VOL. 24 MARCH 18, 2005 NO. 18

these will be available on the Notice Board. We have an opportunity to present our case to several members of the System o (7't:,is is the time of year when we staff and then hope that our first priority, , • have quite a bit of interaction a classroom building for the Gainesville V with the Chancellor's Office. Campus, will be selected as among those There are budget hearings, presented to the BOR in June. facilities hearings} and this year additional meetings regarding the We are also meeting with the System staff proposed two-year admissions policy. to discuss our FY 2006 budget. The 'data we are presenting is also available on the The two-year college and state college Notice Board. The data strongly supports presidents met with the Chancellor on our requests, but we are competing with March 15, at which time he explained 34 other institutions and the System the rationale for the proposed policy - Office. to remove the barrier of mandatory SAT/ACT tests for students wishing to In addition, several of us, including Penny attend two-year colleges, and to Mills, have a meeting with the Chancellor, strengthen the admissions criteria to Vice Chancellor Papp and Vice include a 2.0 HSGP A for the completed Chancellor Daniels (facilities) on April 4 CPC curriculum and a 2.2 HSGP A for to talk about the possibility of leasing part Tech-Prep diploma courses. One area of a proposed facility from Bob Bishop R where admissions criteria has been next to he Oconee Campus for physical reduced is for students who come with education facilities and possibly a food a GED. There will be no minimum court. score as long as they have passed the GED. The percentage of exceptions for Stay tuned for results as soon as I know these requirements has been reduced them. from 33% to ' 20% of the prevlOUS year's freshman class.

Susan Daniell and Mike Stay have been asked to serve on two separate committees - Susan on the one to plan implementation and Mike on the one to aCUlty and staff advised 320 consider the ramifications of this students during the March 7 - 10 change. The pilot is supposed to last for :fAdvisement Week. Although three years, at which time the results Ad visement Week was well will be evaluated. advertised on campus, this figure is down from 700 students advised in Fall. Hours We are submitting our five year capital that advisors were available were the same Gainesville, GA 30503 770-718-3639 projects (major and minor) and MR&R for both semesters. requests on March 18. The summary of Page 2 TOW£ RTAl..K March 18, 2005

Interviewing for Oconee faculty positions started last week. New office spaces have been designed, and Plant Operations will work on those spaces during summer semester after the moves on the Gainesville Lenscrafters Savings Card Campus settle down. Oconee hopes to at least double its present faculty body. Come by Human Resources to pick up a Lenscrafters $80 Savings Card.

The benefIts of this card are:

- $80 . off each complete pair of eyeglasses or prescription sunglasses. Due to the upcoming renovations in the Student - Card can be shared with all members of household Activities Building, the Cyber Cafe Computers are and may be used multiple times. now located in the Game Room. :...... Double the standard LensCrafters No-Risk Guarantee - 60 days instead of 30 days. The Game Room (for use by currently enrolled Can be used at any location VISIt students with a GC Student ID) hours are: www.lenscrafters.com for a location nearest to you. Monday to Thursday: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. - The card will expire on 2/28/2007. Friday: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday evenings: 6:30 - 8 p.m. INTRAMURAL TENNIS DOUBLES TOURNAMENT

.. ' You will be receiving a complimentary note Entry forms in PE OffIce or Fitness Center. pad from the Oakbrook Printing Company; Categories: Men, Women and Mixed Levels of Play: A - advanced B - intermediate The Financial Aid Fair was held on February 28 in the C - beginner Student Center on the Gainesville Campus. New information for Fall Semester 2005 was provided. Sign up with your partner - or if you don't have a This was the fIrst Financial Aid fair with 125 students partner, you can still sign up, and they will try to fInd participating. Seven lenders assisted with answering you a partner. student questions and donating door prizes. Prizes were donated by the Gainesville College Foundation, Tournament will begin March 25 (after Spring Break). Bank of America, Edamerica, Georgia Student Players have one (1) week to play each round. Match Finance Authority, Regions, Suntrust, Wachovia and can be played at any time - just set up a time with Wells Fargo. your opponents. Matches are either best 2 of 3 sets, or one 8-game pro set (whichever you and your The GC Fotmdation awarded fIve $50 Bookstore opponents agree on). CertifIcates: Recipients were: Jason Erazo, Lauren Hendrix, Kirby Beadles, Daniel Thomas, and Diana Sign up deadline is March 22. Mejia. ,,,. For additional information, contact Lisa Eight additional students received door prizes donated Watson at 770-718-3646. by the lenders: Bina Ali, Rita Castaneda, Cynthia Slick, Courtney Hitt, Gorby Leon, Michael Murphree, Gabriel Vega and Jack Howland. Page 3 TOWE.RTALK March 18, 2005

The public is welcome to attend the Stage Tour and that evening's rehearsal. Refreshments will be DONUTS and DIALOGUE provided by Theatre Wings, GTA's volunteer support organization. Purchasing Month will end on March 31, with Donuts and Dialogue in the Business Office from The Pulitzer Prize-winning southern classic is 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. Please take this Gainesville Theatre Alliance's next production, opportunity to meet your co-workers in the Business April 12-24 and will be directed by artistic director Office. You will be able to see where we work, ask Jim Hammond, at Gainesville College's Ed Cabell . questions that you have not been able to address, and Theatre. review how the Check Requisition and Internal Purchase Orders work using the new online forms. LOOK HOMEWARD, ANGEL, is populated with a cast of delightfully eccentric characters, set against the A big thank you goes out to each and ~veryon,e that backdrop of World War I in a fictional mountain town participated in Purchasing Month. Your participation in North Carolina, closely resembling novelist made this another successful event for the school. Thomas Wolfe's boyhood town of Asheville. Purchasing Month began with the Accoimting and Playwright Ketti Frings adapted Wolfe's sprawling Purchasing department demonstrating the new website novel into what the Daily News called "a for the Business Office check requisition, and internal truly magnificent play of stirring beauty and wild, purchase order forms and also a review of the rules lusty humor." and regulations for travel and how to submit for travel expense reimbursements. Free nights for Gainesville College faculty and staff and students are: Monday, April 11; These new forms are on the Comptroller's website Wednesday, April 13; Thursday, April 14; Tuesday, and are ready for all to begin using. Wanda Aldridge Apri119 and Wednesday, April 20. Students get one and Donna Kindon want to personally thank Melody free ticket when they present their student ID's. Little and Nathan Com for their hard and diligent Faculty and staff get free tickets for themselves and work on this website and the new forms. their immediate family. LOOK HOMEWARD, ANGEL contains adult themes. Door Prizes will be given away to the first eight (8) attendees on March 31. Don't miss your opportunity to receive a nice gift for attending Donuts and Dialogue donated by Office Depot and Minton-Jones, the mandatory vendors under the State Wide Contract for the 270+ core list items for office supplies.

This is your opportunity to ask questions relating to 11 th Annual GC Math Tournament the financial functions of Gainesville College related April 2, 2005 to your division/department. See you there! Continuing Education and Physical Education Buildings 9:30 a.m. -i . For additional information, visit the tournament FREE STAGE TOUR website at: of LOOK HOMEWARD, ANGEL http://www .gc. peachnet.edulmathitournament. March 31, 2005 6 p.m. GC's Ed Cabell Theatre Page 4 TOWliRTALK March 18, 2005

class of art students from Gainesville College. This is American BLOOD DRIVE Red Cross an annual event that allows our students to showcase April 4 their hard work in a professional gallery setting and 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. provides the community with a chance to see these emerging artists at the beginning of their careers. The Bloodmobile will be parked outside GC Student Center on the south side. A reception will be held on April 14, 5 p.m. in the C.E. Lobby in front of the Roy C. Moore Art All Donors will be entered in the "Miami Weekend Gallery as well as the Gallery. The public is Getaway" Sweepstakes!! welcome to the reception to hear the faculty speak about the students and their work, as well as to meet Please bring photo ID. the graduates.

Before you donate: Please call 770-718-3707 for more information and - Drink extra caffeine-free fluids, like water or juice. gallery hours. - Eat a good meal or snacks. - Get plenty of sleep the night before. - Do not smoke for an hour before and after donating blood. EARTH DA Y GC ACTIVITIES - No intense exercise or heavy lifting after giving APRIL 20, 2005 blood. 12 NOON - 2 P.M. G.W. BAILEY AMPHITHEATER Together, we can save a life Earth Day activities will include performances by the Sponsored by the GC Ambassadors. For additional Gainesville College Jazz Band, displays by information, call Michelle B. Brown, Alumni Affairs environmental education groups and refreshments. Director, X3648. The Earth Day Planning Committee anticipates that this year's event will mark the beginning of a growing regional event. Given the crucial importance of 8K addressing environmental problems in our time, it is their hope that this will begin a tradition of supporting Phi Theta Kappa Induction Ceremony environmental education. April 7, 2005 4:30 p.m. For more information contact John O'Sullivan at C.E. Lobby/Atrium X3795.

All facuity, staff, students, friends and family are invited. For additional information, please call Gina Gainesville College offers Reed, Co-advisor, X 3813. LANDSCAPING CLASSES

· tVt . Register today - Pre-registration is one ~ Graduating Student Exhibition week prior to class date. ~ April 6 - May 11 , 2005 Fee: $25 /class or all 4 for a special rate of $80 The last exhibition of the · academic calendar year features work of the current graduating Lawn Maintenance and Pest Control Saturday, April 2, 10 a.m. -12:30 p.m. Page 5 TOlW£RTALK March 18, 2005

In this class you will learn which turf grasses are well­ Room teleconferenced to OC, SRC Conference suited for North Georgia, with specific information on Room. Facilitator: Chaudron Gille. cultural and maintenance requirements. This class also includes a thorough discussion on pest problems, including dise~ses and insects. March 23 - Oconee, Excel for Gradebook, noon - 1 p.m., Classroom 302. Facilitator: Penny Lyman. Diagnosis of Landscape Problems Saturday, April 9, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. March 25 - Quiz Wiz, 1 - 3 p.m., Academic III, Room 138. Facilitator: Melody Little. Come to this class and learn how to identify many common landscape problems, including environmental March 28 - Oconee, Including Powerpoint in the problems and pests, such as insects and diseases. In Classroom, noon - 1 p.m., Classroom 302. addition, you will learn which plants are pest-prone and pest-free. Facilitator: Jim Konzelman.

Gardening for Birds, Butterflies & OtheOr Wildlife March 28 - Getting Published, noon - 1 p.m., Saturday, April 30, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Academic II, Room 108. Facilitator: Warren Rogers and Jim Lorence. In this class, you willieam how to attract birds, butterflies and other wildlife to your landscape. There will also be a March 30 - Dealing with Difficult Classroom focus on providing key elements needed by wildlife, Problems, noon - 1 p.m., DunlaplMathis, Room 139. including water, food and habitat. Facilitator: Chaudron Gille. Caring for Houseplants and Edible Landscaping April 1- Diet Vista, 1 - 3 p.m., Acad III, Room 138. Saturday, May 7, 10 a.m. -12:30 p.m. Facilitator: Melody Little. You will learn all about houseplants, including how such factors as light, temperature, water, and soil can influence AprilS - How to be a Study Abroad Leader, 2:30 - plant growth. Also, you will learn how to incorporate 3:30 p.m., DIM Conference Room, teleconferenced fruits and vegetables into the landscape and how to use to Oconee SRC Conference Room. Facilitator: them as decorative container plants for porches and patios. Chaudron Gille. To register, please call Gainesville College's Office of April 8 - Teaching with Vista, 1 - 3 p.m., Acad III, Continuing Education at 770-718-3605 or visit its Room 138. Facilitator: Melody Little. website at www.gc.peachnet.edulce/main

Center for Teaching and Counseling & Career Services Learning Faculty Workshops Workshops All workshops are free of charge and open to currently Workshops are offered in conjunction with the enrolled students, faculty and staff. All workshops are Teaching Excellence Preparation Program for new about 45 minutes to one hour in length. Advance faculty, but are open to all faculty and staff. To registration for workshops is available by calling register, contact Sue Gittens bye-mail or at X3933. X3660 or stop by the office of Counseling & Career Services to sign up. March 21 - Oconee, Dealing with Difficult Classroom Problems, noon - 1 p.m., Classroom 313 . March 21 - Regents Test, 2:30 and 7 p.m. Facilitator: Sara Burns. March 22 - Regents Test, 2:30 p.m. March 22 - Improving Teaching through Peer Review, noon -1 p.m. in Dunlap/Mathis Conference Page 6 TOlW£R,TALK March 18, 2005

