Six Indiana women will be honored tonight for their outstanding professional and personal achievements in honor of a former Ball State University professor.
The 2002 Perham Indiana Women of Achievement Award are awarded to women who, by birth or adoption, are citizens of the state and selected based upon their contributions to their profession.
This year's recipients include Beverley J. Pitts for distinction in higher education; Nancy A. Kitt for distinction in mathematics education; Marilyn J. Scales for distinction in child welfare advocacy; Judy H. Singleton for distinction in women's history; Norma E. Bradway for distinction in advocacy for women and Tolu A. Olowomeye for distinction in student governance.
The award honors the memory of Dr. Bernadette Perham, a Harvard graduate and former professor of mathematics who taught at Ball State for 16 years before her death in 1996.
The women selected for this year's award will be honored at a dinner and awards banquet held tonight at the Alumni Center.
Susan Johnson, a member of the Perham Award committee and associate dean of the college of sciences and humanities, said Perham was interested in breaking down barriers for women and girls in all areas of endeavor -- not just in mathematics and science.
"I remember her telling me that she had professors who would not let any female students physically into the lecture hall," Johnson said. "She (Perham) had to sit in the hallway, outside the open door of the lecture hall, and take notes from there."
Nancy Kitt, a 2002 honoree who worked with Perham in the university's mathematics department, said she was flattered to be selected to receive the award.
"She was a role model," Kitt said. "Some of the things I do in the classroom are things that remind me of her and her influence on me."
Kitt said she, like Perham, has devoted a great deal of time to her work but Perham's memory helps to remind her to "take the time to smell the roses."
Fred Meyer, professor of political science, chairs the Perham committee which is made up of faculty members who knew Perham. Together the members of the committee select each year's winners -- a process Meyer said was difficult this year because of the number of nominations received.
"We have an archive for next year," he said.
Meyer said he received more than 20 names this year, which celebrates the fourth year the award has been given in Perham's name.
"We looked for people who are active in a variety of areas," Meyer said. "We received a cross-section of women who have done major achievements in their lives."
Johnson and Meyer said a mathematics or science educator is recognized every year because of Perham's work in that field.
"Our awardees represent both town and gown," Johnson said. "We look for community leaders, business leaders, leaders in academics."
The committee also chooses to recognize one BSU female student each year. This year's student awardee is Tolu Olowomeye, president of Student Government Association.
Olowomeye made history this academic year by being the first minority female to be elected president of the SGA.
"I was shocked," Olowomeye said upon receiving news of her award.
Olowomeye said she is going to talk about some of the barriers she faced when she chose to become active in student government at tonight's award dinner.
Meyer said Beverley Pitts' Perham Award is significant not only because of her professional achievements, but because of the under-representation of women in the upper echelons of university administration.
Pitts said she was extremely honored because she knew Perham and the kind of person she was in addition to what she represented to women in excellence and role modeling.
"I was obviously quite touched and honored," Pitts said.
Pitts said the idea of the award is to bring recognition to women who have achieved something in their various fields so that other women may find inspiration and follow in those footsteps.
Norma Bradway said she was surprised and humbled when she learned of her Perham Award because she considers the work she has done in advocacy for women to be the product of teamwork -- not because of one individual's efforts.
Marilyn Scales, who was nominated in the category of child welfare advocacy, said she too was humbled by the recognition. She said a number of her colleagues have called to congratulate her.
"That makes you feel very good in terms of what you've accomplished," Scales said.
At tonight's awards banquet, Johnson said each winner has been invited to speak for about five minutes. In the past, she said, the speeches have engrossed the audience.
Judy Singleton said she will probably tell some of the stories about the women she researched for her book, "Indiana Trailblazing Women." Singleton is honored and "a little embarrassed to be recognized for something that she did out of passion."
The award, Singleton said, is really about honoring Bernadette Perham and the work she has done. ++2'<-¼^*F
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