The Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center has named five individuals from the Vanderbilt community as recipients of its annual awards for 2024.
The Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Leadership Award honors an undergraduate or graduate student who demonstrates leadership in activities that contribute to the achievements, interests, and goals of women or that promote gender equity. This year, two students were recognized with this award.
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Trained as an OB/GYN clinician in her native Nigeria, Anjola-Oluwa Ajayi is a second-year student in the Master of Public Health program in the School of Medicine. A unifying thread in Dr. Ajayi’s work and training is learning how to leverage public health strategies to improve women’s health outcomes. As an intern at the Tennessee Department of Health, Dr. Ajayi helped to develop Tennessee’s first maternal health strategic plan. She organized listening sessions across the state to understand how women in Tennessee obtain healthcare and how to eliminate barriers to access. One of her nominators writes that, as she worked on these sessions, Dr. Ajayi “stayed focused, was accountable to deadlines and goals, and remained poised and led with conviction even when obstacles impacted progress.” Other nominators emphasized Dr. Ajayi’s care for others, explaining that her “leadership is not just about advancing her own career or accomplishments but about lifting others up and creating a more inclusive and equitable society for all women. Her empathy, compassion, and unwavering commitment to the betterment of women's lives serve as an inspiration to those around her.”
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The second Leadership Award recipient is Shaniya Jarrett, a second-year astrophysics graduate student in the Fisk-Vanderbilt Master’s-to-Ph.D. Bridge Program. Although Shaniya was involved in science outreach work through her participation as a tutor in the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt, she wanted to do more to expose Black girls to STEM fields. As a result, she developed a program called AstroBeats: Sounds of the Cosmos. The unique combination of science and music in AstroBeats offered Black girls in middle school the chance to write music using the patterns and statistics from astronomical data. Shaniya’s goal with the program was to develop a way to reach girls who might otherwise not even consider science as a field of study. One of her nominators describes Shaniya as “brilliant, hard-working, and dependable.” The work she undertook to make AstroBeats a reality reveals the truth of this assessment: Shaniya raised money by getting a grant from the Women and Girls Astronomy Program; she then recruited students from local middle schools, taught the four-day AstroBeats sessions, and hosted a showcase at Dyer Observatory.
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The Mentoring Award honors a member of the Vanderbilt University community who fosters the professional and intellectual development of Vanderbilt women. This year, two people were recognized.
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The first recipient of the Mentoring Award is Autumn Kujawa, Associate Professor of Psychology and Human Development. According to one of her nominators, over the last six years, Professor Kujawa “has provided direct and substantive research-related mentorship to at least 56 women,” more than any other faculty member in her department during this time. Beyond this quantitative assessment of her impact, though, are the testimonies about the significance of her work. One nominator explains that, in her lab, Professor Kujawa “has fostered an environment of encouragement and collaboration where students provide and receive feedback from the whole lab on their projects and have a space to discuss new research methods and trainings…. We learn from each other and share with each other.” Another nominator points to the ways that Professor Kujawa “provides scaffolding for students to explore and identify their own research interests, skills, and goals.” Another recommender speaks about the “holisitic way” Professor Kujawa cares about her students; she “spends countless hours in meetings with her students and staff, providing the level of care and attention that are so important to helping young people develop their skills and find the direction for their careers.”
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The second recipient of the Mentoring Award is Anna Thomas, Director of Events and Communications at the Graduate School. Throughout her career at Vanderbilt, Dr. Thomas has worked to mentor staff as well as graduate and professional students. One of her recommenders admires Dr. Thomas’s passion for “working with women on campus to help them develop professionally and intellectually.” Invested in helping those she mentors move to the next phase of their careers, Dr. Thomas seeks to nurture talent and empower those with whom she works. A student who has worked with Dr. Thomas appreciates that she “models what it means to be a supportive supervisor by recognizing when the student is overwhelmed and needs time and space to decompress.” Another nominator writes that Dr. Thomas “has encouraged me to take ownership of my projects, allowing me to develop problem-solving skills and confidence in my abilities. Additionally, her open communication style has created a supportive and inclusive work environment. She consistently seeks feedback and input, which has empowered me to voice my ideas and opinions without fear of judgment.”
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The Mary Jane Werthan Award is presented annually to an individual who has contributed significantly to the advancement of women at Vanderbilt University. The award honors three qualities characteristic of its first recipient, for whom the award named: vision, persistence, and extraordinary skill in interpersonal and institutional relations.