AprilS - Producing A Great Resume Workshop, wipes, solo cups, juice boxes. 12 noon and 5 p.m., CCS office in Student Center. Shelter Needs: Trash bags, glass cleaner, dishwasher April 7 - Interview Skills, 12 noon and 5 p.m., CCS detergent, Pledge, adult Tylenol, storage bags - gallon office in Student Center. and quart size; children's Tylenol - both liquid and tablets, Robitussin, antacid tablets, adult cold & sinus April 12 - Joint Spring Semester Job Fair (with tablets. Lanier Technical College), 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., Student Activities Building, Gainesville College campus. Please drop off your donations to Molly Potts in the Admissions office in the Administration Building or Dru Thomas in Child Care Solutions in the Dunlap/Mathis Building.

TEMPORARY OFFICE RELOCATIONS on the The Gainesville College Faculty and Staff Team asks Gainesville Campus. Phone numbers will remain the for your support for this year's RELAY FOR LIFE. same for all personnel. The event will be held on Friday, June 3, starting at 7 p.m. and ending on Saturday, June 4, at 7 a.m. The Registrar's Office has moved to room 106 in the Please make checks payable to the American Cancer Dunlap-Mathis Building. This office will remain in Society. With your help, Gainesville College will this location until the addition to the Student Center is continue to "lead the way" to fmding a cure for cancer. built. Thanks to everyone for your support of this great cause. The Financial Aid Office has moved to the ACTT Center to the rooms vacated by the Foreign Language The team members are listed below along with the Lab. It can be accessed through the ACTT Center. It building where they work. It does not matter who will return to its former location in May when the receives the donation because it all goes into the same work is completed in the Student Center. pot! © The Student Development Office has moved to what Alfred Barker Academic II had been the Registrar's Office in the Administration Kelly Dahlin Academic III Building. It will return to its former location when the Sheree Gravenhorst Academic II - . work is completeQ in the Student Center in May. Linnea Haag Academic III Cheryl Haris Academic III The Faculty Dining Room and the Lanier Rooms Thomas Hartfield Academic III are closed for the rest of the semester for the work Dean Lieburn Administration being done in the Student Center. The Lanier Rooms Lois Lynn Business/CE/P A Center will be available again Summer Semester. The Dana Nichols Dunlap/Mathis Faculty Dining Room will be converted to the new John O'Sullivan Academic II Academic Advising Center to accommodate . the Debbie Pilgrim Administration expansion of the Academic Advising Center with its Susan Smith Student Activities • ,i"... . new Director. There will also be a small meeting Dru Thomas Dunlap/Mathis room that can be used as a Faculty/Staff Dining Room Beth Wheeler Administration when it is not scheduled for meetings. With the shortage of meeting space on campus, the first priority for this room will be for meetings. The room will Gateway House Needs: house the two long tables and the chairs that had been Children's Program: Diapers (sizes 3,5, & 6), baby in the Faculty Dining Room. Page 7 TOW£RTALK March 18, 2005

