Faculty leaders, students and community members gathered Wednesday to celebrate International Women’s Day, hosted by the Center for the Study of Global Gender Equity and the Humanities Research Institute.
The event featured short reflections and personal tributes to women whose stories shaped their lives and careers, many of whose contributions, speakers said, often go unrecognized.
Event organizers invited 12 people from campus and the community to each present a woman who has changed the world. Presenters are instructed to consider the impacts of a woman’s work, ambition or their accomplishments, whether that be familial, local or regional.
This year, Kevin Tan, associate dean of the School of Social Work, opened the event with a tribute to his mother.
He described his mother’s resilience and willingness to give to others, recalling how she consistently put family and friends before herself.
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Tan ended his remarks by reflecting on her death and the lesson it left him with.
“My mom gave me something even more that I carry for the rest of my life,” Tan said. “With whatever strength she had left, she pulled me close and embraced me, and she said, ‘I am proud of you.’ Mom never thought that she could change the world, but she made sure I knew I could.”
Victoria Fields, graduate student studying communication, presented Mary Church Terrell, one of the first African American women to earn a bachelor’s degree.
Danita M. Brown Young, vice chancellor for student affairs, honored her late colleague, Theresa Powell, who served as vice president for student affairs at Temple University before she unexpectedly passed away in 2023.
Brown Young reflected on Powell’s mentorship and commitment to everyone around her.
“(Powell) wanted people to know that she saw you as a person and not an empty vessel without feelings,” Brown Young said. “She was a transcendent human.”
Rummana Alam, professor in Law, shared the story of Rabia Bhuiyan, a Bangladeshi author, barrister and educator who advocates for human rights. Alam connected Bhuiyan’s work to her own background, noting the significance of seeing women from Bangladesh lead in legal and academic spaces.
Tammie Bouseman, retired associate director of admissions, remembered her first supervisor at the University, Louise Jones. Bouseman described how Louise’s leadership and perseverance in the face of disability pushed Bouseman to advocate for ADA accommodations in her church.
Former Illinois Student Council President Gabi DalSanto spotlighted her mother, crediting her example for inspiring DalSanto’s ambition to pursue a legal career.
Luanne Mayorga, assistant chancellor for strategic programs and partnerships, highlighted Catherine Brewer Benson, the first woman to receive a degree from what is now Wesleyan College.
Other women presented at the event included Geneva Smitherman, recognized for her work on African American language and culture; Renée Baillargeon, professor in LAS, whose research on object permanence transformed understanding of infant cognition; and Nance Legins Costley, who was born into slavery in Virginia and later secured her freedom and pursued education.
Susan Ogwal-Elisu, academic adviser for LAS Global Studies, honored her grandmother, Lucy Ocen, who raised three children on a teacher’s salary, and also recognized Assata Zerai, professor in LAS, for her fellowship and leadership.
Urbana Mayor DeShawn Williams closed the program by acknowledging his mother, who attended the event. As a husband and father of two, Williams said he now more fully understands the sacrifices his mother made to support him.
Attendees said sharing personal stories is crucial and that discussions like this matter.
Joya Weissman, senior in LAS and Social Work, said the event carries particular weight in a society where sexism continues to shape whose stories are amplified and whose are overlooked.
“Even though we are on a college campus that has so many incredible resources for women … like our Women’s Resource Center is incredible, sexism still prevails pretty strongly,” Weissman said. “I have experienced it in my daily life, and I know that other women do as well, so I think that calling attention to the way that women change the world … is crucial.”
By the end of the evening, applause filled the room as attendees stood to recognize the women honored — and the many others whose stories remain to be told.
