UH President Joins Women’s History Month Lectures

With March ringing in Women’s History Month, Windward Community College has joined nationwide celebrations by hosting a series of speakers.

“This is the eighth year that I’ve organized Women’s History Month at WCC,” said sociology professor Kathleen French. “As a college student I looked forward to the events in March, so I started the program at Windward for our students. I want people – students, faculty, staff and the community to think about the important roles that women play in our society, roles beyond the traditional.”

Six lectures, which encourage audience discussion, are scheduled in Hale Akoakoa, room 105. The first lecture (March 5 at 4 p.m.) was by Dr.

VerlieAnn Malina-Wright on “Rapid Changes Require Strategies of Sustainment through an Indigenous Lens.”

Upcoming talks are below:

* March 7 at 1 p.m. A discussion by Dr. Jamie Kamailani Boyd on “Forging a Pathway Out of Poverty”

* March 8 at 4 p.m. artist Esther Wilhelm on “How Art Found Me”

* March 12 at 4 p.m. UH president M.R.C. Greenwood on “Leading Me Here: The Function of Education in My Own Life”

* March 14 at 1 p.m. Ilima Ho-Lastimosa on “How Education Serves My Experience”

* March 15 at 4 p.m. Dr. Windy Keala McElroy on “Getting to the Top: Lessons Learned from the Himalayas and Kilimanjaro”

* March 19 at 11:30 a.m. Chris Campbell on “A Tropical Palette.”

“When I look for speakers,” noted French, “I try to make connections with the national history theme. Because this year’s theme is ‘Women’s Education Women’s Empowerment,’ I looked for women who had stories of how education has impacted their lives.

“All of the speakers have unique stories of how education has empowered them as part of their own journey, and all of them are now giving back to their own communities. It’s wonderful and inspiring, and I’m humbled by all of them.”

The series of lectures is free and open to the public. For more information, visit windward.hawaii.edu, or contact French at 236-9223 or kfrench@hawaii.edu.