Chancellor's Commission on Women Recognizes Extraordinary Women and Women's Advocates

University Relations

Top, from left: Christine Carroll, Cecilia Grossberger, Frances T. Griffith, bottom: Synetra Hughes, Morgan Middlebrooks, and Silke Spiesshoefer. Below, Bryan Hill.

Founded in 2010, the primary mission of the Chancellor's Commission on Women is to be an advocate for the interest of the entire community of women at the University of Arkansas.  For the second time, the Commission on Women recognized Extraordinary Women as well as Women's Advocates on our campus. These recognitions were established to honor people who are making a difference in the lives of women on the University of Arkansas campus.

An extraordinary woman is a woman who leads by example, is a role model, and is an inspiration for others. She empowers those around her and makes a positive impact on women's experiences on our campus in leadership or service.

This year's recipients of the extraordinary woman recognition include: in the faculty category, Frances Griffith, research associate in the Department of Civil Engineering, for leadership, and Silka Spiesshoefer, clinical assistant professor in Department of Electrical Engineering, for service; and in the staff category, Synetra D. Hughes, associate director in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion of the Sam M. Walton College of Business, for leadership, and Cecilia Grossberger, assistant director of marketing and communications at new Student and Family Programs, for service; in the student category, Morgan Middlebrooks, graduate student, Department of Psychology, for leadership, and Christine Carroll, University Recreation facilities assistant, for service.

A women's advocate is an individual who leads by example, is a role model, and is an inspiration for others seeking gender equality and women's empowerment. They empower those around them and make a positive impact on women's experiences on our campus This year's recipient of the Women's Advocate recognition is Bryan Hill, associate dean for student success in the College of Engineering.

"The Commission on Women membership thought there was no better way to shine a light on extraordinary women and women's advocates than to collect nominations of those outstanding members of the University of Arkansas who inspire and support others through a public nomination process. The nomination process is ongoing, and the campus continues to show a very strong desire to recognize women and those who advocate for women," said Zajicek, chair of the Women's Commission.

"This is the second year the Commission on Women collected nominations from members of the campus community who wanted to shine a light on the good work and leadership by our campus women and those who support them. I was heartened by the nominations and the fact that students, faculty, and staff would take time to share these examples with the commission," said Chancellor Joe Steinmetz. "While the year didn't end up as planned and the spring event was postponed, it still bears mentioning that the commission's outreach to the campus community provides a valued service. I would be remiss if I did not thank the members and especially recognize and thank Anna Zajicek, as chair of the commission, for her leadership."

Any member of the University of Arkansas community or a UA-based organization may nominate a person to be recognized as an extraordinary woman or women's advocate. Self-nominations will not be accepted. There is no deadline for nominations; it is an ongoing process. Please follow this link for nomination forms and information on eligibility and the recognition process.