FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas Chancellor’s Commission on Women will hold a community luncheon and panel discussion on the theme of “Women on Campus: Managing your Career, Yourself and the World Around You.” The event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, in the main seminar room on the first floor of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development.

Anne O’Leary-Kelly, professor and senior associate dean of the Sam M. Walton College of Business, will moderate a panel of three U of A employees:

• Jeff Banks, assistant director of human resources and diversity programs for University Libraries, will discuss dealing with change
• Ro DiBrezzo, vice provost for faculty development, will talk about mentoring
• Katy Nelson-Ginder, assistant vice chancellor for university development will cover professional development.  

All faculty and staff are welcome to attend this free event, but seating is limited to the first 100 people who sign up to attend. Please register in advance through this link.

The Chancellor’s Commission on Women was formed to provide networking and personal support and to advocate for the interest of the entire community of women at the University of Arkansas.

“We did a survey last spring to learn more about the professional needs and goals of women on campus,” said commission chair Kim Needy, dean of the Graduate School and International Education. “We learned that there are many topics people have an interest in gaining deeper insight into – and we were able to group them thematically into areas of change, mentoring and professional development. I expect this panel will be a great opportunity to facilitate these conversations and give people some useful information and ideas.”

U of A Chancellor Joe Steinmetz signed onto the American Council on Education’s national campaign soon after becoming chancellor. The campaign asks college and university presidents to commit to help achieve the goal that by 2030, half of U.S. college and university chief executives are women.

“I’m delighted to support the Commission on Women,” said Steinmetz. “This group is an important resource to help the campus identify not only issues but opportunities for women on campus. Networking, leadership development, academic enrichment, collaboration and professional development are just a few of the ways this group can impact the campus. This event is a great way to initiate such conversations and share information.”

PANELISTS
 

Jeff Banks has over 20 years of human resources experience serving several organizations, including nine years at the University Libraries where he has served on a number of committees and led initiatives for human resources and diversity.  Prior to joining the university, he served as an Air Force officer, culminating a 12-year career as the director for Military Human Resources at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina, an organization with over 5,000 members. Banks received an M.S. in operations management and a B.S. in biology from the University of Arkansas.  

Ro Di Brezzo, vice provost for faculty development and enhancement and professor of kinesiology, has served as program chair and interim department head for the Department of Kinesiology, director of the Human Performance Laboratory, co-director of the Office for Studies on Aging and co-founder of the Teaching and Faculty Support Center. She has been chair of the Campus Faculty and Campus Senate and has received many awards for her research and teaching, including the Outstanding Mentor Award in 2011. She was invited to be a fellow of American College of Sports Medicine in 2012.

Katy Nelson-Ginder joined the University of Arkansas in 2007 as the director of development and external relations in the Sam M. Walton College of Business and was promoted to senior director in 2011. She has served as the assistant vice chancellor for development since 2013. Katy co-manages the directors of development in the colleges and the Law School and oversees the corporate and foundation relations team. She serves on the leadership team that provides strategic planning for Campaign Arkansas. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication from the University of Arkansas.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.