Looking ahead in May, when the work is completed in the Student Center, the Admissions Office will The Gainesville College family extends its move to the Student Center in the areas formerly :. heartfelt sympathy to Deb Lilly whose occu'pied by the Compass, the Cyber Cafe, and the .. brother-in-law, Shelton Lilly, passed away Academic Advising Center. It will remain there until \ recently. the construction of the addition to the Student Center. The Cyber Cafe has already been moved to the Game Room. The Compass will be temporarily located in the DunlaplMathis Building and then, during the summer, move to its new location in Academic II. Congratulations to Charles and Julie Burchfield on the birth of son, John Once the Butler Building is completed, the Michael (Jake). Jake arrived at 6:30 a.m., Comptroller's, Human Resources, Payroll, President's Sunday, March 6, weighing in at 8 lbs. and Development Offices will move to that building 6 oz. Julie and Jake (and Daddy!) Are while the Administration building is renovated and healthy and fine. the HV AC replaced. The Dean's Office will be relocating to the Library during the renovation time frame. inging Our Bells Dana Hettich attended the Regents' Academic Committee on Libraries (RACL) meeting at the Georgia State Archives, Morrow, Georgia on March 10 and 11. The GC Ambassadors in partnership with many other GC Clubs will be Ray-Lynn Snowden has been nominated again for hosting Mt. Vemon Elementary Who's Who Among America's Teachers for 2005. School on our campus Wednesday, March 23, from She was also nominated in 2004. 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Lisa Watson conducted a Pediatric Care First Aid The clubs will have a variety of booths for the Workshop at the Georgia Pre-School Conference in children, and will have a 1,500 + egg hunt for all the Atlanta on March 4 and 5. 120 kindergartners who will be on campus. Lois Lynn will be included in the 2005 Who's Who This event will take place in the lower parking lot Among America's Teachers. This is the fifth time she above the G. W. Bailey Amphitheater. If you would has been included in these editions, previously in like to volunteer to assist with this event, please 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2004. contact Michelle B. Brown e-mail mbrown or call X3648. If we have not heard from you, and you The Gainesville College Science and Engineering Fair would like to have a club booth - please come to our was successfully held March 5. Chuck Karcher would final planning meeting on Monday, March 21, like to thank the many faculty and staff members who Academic III, Room 184. t ...... · helped make it a success. Among those are the following: Diane Cook, Sue Doyle-Portillo, Jeff ~l'eei~L th~Dks t(') the SJ?(,)Ds(,)1"iD~ dubs: Campus Pardue, Michallene McDanieL Clayton Teem, Sloan Crusade, Art Club, SGA, SIFE, SGA, CAB, Future Jones, Julia Davies, Beth Hancock, Pam Sezgin, Health Professional, and BSA. Charles Burchfield, Kelly Manley, Mike Stoy, Eugene Hendrix, Thomas Burson, Charles Croy, Nick Kidd, and Campus Security. Page 8 TOW'£RTALK March 18, 2005

Jeff Turk attended the State of the Art Ecological that, along with the LTC Board Members, previously Network Analysis conference in Athens on March 3 GOAL winners participate in the selection process for and 4. He attended the annual Institute of Biological the years following. Each judge was asked to Engineering conference in Athens on March 5 and 6. introduce themselves, and Annette was pleased, not Jeff gave two presentations at this conference: only to introduce herself as the 2003 GOAL winner, "Propagation of Indirect Causality Through Enfolded but to be able to say that she was an employee of Network Transmittances" and "Network Gainesville College. The finalists were all Thermodynamics and Ecological Systems". outstanding , and it was a difficult decision for the judging committee. The winner will be announced On March 4,2005, Governor Sonny Perdue signed the later this month at a Lion's Club luncheon at the proclamation proclaiming March as National Gainesville Civic Center. Purchasing Month for the State of Georgia. ,. The Governor is a steadfast supporter of the local chapters in Georgia, and supports and recognizes the National Institution of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) and the certifications of NIGP held by governmental purchasing officers in Georgia. Donna Kindon is certified and heavily involved with governmental purchasing among the state and the University System of Georgia. She attended the proclamation signing and photo opportunity along with other governmental Dale Crandall 3 Purchasing Officials from around the State of Eddie Morgan 4 Georgia. Donna actively pursues excellence in Diane Cook 5 governmental purchasing for Gainesville College and Carmen Jordan 5 the State of Georgia in ways such as, implementing Paul Murray 10 the purchasing month activities for Gainesville Leora Myers 10 College's end-users, and educates vendors of the Debbie Pilgrim 11 community on how to do business with Gainesville Kelies "Worm" Hicks 12 College and the State of Georgia. Donna is the Garry Merritt 13 current President of GA Chapter of NIGP and Margarita Munoz 13 Secretary for the GA Governmental Purchasing Kerry Stewart 14 Conference and Products Expo. Nancy Mattson 15 Harriett Allison 16 Annette Gilstrap was honored to be asked to be a Tom Walter 16 judge for the selection of the 2005 GOAL winner at Sara Burns 17 Lanier Technical College. GOAL is an acronym for David Johnston 18 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership. Andrew Santander 18 Instructors at each of Georgia's Technical Colleges Major Nelson 19 are encouraged to nominate their most outstanding . Melissa Gooch 23 students. After which, through a process of" . - Madiha Monsour 25 interviews and speeches given by the nominees, a Mary Pennington 26 winner is chosen from each Technical College to Brian Wesnofske 26 represent their school in the state competition in Alan Deeley 29 Atlanta eac.h year. Annette was privileged to be Shelia Miccoli 29 chosen as the 2003 winner for LTC. It is a tradition March 2005 May 2005 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 6 7 8 9 10 II 12 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 April 2005 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 27 28 29 30 31 29 30 31

