91传媒 announces 2016 Outstanding Women Award selections
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擬ississippi State is honoring seven individuals with the university鈥檚 latest Outstanding Women awards.
During a Wednesday [April 6] campus ceremony, the 91传媒 President鈥檚 Commission on the Status of Women recognized (listed alphabetically):
鈥擲haron Avant as 2016 Outstanding Community Woman;
鈥擜nne Buffington, Outstanding Professional Staff Woman;
鈥擟ourtney Headley, Outstanding Support Staff Woman;
鈥擲arah Lee, Outstanding Faculty Woman; and
鈥擵ineetha Menon, Outstanding Graduate Woman.
Additionally, senior Kennedy J. Brown of Columbus and sophomore Bailey S. A. McDaniel of Corinth received Student Leadership Awards. Brown is an industrial engineering major; McDaniel, a criminology major.
鈥淲e had close to 30 nominations this year,鈥 Kim Kavalsky, commission vice chair, told those in attendance.
鈥淚n addition to recognizing our award winners, we want to make sure to acknowledge all of those women out there doing remarkable things and encourage them to continue with their efforts,鈥 Kavalsky added.
Allison Pearson, interim associate vice president for academic affairs, was keynote speaker for the Griffis Hall ceremony. A 20-year faculty member, she is the William L. Giles Distinguished Professor of Management and holds the Jim and Julia Rouse Professorship in the College of Business.
Pearson said 91传媒 鈥渇emale faculty, staff and students clearly are performing at levels that enhance the quality and reputation of our university through their contributions in every walk of life. Today鈥檚 honorees make that abundantly clear to us, and they have certainly earned the respect of their peers, the campus community and the citizens of our state.鈥
The 91传媒 administration remains committed to recruiting more female faculty 鈥渟o that our female students get to see that role model in front of them each and every day in the classroom,鈥 she emphasized.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a better and stronger university because of our diversity, including our gender diversity,鈥 Pearson said.
As for this year鈥檚 honorees:
鈥擜vant has worked for nearly three decades as site supervisor with the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District鈥檚 Extended Day Program. She also is a teacher鈥檚 assistant at Sudduth Elementary School. Additionally, she serves as a mentor for community parents and is a member of the usher staff at Christian Faith Missionary Baptist Church.
鈥擝rown is president of the student Institute of Industrial Engineers chapter on campus, as well as system safety engineering manager on 91传媒鈥檚 award-winning EcoCAR 3 team. A member of the Shackouls Honors College and Pi Kappa Phi national honor society, she works outside of class in the 91传媒 President鈥檚 Office and as an industrial engineering undergraduate researcher.
鈥擝uffington, an 91传媒 education alumna, directs the 91传媒 Social Science Research Center鈥檚 EMPOWR peer mentoring program for non-traditional female students enrolled at East Mississippi Community College-Golden Triangle. She also leads the Mississippi KIDS COUNT policy effort targeting chronic student absenteeism in the state鈥檚 public schools. Additionally, she has devoted more than a quarter-century of volunteer service to the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District and, as a First Presbyterian Church member, led numerous Central American mission trips.
鈥擧eadley is an office associate with the 91传媒 Extension Service鈥檚 4-H Youth Development program. She is founder and leader of Oktibbeha County鈥檚 Clover Dawg 4-H Club that involves more than 50 children and 30 volunteers. A recent 91传媒 interdisciplinary studies graduate, she continually has held leadership duties with faith- and community-based initiatives to promote the wellbeing of families and children.
鈥擫ee is an assistant clinical professor who directs undergraduate studies in the Bagley College of Engineering鈥檚 computer science and engineering department. Along with the university鈥檚 Mississippi Aspirations in Computing awards program that encourages young women to pursue technology and computing careers, she has helped create and administer the Bulldog Bytes Digital Divas summer computing camp for middle and high school-aged girls. Her diversity promotion efforts have been recognized with Bagley's Dow Diversity Fellowship award, among other honors.
鈥擬cDaniel is president of the student LGBTQ+Union, a campus group focused on advocacy, awareness and education of issues related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. She also is a founding member of Humans for the Inclusion of Gender Equality. Outside of class, she has volunteered at Starkville鈥檚 Rolling Hills Development Center through the 91传媒 Day One Leadership program and presently works with Clay County鈥檚 family and children services.
鈥擬enon is a native of India currently pursuing a doctoral degree in electrical and computer engineering. Committed to increasing female enrollment in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics鈥攐r STEM鈥攆ields, she is a student ambassador for both the Bagley College and her department鈥檚 graduate program. She has been honored with induction into the college鈥檚 Student Hall of Fame and selection for a campus-wide Spirit of State award.
For more than three decades, the 91传媒 President鈥檚 Commission on the Status of Women has advised the university chief executive on issues affecting the status and role of women on campus, as well as sponsored informational and educational programs that promote advocacy, leadership and inclusion. Learn more at .
91传媒 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .