The U of A Women’s Giving Circle celebrated its 20th year of funding innovative projects, programs and research last week by awarding $100,000 at its annual fall voting event. 

This year’s funding brings the group’s total to more than $1.7 million awarded since 2002.

The Women’s Giving Circle is made up of U of A alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the university and was created to encourage women as philanthropic leaders.

Members of the circle make yearly contributions to generate funds for the awards, and these contributions are pooled together and awarded annually to selected recipients who complete the grant proposal process. 

This year’s grant recipients were chosen from 18 proposals, with 13 finalists selected through an online vote. Women’s Giving Circle members heard presentations from the finalists as part of the event and then voted to select the winning programs. The amounts of the nine grants awarded this year ranged from $6,000 to nearly $20,000.

The recipients of funding this year include:

No-Auditory-Um: Assessing the Acoustic and Spatial Interior Environments in University of Arkansas’ Auditorium — A proposal presented by Jennifer Webb in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, Rachel Glade in the College of Education and Health Professions and alumna Jamie Zakovec, received $19,874. 

This research project will evaluate acoustical conditions in the university’s largest auditoriums to identify interventions enhancing the academic performance and social inclusion of students and faculty who have hearing loss.

Evaluation of E.S.T.E.E.M., a Program for Improvement of Self-Esteem in Low-Income Women — A mentorship and educational program designed to help women with limited resources develop the soft skills and knowledge needed to increase confidence and thrive in life. 

This proposal received $11,000 and was presented by Ananda Rosa in the School of Social Work, Merry Moiseichik in the College of Education and Health Professions and Sheila Posey, who serves as the chief inspiration officer of E.S.T.E.E.M. – Empower Sisters Together to Encourage, Engage, and Move.

Wander-Thirst: A Studio Album of Florence Price’s Choral Music by the Schola Cantorum — A proposal presented by Stephen Caldwell in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences received $10,000. 

The funding for this project will assist with production costs, including recording and back-end finishing, for the Schola Cantorum’s recording of choral music by Florence Price, an historical marginalized Black composer from Arkansas.

Cultivating Sustainable K-12 AGRI-STEM Pathways Through CommUniversity Partnerships — A program designed to increase the number of underrepresented students pursuing agricultural degrees and expand the community of diverse agricultural leaders in Arkansas through immersive hands-on learning and mentorship opportunities. 

Presented by Jacquelyn Mosley in the School of Human Environmental Sciences; Katherine Dilley in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences; and Wendell Scales, who serves as the deputy director of innovation for Arkansas Lighthouse Academies. This proposal received $10,000.

Making “Sense” of Sensorimotor Rehabilitation in Virtual Reality — A proposal presented by Andres Pena and doctoral fellow Aliyah Shell in the Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research received $10,000. 

This research project aims to advance the use of virtual reality training in sensorimotor rehabilitation for people who incur a neurological disorder resulting in greater access to rehabilitation, improving functionality, self-confidence and the quality of life.  

Art/Works! — An arts integration job training program for at-risk high school students who learn about the daily operations of visual and performing arts facilities from experts in the field, serve the community by mentoring elementary students and perform professional duties for performances and art exhibits at the Faulkner Performing Arts Center. 

This proposal received $10,000 and was presented by Nicole Leachman at the Faulkner Performing Arts Center and Martha Sandven and Hung Pham in the College of Education and Health Professions’ Center for Children and Youth.

Weight Stigma Wednesday: An Educational Community Program — A proposal presented by Magdalena Arroyo, trainer facilitator for the IDEALS Institute, and Meredith Moore, mental health clinician at the Pat Walker Health Center, received $9,500. 

This innovative educational community program aims to reduce disordered eating, eating disorders and weight stigma resulting in the improvement of the lives of women on campus. 

Supporting Individuals With Neurodiversity in the Transition to Independent Living and the Workforce: Community Engagement in Program Development for EMPOWER at the University of Arkansas — A project to evaluate and create certificate programs centered around hospitality and human development giving individuals with neurodiversity the education and skills to gain paid employment upon completion of the program. 

The proposal presented by Kelly Way and Jennifer Becnel in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences received $7,000.

Dream B.I.G. Service and Education Project — A proposal presented by Grace Martin, Dream B.I.G. (Believing In Girls) student board member, received $6,000. Dream B.I.G. matches U of A women as mentors of middle school girls at J.O. Kelly Middle School in Springdale, Arkansas. 

This program will allow mentors and mentees to identify a community need and lead a tangible service project cultivating collaboration, team building, problem-solving and leadership skills in all participants. 

The Women's Giving Circle Founders Endowed Advance Arkansas Scholarship and the Women's Giving Circle Endowed Scholarship in Nursing each received $3,313 to continue providing scholarship support to new, returning and transfer students from Arkansas who demonstrate financial need and have a record of academic success and community leadership.

“The Women’s Giving Circle is celebrating the incredible accomplishment of 20 years of giving,” said Kelly Chaney, WGC president. “For 20 years, this group has made a significant impact on people in Arkansas and across the country by providing funding to 145 projects and three scholarship recipients. We are thrilled that we had so many worthy projects to support this year with our pooled resources.

“I am proud to be a part of this group of philanthropic women who make such a difference in the lives of others by coming together each year to cast their vote where everyone has a voice. As we think about our next 20 years, I invite more women to join and make a difference by funding these innovative projects and research.”

The Women’s Giving Circle was established in 2002, and its founding members include Sylvia Boyer (B.S.E.’63), Pat Cooper, Johnelle Hunt, Debbie King, Mary Trimble Maier (B.A.’49), Julia Peck Mobley (B.S.E.’65), Harriett Phillips (B.A.’72), Lynne Walton (B.A.’70), Margaret Whillock (B.S.E.’57), Mary Lib White and Donna Axum Whitworth (B.A.’66, M.A.’69).

Lifetime members of the circle include Carol S. Adams, Nancy Bittle, Beth Carter, Kelly Chaney, Charlotte Downs, Sandra K. Edwards, Margie Pomfret Farber, Denise Garner, Martha Cornwell Haguewood, Melissa McIlroy Hawkins, Denise Henderson, Trish Brown Joyner, Ranu Jung, Debbie King, Kellie Knight, Lee Lane, Marybeth Mayfield, Judy McDonald, Julia Peck Mobley, Janet Parsch, Connie Pate, Harriett Phillips, Karen Pope, Cindy Pugh, Catherine Ross, Susan Scott Ross, Jane Shipley, Sandy Steinmetz,  Mary Lib White, Dina Wood and Ann Marie Ziegler. 

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.