Paying it forward, the Center for Women and Gender Awards honor Cache Valley women
Amid the music of the Blue String Quartet, the nominees for the Center for Women and Gender Awards received recognition for their achievements.
The Center for Women and Gender hosted the fifth annual CWG Awards in the TSC Ballroom Tuesday evening. Nominees were selected more than six months in advance, said Melissa Keller Adamson, senior staff assistant for the CWG.
“It’s not just about the achievement itself, but how they have helped other women with their careers and how they have paid it forward,” Adamson said.
Cecelia Foxley and Gina Wickwar were both nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award, a first in CWG Award history.
“It’s very difficult to compare the accomplishments of women across a region,” said Anne Austin, director of the CWG. “They came to me and said, ‘What do we do?’ and I said, ‘Give them both the award.'”
Rebecca Walton, an assistant professor of English at USU, was nominated for the Early Career Award for her research in developing countries.
“I look at how people design, access and use information often through technology,” Walton said. “What is most significant for me is where I see myself progressively becoming the researcher I want to be. Over time, I see myself embracing and embodying those values more and more. I’ve gotten to meet people I never would have encountered otherwise who are doing amazing work and I really admire them, and it’s really opened my mind to where knowledge and expertise reside. It’s really humbling.”
Gina Wickwar was the second nominee to speak at the ceremony. Wickwar was nominated for her work as an essayist with Utah Public Radio as an author of children’s books including “The Hidden Prince of Oz” and as a technical writer for the Space Dynamics Lab at USU.
“I was an English major and I took a lot of science and math, chemistry and physics and that helped me a lot to prepare me for the background that I have,” Wickwar said. “I urge all young women to do that. It makes you very hirable.”
USU alumna Cecelia Foxley was the also the nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award for serving more than 10 years as a commissioner of the Utah System of Higher Education and chief executive officer to the state Board of Regents. Foxley the only woman to ever serve as commissioner for the Utah System Higher Education and also served the longest term.
“The bottom line is I got my start here,” Foxley said. “I was the fashion editor for The Statesman years ago. If I hadn’t come here and had opportunities for leadership and gained self confidence, I would not have had the career I had.”
After the awards were presented, the audience mingled with the recipients.
“We all really look up to Dr. Walton, so it’s really cool to see her get recognition for her work and we all are huge fans of hers,” said USU student Ariel Peterson.
– katherine.l.larsen@gmail.com