2022 Women’s History Month

Visit the Student Center, Dorman, the PAAC and Baker Hebron to read the bios of extraordinary women in sports, the arts and the sciences. Posters will be up all month long.

Oftentimes we think that there are two ways to work in sports: as a coach or as an athlete. During this  discussion, hear from a panel of women who found a way to do the work they love and in the arena of sports.

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://uiu.zoom.us/j/83019252837

Or One tap mobile :

US: +13017158592,,83019252837#  or +13126266799,,83019252837#

Or Telephone:

Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

US: +1 301 715 8592  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 646 558 8656  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 669 900 6833

Webinar ID: 830 1925 2837

International numbers available: https://uiu.zoom.us/u/kebZVScB88

Join UIU Art and Design faculty as we celebrate outstanding women in the field of Art and Design! Women’s History Month is a great time to look at some amazing women in the creative fields. Join us for either a lunch talk in the UIU Servery or an online Virtual Panel talk on March 25th – see below) as we share what makes these women trailblazers in their fields.

During this in-person event open to the public, Helping Services for Youth and Families will share how to best support someone in an unhealthy relationship. “In Their Shoes” is an interactive simulation activity that allows participants to experience what teens go through in an unhealthy relationship, talk with their peers about issues, as well as learn how to help someone who is in an abusive relationship. This event is open to all in Fayette.

You are invited to learn how Susan Angeline Collins evolved and forged a path for herself and others on two continents.  Much of her success can be attributed to spending her teens and twenties in an African American enclave north and east of Fayette.  Later, when she began course work at UIU in 1876, she was given tools to forge an amazing career as an entrepreneur in the Dakota Territory and later as a missionary in West Africa.

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://uiu.zoom.us/j/86700576686

Meeting ID: 867 0057 6686
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,86700576686# US (Chicago)
+16465588656,,86700576686# US (New York)

Meeting ID: 867 0057 6686

Find your local number: https://uiu.zoom.us/u/kbDG91Msxl

Lisa was a champion in the field of hearing healthcare for over 25 years and served as Chief Experience Officer for Starkey Hearing Technologies, in Eden Prairie, MN before retiring in 2019.  In her role, she was responsible for protecting and growing the company’s mission “to serve our customers better than anyone else”.  She was responsible for creating and leading organizational excellence as well as providing the strategic direction for a team of over 140 members while demonstrating exceptional leadership through cross-departmental process improvement, coaching and developing team members, and ensuring that teams across the organization deliver exceptional customer experiences that create customers for life. Through her valuable work, she influenced Customer Experience in 28 facilities. Lisa will talk about the importance of your own mindset, taking action, and knowing oneself in order to make an impact in your career field.

You can join Lisa’s talk live as she shares her experiences virtually through UIU’s Facebook page and you will have the opportunity to ask questions through the comments section.  The speaker series features career-related topics inspired by our alum’s career paths.  Sessions are recorded and made available on the Alumni Speaker Series webpage where they can be viewed later at uiu.edu/alumnispeakerseries.

The belief tends to be that one graduates college knowing what career they will go into and sticks to that line of work until they retire. However, a recent poll showed that since starting their first job after college, 29% of people changed their fields entirely. It can certainly be intimidating to change careers. During this panel discussion, hear from women who changed careers at different points of their lives.

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://uiu.zoom.us/j/82545482729

Or One tap mobile :

US: +13126266799,,82545482729#  or +16465588656,,82545482729#

Or Telephone:

Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

US: +1 312 626 6799  or +1 646 558 8656  or +1 301 715 8592  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 669 900 6833  or +1 253 215 8782

Webinar ID: 825 4548 2729

International numbers available: https://uiu.zoom.us/u/kc452SPsvs

Join UIU Art and Design faculty as we celebrate outstanding women in the field of Art and Design! Women’s History Month is a great time to look at some amazing women in the creative fields. Join us for a virtual Lunch & Learn as we share what makes these women trailblazers in their fields.

