UMD President's Commission on Women's Issues - PCWI

Last but not least, we celebrate 2019 Woman of Influence, Elisabeth Smela (pictured left). Elisabeth is a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Institute of Systems Research. She recently served as Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Graduate Programs in the Clark School of Engineering. Dr. Smela has been an active and effective advocate and mentor for women in a field where they are underrepresented. She has developed a website for women, been an active participant in the ADVANCE program, and advocated for policies and practices promoting work/life balance, attention to diversity in the hiring and promotion process.

Christina Sessoms is a doctoral student pursuing her degree in the Department of American Studies. Her activities span the spectrum of women’s issues from career advancement to sexual misconduct policies. Her research has characterized the challenges and experiences of black women in graduate programs in the humanities. Those interests are not just theoretical. She is an active participant in SisterMentors which supports and guides young girls of color. Within the university, she has served as the Director of Student Relations within the Black Graduate Student Union. Her graduate assistantship in the Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct has focused on sexual harassment. Thank you for being a 2019 Woman of Influence!

Let's celebrate Andrea Goodwin, 2019 Woman of Influence. Andrea is the Director of the Office of Student Conduct and has recently stepped in as co-director of the Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct. In both roles, she has helped to forge and administer policies dealing with the sensitive issues of sexual misconduct and discrimination. Her work in holding together that office despite frequent shifts in staffing and policy mandates has been admirable. She has also been a strong advocate for practices supporting work/life balance.

Cynthia Edmunds is currently Interim Chief Diversity Officer and simultaneously Assistant to the President working on employment equity as well as a chief architect of our Thriving Workplace Initiative. She has jumped in to fill vital gaps in the institution while coordinating her diverse assignments in ways that strengthen the university. The Commission specifically recognizes her work in developing and implementing policies and programs focused on improving the working climate for the diverse members of the Maryland campus. We celebrate her as a 2019 Woman of Influence!

2019 Woman of Influence, Ugochi Chinemereis an undergraduate student in Public Health Science. She currently serves as the Senior President of Sister to Sister, a program designed to mentor and provide academic support to multiethnic women students on campus. She has used her platform with Sister to Sister, to guide a program to celebrate survivor stories of young women who have survived childhood trauma. Through, Public Health without Borders, she has helped create educational workshops for parents in Sierra Leone about reproductive health.

Woman of Influence NAZISH SALAHUDDIN is a lecturer and the director of undergraduate studies in the psychology department. She created the Psychology Research Empowerment Program to prepare underrepresented minority students for graduate education. Her teaching, program development and research interests focus on the psychological implications of race- and gender-related expectations. Additionally, she serves as a Girl Scout troop leader in her community.

Woman of Influence JANDELYN “JAN” PLANE is a principal lecturer in the computer science department and the associate director of ACES, the Honors College program in cybersecurity. She is also founding director of the Maryland Center for Women in Computing, which supports undergraduate and graduate students across campus in addition to programs promoting computing fields to younger women, including CompSciConnect, a three-year camp for middle school girls. She has been instrumental in bringing gender and ethnic diversity to UMD computing for over two decades.

Woman of Influence KAREN O’BRIEN is a professor of psychology and director of training for the Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program. She has developed a community partnership that brings psychology students in to serve women and children in shelters for abused women, in combination with a course about helping victims of partner violence. She has written articles and book chapters about women’s career development, vocational interventions with women and counseling college women. She also serves on the board for the Family Crisis Center, a community shelter for abused women and their children.

Woman of Influence RASHANTA BLEDMAN is a staff psychologist and clinical supervisor at the University Counseling Center. She created the Hope and Healing Group, which provides a supportive and confidential space for female survivors of sexual assault, a group that has expanded due to her commitment and leadership. She also serves as the Counseling Center’s outreach coordinator, working with departments across campus to discuss gender, race and reducing mental health stigma in diverse student groups.

On March 31, we hosted a Celebration of Women with a panel of alumnae spanning decades and presented 7 Women of Influence awards to inspiring women from across campus! Tune in to learn more about these fascinating women!

This interactive map is available to help you find important resources for women in the UMD community - lactation rooms, gender-neutral restrooms, women's organizations, and more. https://sites.google.com/site/womenumd/map

Map - Women's Resources This site is a database of women's and LGBTQ resources available on the University of Maryland campus in College Park.