Boise State’s Women’s Leadership Network is inspired by the Micron Women’s Network and the Athena Network at the University of Idaho, according to one of its organizers, Amy Vecchione, an associate professor and head of Emerging Technologies and Experiential Learning at Albertsons Library.
“Empowering others to be leaders, no matter what position you have in a university, is key to our shared success. Everyone on campus can be a leader, and learn and acquire leadership skills,” said Vecchione
The network is announcing its fall series, three leadership talks for the campus community:
Alicia Garza, professor of world languages and director of Casita Nepantla
Noon-1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27
Albertsons Library 201C
Garza will be presenting a reprised keynote from the Women’s Leadership Conference at the University of Idaho.
Garza earned her Ph.D. in Hispanic American Literature at the University of Arizona in 1996. That same year, she joined the World Languages Department at Boise State University. Garza’s research and teaching areas include Chicana feminist theory, popular culture, gender and sexuality, and the body in Chicana literature. In 2003, she was the recipient of the Carnegie Idaho Professor of the Year award. In the spring of 2016, Garza founded Casita Nepantla, a Latinx space on campus celebrating Latinx art and culture, supporting student recruitment and retention, and conducting research on issues dealing with the Latinx community in Idaho.
Leslie Webb, vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
Noon-1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18
Albertsons Library 201C
Webb will share her experiences leading through times of change. What spaces do individuals choose to step into? What communication and messaging is needed/desired? How do people learn through and from mistakes? Let’s talk about leading with authenticity and what that means at Boise State.
JoAnn Lighty, dean of the College of Engineering and a professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering
Noon-1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1
Albertsons Library 201C
Lighty will address the initiatives in the College of Engineering in the context of the local and national needs for a diverse workforce. She will present the vision of the college – to have an unshakable focus on student learning – and how leading with diversity in mind creates better learning for all.
Lighty has been at Boise State since July of 2017. Prior to that, she was at the National Science Foundation and the University of Utah, where she held several leadership positions. Her Ph.D. is in chemical engineering (University of Utah) and her research focuses on air quality and pollution from combustion systems.