author Margaret Atwood.