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://uiu.zoom.us/j/89384014767

Or One tap mobile :

US: +13017158592,,89384014767#  or +13126266799,,89384014767#

Or Telephone:

Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

US: +1 301 715 8592  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 646 558 8656  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 669 900 6833

Webinar ID: 893 8401 4767

International numbers available: https://uiu.zoom.us/u/kcLxZGr866

Elissa is an artist whose work derives from synthesizing figurative imagery and that of landscape whether imagined or taken from reality. She intends to personify forms that exude a sense of energy, a sense of vitality, a sense of rawness, of beauty or sublime decadence – namely, and one that examines the gap between the ordinary and extraordinary. Her work has been shown in numerous solo and two-person shows at Universities and Galleries across the country. Notable exhibitions include the University of Northern Iowa, Steckline Gallery in Wichita, KS, International Museum of Surgical Science in Chicago, and Penn State University. Elissa has also been a resident artist at Sculpture Space in Utica, NY, and Jentel in Sheridan, WY. She is currently Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Upper Iowa University and Professor of Art

Stephanie Swiger received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from BGSU in 2008. She was a four-year starter on the BGSU Women’s Volleyball team served as a captain her senior year. Swiger also served as the President of the BGSU Student-Athletes Advisory Committee (SAAC), Chair of the Mid-American Conference SAAC and was a three-year member of the NCAA Division I National SAAC. She was named the 2007 BGSU Junior Scholar Athlete of the Year, 2008 BGSU Senior of the Year, 2008 President’s Award for Distinguished Service, 2008 Inaugural Falcon Medal of Honor Winner and the 2008 Mid-American Conference NCAA Woman of the Year Nominee.

Swiger graduated from Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law in 2011.  She has practiced law in both the public and private sector before spending five years as an Assistant Director of Investigations and Processing for the NCAA’s Enforcement staff in Indianapolis, Indiana.  In 2017, Swiger joined the Ohio Attorney General’s Office in Columbus where she served as an Assistant Attorney General for the Education Section.  In this role she represented the legal interests of Ohio’s public two- and four-year colleges and universities. In June of 2020, she joined the Office of Legal Affairs at Ohio State University as an Assistant General Counsel where her portfolio includes public safety, student and academic affairs and athletics.

Malissa was recently hired as the Director of Volleyball Operations at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. Prior to joining the St. Thomas volleyball staff in January of 2022, she was at Winona State University from 2019-2021 as the graduate assistant coach. During her time at Winona, she completed her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership Sports Management in May of 2021 and returned to Winona for to coach for an additional volleyball season and as an advisor for the Student-Athlete Services program in the Fall of 2021.

Before Winona, Malissa was the starting setter at Upper Iowa University from 2015-2018. During her time with the Peacocks, she was a team captain, on the athletic director’s honor roll, NSIC academic all-conference, NSIC Myles Brand award winner, NSIC second-team all-conference and Upper Iowa Female Athlete of the Year my senior year (2018). She was also involved in SAAC as the secretary. Malissa completed her Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Sports Studies with a Sports Administration emphasis and Psychology in December of 2018.

She spent a semester at Missouri State where she began her grad program and played Division I beach volleyball from January 2019-May 2019 before I went to Winona.

Malissa is originally from St. Michael, Minnesota.

Xiaojun Huang is a multi-disciplinary graphic designer from China. She received her BFA in Book Arts from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and completed her MFA in 2D Design from Cranbrook Academy of Arts.

Huang’s practice is focused on human-centered, playful, and eye-catching artwork, specializing in experimental typography and branding with the mixing cultures she experiences living in the East and the West. Huang also integrates education into her practice, teaching art and design courses. She previously worked as an adjunct faculty in the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan, focusing on motion graphics. Huang is now an Assistant Professor in the Graphic Design program at Upper Iowa University.

Laura Gleissner is a painter with a concentration in oil and mixed media and an Assistant Professor of Art at Upper Iowa University. She earned a BA from the University of Northern Iowa and an MFA in Painting from Northern Illinois University. She is the Gallery Director of the Bing-Davis Memorial Gallery on the UIU Fayette campus and an active member of FATE (Foundations in Art: Theory & Education). Gleissner was raised in Waverly, Iowa, and has lived and worked in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Japan, and Italy.

Rachel hails from Cedar Rapids, IA. In high school, Rachel was a 4-sport athlete (volleyball, basketball, track, and softball). After HS she went to Central College and received her degree in athletic training. During her time at Central she threw shot put, discus, hammer, and javelin. Senior year she was a team captain, won the conference in shotput and discus, and placed 6^th in shotput and 8^th in discus at nationals. Off the field, she received the IATS student athletic trainer scholarship and was All-Academic all 4 years.

After graduating from Central Rachel when on to be a Graduate Assistant at Drake University as an athletic trainer. While at Drake she received her Master’s in Public Administration and helped run the Drake Relays as an athletic trainer for 2 years.

Rachel is now a Senior Assistant Athletic Trainer at UIU after my 2^nd year and she is in her 11^th year at UIU. Rachel has been married to her husband Jon for 6 years and her daughter, Leighton, is 2.

Rachael was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director of Events and Operations in July 2019 after three years as an equipment and facilities assistant with Jackrabbit athletics. In addition to continuing her involvement with Jackrabbit Club parking and day-to-day operations for athletic facilities, Anello handles all rentals at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium and the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex in addition to scheduling and hiring all game-day workers, student employees and interns.

She was hired full-time at SDSU in 2016 and handled equipment needs for baseball, men’s basketball and wrestling in addition to her work with facilities and operations. Anello graduated from South Dakota State with a master’s in sports and recreation studies in May 2016, spending the two years prior as a graduate assistant in the Jackrabbit ticket office.

Anello graduated from Upper Iowa University in May 2014 with a bachelor’s in sports administration. She spent her senior year as an intern with the UIU Athletic Department and played two years for the Peacock softball program after earning her associate’s degree from Heartland Community College in Normal, Ill. A native of Bartlett, Illinois, she currently lives in Brookings.

For over a decade, Janis Bennington Van Buren spent countless hours interviewing people; pouring over census records, journals, newspaper articles, reports, and letters; visiting libraries and county recorders’ offices; walking through cemeteries and land holdings; and even traveling to an Africa to visit a mission. Due to the West Lafayette, Indiana, author’s efforts, a new generation can now be inspired by the life of Upper Iowa University’s first African-American student, Susan Angeline Collins.

Published by Westbow Press, “Susan Angeline Collins: With a Hallelujah Heart” is available for purchase by visiting janisbenningtonvanburen.com or mailing a check in the amount of $30 to Janis B. Van Buren, 6146 Gallegos Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47906. Ten percent of book profits go to the Susan Angeline Collins Scholarship at UIU.

Candice has over a decade of experience in working in higher education at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. She has worked in roles such as golf course management, student employment and human resources, campus recreation, and facility operations. She’s spent five years working in events on campus organizing everything from small yoga classes to a 10,000 person volunteer check-in for Super Bowl 52 when it was hosted in downtown Minneapolis. She recently accepted a position with the Carlson Global Institute at the Carlson School of Business coordinating the short term, faculty-led study abroad programs for Carlson business students.

Candice enlisted in the Minnesota Army National Guard in 2018 at the age of 30 and completed Basic Combat Training at Ft. Jackson in South Carolina. After graduation, she attended Officer Candidate School at Ft. Benning, Georgia, where she was slated to commission as a 2LT in Military Intelligence. Unfortunately, she sustained a severe injury during training and was discharged in 2020.

Candice completed her Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies, Russian, and Arabic from South Dakota State University and a Master of Liberal Studies in Russian Area Studies from the University of Minnesota. She lives in Minneapolis with her partner, Sabrina, and son, Sasha.

Allyssa Joseph is a refreshing, yet focused, donor-centric development officer with a diversified nine-year career in non-profit development. She has a successful track record in securing major gifts, as well as managing every facet of an annual fund and its society giving operations. Proficient at working with staff, faculty, volunteers and key institutional leaders, Allyssa has raised over $3 million to support programs, scholarships, and students at two institutions over the course of her career. She is highly skilled at building relationships with all constituencies which reflects both a personal and professional commitment to spreading a culture of philanthropy among humankind.

Allyssa is passionate about education because she believes it is the pathway to economic mobility. The transformative values, diverse student population and entrepreneurial spirit of MSU Denver are what ultimately guided her decision to join the fundraising team in 2015 after serving as Director at Upper Iowa University. Allyssa resides in Aurora, Colorado with her husband, Quan Jewell and daughter, Aspen Jewell. She holds a B.A. in Business, Marketing, from Upper Iowa University and is currently seeking a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Allyssa’s mentors are Angie Joseph, Colonel (Ret.) U.S. Army, Holly Johnson, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement, Hawkeye Community College, Dr. Nicholas Linde, Assistant Vice President of Central Development at the University of Nebraska Foundation, Jamie Hurst, Assistant Vice President for Strategic Engagement and Executive Director of the Alumni Association, MSU Denver and her late grandmothers, Mary Joseph-Dillon, healthcare employee and Mary Kimball, former CFO at Upper Iowa University.