Former astronaut to give keynote at Women of Color conference

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Former NASA astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison — the first woman of color to go into space aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour — will give the keynote address at the 32nd annual Women of Color Task Force Career Conference on March 7.

The conference, the theme of which is “Transforming the Face of Leadership,” will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Hill Auditorium, the Michigan League and the Modern Languages Building. 

Sponsored by TIAA-CREF, the conference is the largest staff development event at U-M and is open to the public.

Jemison’s 8:30 a.m. talk at Hill Auditorium is free and open to the public, but registration is required to attend all other conference events. The cost to attend the conference is $75 for U-M students and retirees, and $120 for others. Attendees may select from 32 professional and personal development workshop sessions, such as those involving leadership, saving and investing, and social media.

As an environmental studies professor at Dartmouth College, Jemison taught classes on and researched technology design and sustainable development with special emphasis on developing countries. She is a worldwide respected voice in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.

Prior to joining NASA she was the Area Peace Corps Medical Officer for Sierra Leone and Liberia and a general practice physician in Los Angeles. She is on the boards of Kimberly-Clark, Scholastic and Valspar.

A member of the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine, she also is an inductee of the National Women’s Hall of Fame, the National Medical Association Hall of Fame, and Texas Science Hall of Fame.

Jemison currently serves as founder and principal of the 100 Year Starship Project. Her leadership and vision provide guidance and direction for the foundation’s goal of ensuring the capability for a successful human journey to another star by 2112. 

The WCTF conference was first offered in 1983 by the Minority Women Task Force, which started its professional development sessions in 1979. The group’s founders, Jennie Partee and Beulah Sanders Stafford, gathered other African-American employees to discuss employment concerns, such as dealing with gender and race bias in the workplace. In the mid-1980s, the Minority Women Task Force became the Women of Color Task Force and its members sought other ethnic groups to join the organization.

The Women of Color Task Force Conference is an extension of WCTF’s efforts to provide professional development opportunities for university staff throughout the year. Career development sessions are incorporated into the monthly meeting agendas and the group holds a leadership development seminar for its members each summer.

For instance, Latreece Taylor, a supervisor in the Loss Prevention Unit of the Hospitals and Health Centers Security Services Department, spoke to the audience before last year’s conference keynote session in Hill Auditorium.

“Preparing to speak to a large audience gave me confidence, a trait that I use today to successfully deliver major presentations to my work group,” said Taylor, a WCTF member for three years.  “The leadership skills I have gained while serving as a member of the WCTF executive team (have) helped me make a smooth transition from staff member to supervisor.”

For more information about WCTF and its staff development activities, contact program coordinator Janice Reuben at 734-764-6005 or email reubenjs@umich.edu.

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Comments

  1. U-M Administration
    on February 20, 2014 at 10:04 am

    I will be out of the office on March 7 to attend the…uh…Women of Color Task Force Career Conference. Yeah, that’s it.

    If you need assistance, please contact my minimum wage single mother secretary who handles all my responsibilities when I am away from the office each week attending conferences such as these.

    Sincerely,
    Overpaid U-M Administrator(s) Pretending to Care.

  2. Leslie McGraw
    on February 26, 2014 at 11:20 am

    Very excited to have the opportunity to hear Ms. Jemison speak in Ann Arbor! Kudos to the The U-M Women of Color Taskforce for organizing her talk, as well as the largest staff development event for 32 years. These women are true professionals, positive role models for all employees, and assets to the University community.

  3. Secretary Michigan
    on February 26, 2014 at 2:17 pm

    I will be out of my office on March 7th to attend the worthwhile Women of Color Task Force Conference. You bet that’s it!

    If you need assistance, please contact my boss who encouraged me to attend this conference to gain valuable knowledge and insights at an Institute of higher learning and also to discourage the stereotype that people who are assistants are single PARENTS (not just mothers) who make minimum wage.

    Sincerely,
    Well paid Assistant who appreciates conference opportunities.

    P.S. Hope you care about something!

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