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This year’s winner of the Mary Jane Werthan Award is Lily Claiborne, Assistant Professor of the Practice in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES). One of her nominators states that Professor Claiborne has been a “trailblazer for women in geosciences, which is one of the least diverse STEM fields according to the Geological Society of America.” Another nominator writes: “Everything that Lily does is aimed at welcoming all people into our classrooms, our department, our field of study, and to Vanderbilt.” Professor Claiborne has developed a set of best practices for field trips and field work to ensure that all participants feel safe and prepared; in addition, she created a fund for field gear so that all EES majors on financial aid can receive funding to offset the costs of field gear such as boots, outdoor clothing, and camping gear. One of her recommenders refers to her as a “service powerhouse” for her efforts on Faculty Council and elsewhere to improve the “career opportunities of continuing track faculty, who, at Vanderbilt, are primarily women.” Professor Claiborne has demonstrated “unwavering persistence” in her efforts to “improve institutional systems, often without immediate rewards.” Another recommender writes that Professor Claiborne’s “ability to find humor in failure, coupled with resilience, distinguishes her as someone who not only faces setbacks head-on but also emerges stronger.”
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We send our congratulations to our graduating seniors—thank you for your hard work for the Women’s Center and for the campus community during your time at Vanderbilt! We’ve asked our seniors to tell us about a favorite memory from their time working at the Women’s Center. Thank you for sharing these memories. We wish you all the best!
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Molly Buffenbarger
For me, the best part of being a Vandy Sex Ed intern was how much confidence I gained not only in my knowledge of sex and sexuality, but also my ability to talk openly about these topics. I'm finishing up my Honors English thesis right now, which heavily involves themes about sex and sexuality, and I never would have been able to write this work without my time at the Women's Center. My words of wisdom would be: make use of your swipe access to the Women's Center. The building is such a lovely place to grab a cup of tea and read a book, and I wish I took advantage of it more!
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Anna Chang
I have been a Vandy Sex Ed intern since I was a sophomore, and I loved being a part of an empowering, fun community at the Women's Center where I was able to work with others who are also passionate about comprehensive sex education, abortion access, and overall, reproductive justice. Every meeting and event has been full of support and laughter, which I will miss dearly. One piece of advice while leading projects and initiatives would be to keep following up and persevere even when you may not get timely responses and support from our administration. Gain support and collaborate with student organizations and get the Hustler or other media to release articles on our events and initiatives! :)
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Tayo Fasan
What I enjoyed most about being a Women's Center Ambassadore was the community I created at the Women’s Center; it feels like a second home. My greatest piece of advice to the interns coming after me is take risks! They tend to pay off when grounded in a feminist ethic.
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Alyxis Smith
Through my three years as a Women's Center intern, I have learned so much and grown as a feminist and community advocate! With phenomenal mentors and inspiring peers, the Women's Center has become my safe space where I can authentically express myself. For future interns, don't be afraid to ask questions, try new things, be open, and push yourself. This is truly one of the most supportive environments you could be in, and there's nothing you can't do when you're with the fantastic community here!
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Olivia Trimiar
I'd say that one of the things that I enjoyed most was the open and honest space that is created in the Women's Center to learn, explore, and share what I'm passionate about. I was able to exist as a learner, a teacher, a peer, and a friend in the same space and really developed in each of these identities. For those coming after me, I'd say interact with both the Women's Center and just your life with a growth mindset; being willing, interested, and eager will get you so much further and will create lots of happiness. :)
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Health and Wellness Vending Machine
A health and wellness vending machine has been installed in Branscomb. The vending machine has emergency contraception, pregnancy tests, and condoms, among other items.
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Wednesday, May 1, 11:00 a.m., Zoom
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Black Girl Gaze: Through the Lens of a Black Girl
Monday, April 22 – Friday, May 3, The Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy
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National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
Sunday, May 5, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Rand Wall
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Tuesday, May 7, 5:00 p.m., Community Event Space
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Thursday, May 9, 7:00 p.m., Langford Auditorium
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Tuesday, May 14, 5:00 p.m., VUSN Nursing Annex 162
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LGBTQ+ Domestic Violence Support Group
Every third Tuesday, 5:00–6:00 p.m.
Contact jenna.moulder@ywcanashville.com for more information or to reserve a spot.
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Domestic Violence Support Group
Every third Monday, 5:00–6:00 p.m.
Contact jenna.moulder@ywcanashville.com for more information or to reserve a spot.
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TYAB, a Planned Parenthood of Tennessee & North Mississippi program, is dedicated to nurturing youth leadership and peer education, with a focus on providing equitable access to comprehensive sex education, advocacy, and community engagement opportunities for high school students in Knoxville, Nashville, and Memphis.Passionate and committed high school students can apply here.
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Electoral and Advocacy Summer Internship
This paid intern will work closely with the Executive Director and Electoral/Political Coordinator of Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood (TAPP) during the 2024 electoral season to advance the mission and work of TAPP. The intern should seek to understand how policy and health care intersect and will gain knowledge of the Tennessee political and electoral process.
To apply, please send your resume to Abigail Smack at asmack@pptnm.org by Thursday, May 30.
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Rory Dicker, Director
ReAnna Roby, Assistant Director
Sarah Brennan, Program Coordinator
Kate Korasick, Graduate Assistant
Rose Mary Muirhead, Administrative Assistant
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