Virtual talks highlight women’s stories modern & historical
The Montana State University Women’s Center will partner with the HEART Initiative for evening presentation “Human Trafficking: A Survivor’s Success Story” with Theresa Flores on Tuesday, March 2nd. It will be available to stream via WebEx and begins at 5pm.
Discover how prevalent human trafficking is in the United States, and where and how this shockingly common crime is perpetuated. Ms. Flores will provide insight into what can happen to a victim of trafficking both physically and emotionally. Learn why victims stay in their situations and are terrified to reach out for help, and leave with helpful information on how to identify and possibly prevent human trafficking as well as ways to support past survivors. Ms. Flores’ story is one that will make you angry, but ultimately, give us hope that we can help others from this horror.
To register for this virtual event, visit https://montanastate.campuslabs.com/engage/event/6898501.
Sack Lunch Seminar “The Lives & Landscape of Working-Class Women in the West” follows Wednesday, March 3rd. Crystal Alegria, Director of the Extreme History Project, will present from noon–1pm.
Alegria will examine working women’s lives in the 19th Century West. She will do so through the historic lens of three women; a midwife, a businesswomen and a prostitute. By looking at the challenges and opportunities of the landscape these three women navigated and negotiated during their lifetimes, we can better understand the structure of working women’s lives in the 19th Century West.
“MentHERship, Women in STEM: The Postdoc/Mentor Relationship”, another virtual Sack Lunch Seminar, is set for Wednesday, March 10th. Dr. Agnieszka Rynda-Apple, Assistant Professor, and Research Scientist Dr. Kelly Shepardson, both in Microbiology and Immunology, will present from noon–1pm.
One vital component to women’s success in STEM is mentorship. This seminar will provide an open discussion about both the mentee’s and mentor’s career paths and how each have benefited from this relationship. Topics will include choosing your mentor/mentee, maneuvering your partnership, establishing expectations, and fostering development and independence.
“Knowledge, Bodies & Power” is set for Wednesday, March 24th. Presenting from noon–1pm will be Dr. Natalie Scheidler, professor of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at MSU.
In an era when Covid-19 is described by some as “the China Disease” and discourses about emerging vaccines too easily ignore the dark legacy of scientific practice in the U.S., this talk will cover the ways in which scientific and medical communities have historically constructed the corporal body. Moreover, the talk will address the ways in which feminist, queer, and racial justice movements have challenged Eugenics, Population Control, Immigration Reform, and the knowledge production that supports them.
“Alice Morris: Yellowstone Trailblazer” closes out the month on Wednesday, March 31st. Emma Navone, an MSU junior studying environmental history, will present from noon–1pm.
Alice Morris, a Connecticut native, spent her summers on a ranch outside the border of her beloved Yellowstone Park. She adored horseback riding in Yellowstone, and when horses began to lose park access to make way for automobiles, Morris embarked on a 1500 mile trailblazing campaign during the summer of 1917 to ensure horseback rider’s access. Navone grew up riding horses in NY and moved to MT in 2015, and can often be found spending free time riding her horse, Cisco!
Note: These seminars will be held virtually and are open to the public. Contact danforth@montana.edu for access info.
The MSU Women’s Center is a department in the division of Student Success and was created to promote greater responsiveness to the needs of university women. Lectures are FREE and open to the public. For more information about these and other events, visit www.montana.edu/women. •