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

GTA 's Look Homeward Angel Graduating Student Exhibition 1 2 GC's Ed Cabell Theatre April 6 1- May 11 Women's Math Tournament, Leadership 9:30am, CE & ~E April 12- 24 Roy C. Moore Art Gallery Luncheon, CE

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Blood Drive, 8 - 1, Daylight Savings Bloodmobile, PTK Induction, CE Annual Oconee Time Begins Outside Student Center Lobby cookout ~

10 11 12c 13 14 15 16 Administrative Job Fair, 10-1, SC Honor's Day , 12N Art Exhibit Gainesville campus Campus Open Council, 3:30pm, Reception, 5pm annual BBQ House SET 173 GTA, "Look Home- GTA, 7:30pm GTA, 7:30pm GTA,7:30pm GTA,7:30pm GTA Preview night ward , Angel" 7:30

17 18 19 20 TAG Day, 10am 21 22 23 OC Honor's Day, Oconee Campus GTA, 2:30pm 7pm Open House Earth Day 12-2 GTA, 7:30pm GTA, 7:30pm GTA,7:30pm GTA 7:30pm GTA,7:30pm

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

GTA, 2:30pm Leadership Spring Concert, Classes End Finals Finals Awards, 12 Noon 7:30pm ,

- _._- MARCH IS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

A Brief History

In 1978, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women in California, began a "Women's History Week" celebration. The week was chosen to coincide with International Women's Day, which was first celebrated March 8, 1911, in Europe.

Three years later, the passed a resolution establishing National Women's History Week, which was expanded to a month in 1987 at the request of the National Women's History Project. Every year since then the U.S. Congress has issued a resolution for Women' s History Month.

1879 - Belva Ann Lockwood beco"mes the fust woman lawyer to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. 1881 - American Red Cross is founded by . 1890 - Louise Blanchard Bethune becomes the first woman elected to full membership in the American Institute of Architects. 1914 - The amateur Athletic Union in the U.S. allows women to register for swimming events for the first time. 1916 - opens first birth control clinic. 1920 - U.S. women get the vote. 1924 - Nellie Tayloe Ross is elected first woman governor in U.S. (Wyoming) 1928 - The first woman to swim the English Channel is U.S. swimmer . 1932 - becomes the first woman to fly across the Atlantic alone. 1933 - becomes Secretary of Labor, the fust woman cabinet member in U.S. History. 1959 - Shirley Muldowney began her professional drag racing career. 1981 - Sandra Day O'Connor appointed fust woman U.S. Supreme Court Justice. 1984 - becomes first woman vice-presidential nominee of a major U.S. political party. 1993 - became U.S. attorney general. 1996 - Sgt. Heather Johnsen becomes the first woman to guard the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. 1997 - is unanimously confirmed by the Senate and becomes the fust female U.S. Secretary of State. 1997 - Pat Henry of Bloomington, Illinois becomes the first American woman to sail solo around the world. 1998 - Women's ice hockey teams compete for the first time at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. The U.S. Women's Hockey Team wins the gold medal. 1998 - Cynthia M. Trudell became the fust woman to head a U.S. car company. (Saturn) 1998 - Dr. Jane Henney became the first woman to head the Food an Drug Administration. 2000 - Hillary Rodham Clinton became the first First Lady to be elected to a political office. 2002 - Halle Berry becomes the fust African-American woman to win an Academy Award for best female actress. 2003 - becomes the fust woman to serve as Democratic Minority Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives.