West Liberty University (WLU) is celebrating Women’s History Month with several campus activities starting in March. The month of March serves to celebrate the contributions women have made to society and recognize the achievements women have made in the United States in differing fields.

To celebrate women’s contributions, WLU hosted a women’s empowerment “paint and sit” to kick off Women’s History Month on March 1. Later this month, a “ladies night” in the gym and a women’s empowerment panel will be held.

WLU is filled with outstanding female students, professors, faculty and staff. Some of many include Dr. Linda Cowan, who was nominated for the 2021 Professor of the Year Award, and Dr. Monique L. Akassi who joined the Hilltop recently as the new interim diversity, equity and inclusion leader.

One of the many accomplished female professors at WLU was recognized for her outstanding work on campus. This week, Dr. Danielle Mehlman-Brightwell was awarded best presenter for the 5th International Conference on the Future of Women in 2022, on the qualitative research: Women in Power: What motivated more women to run in the 2018 United States Election?

Women continue to stand out on campus, such as our female athletes, who have been especially outstanding this season at WLU. These outstanding females include our all-female acro and tumbling team ranking no. 11 in the nation, and Audrey Tingle, a graduate student on the women’s basketball team, who recently set an NCAA Division 2 record with her fifth double-double. Several records have been set on the women’s track team this season with Hailey Carreon, Olivia Miller and Zayne Brakeall each setting multiple records.

The “ladies night” in the gym will take place in Blatnik Gym from 8-11 p.m. on March 14, and the women’s empowerment panel will take place in the ballroom from 12-1 p.m. on March 16.

Women’s History Month originated in 1981 when Congress passed a public law stating that the week of March 7 would be “Women’s History Week.” After petitioning from the Women’s History Project, Congress passed another public law in 1987 that made the entire month of March “Women’s History Month.” We celebrate women’s history to look back on what females have done and gone through. According to an article published by History, “From Abigail Adams to Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth to Rosa Parks, the timeline of women’s history milestones stretches back to the founding of the United States.”

The Women’s History Alliance creates a theme every year in relation to women’s history. This year’s theme is “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope,” according to History. Their website further explained that this theme is “both a tribute to the ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers during this ongoing pandemic and also a recognition of the thousands of ways that women of all cultures have provided both healing and hope throughout history.”

More information about events relating to Women’s History Month can be found on West Liberty’s activities calendar or on WLU’s news and media page.