In honor of women who have shattered the glass ceiling, the University College of Sciences and Humanities is hosting a dinner and offering awards.
At 6 p.m. at the Alumni Center, six women will receive the Indiana Woman of Achievement Award.
Susan Johnson, associate dean of the college and chairwoman of the evaluation board, explained the importance of the award and its history.
Johnson said the award was first established in 2000 by the College of Sciences and Humanities.
Lois Rockhill, a Muncie resident, is a former executive director of the Second Harvest of East Central Indiana. From 1989 to 2012, Rockhill grew the operation to deliver 73 million pounds of food to the hungry.
Marilyn Skinner holds a Distinguished Ball State Alumna Award and is the founding director of the IU Kokomo Center for Early Childhood Education.
“[Skinner] knows firsthand more about having an impact on early education and how to maximize that more than anyone in the area,” Johnson said.
Sue Whittaker, resident of Muncie and former Ball State professor, received an award for Community Leadership and Service.
Whittaker has played a leadership role in several community organizations including Muncie Altrusa, YWCA, David Owsley Museum of Art and the First Presbyterian Church of Muncie. She also has received the Distinguished Service Award from the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.
“We knew that women were still encountering glass ceilings,” Johnson said. “We have a task force on the status of women in the humanities college, it was something that needed to be done.”
The task force put together a committee and event that would honor Hoosier women who have made outstanding accomplishments and careers in a variety of areas, Johnson said.
She explained the nomination process is based on submissions by community members.
“[Since] we have been doing this event for several years, people have come to know it exists so they know to nominate people,” Johnson said. “We get around 30 or 40 nominations a year, so it’s a competitive process.”
The committee chooses six women a year to receive the award, and each recipient is asked to give a five-minute speech about important events in their lives and people that have helped them with their accomplishments.
“We ask them to direct their comments to students,” Johnson said. “We usually have 65 to 70 students in the audience.”
Among those who pay to attend the event, there are often several students who are sponsored to attend the event, said Fred Meyer, committee chairman.
“[Sponsored students] get to hear these role models talk about their lives and hopefully be inspired,” Meyer said.
Among those receiving the award this year are three people who have close ties to Ball State and the Muncie area.
Those wishing to attend must make reservations through the College of Sciences and Humanities. The event costs $30 to attend.
“This year has truly been great, these are just amazing women,” Johnson said.
