winter 2011 Pembroke Center Associates Newsletter

National Council for Research on Women Honors President Ruth Simmons

girls. NCRW works to share Johnnetta B. Cole - President, the latest news, information, Bennett College and President and strategies needed to Emerita, ensure fully informed debates, effective policies, Drew Gilpin Faust - President, and inclusive practices. In partnership with business, Mamphela Ramphele - Former academic, non-profit, and Managing Director, World Bank philanthropic organizations, NCRW advances collabora- Gloria Steinem - Activist and Author, tive and transformative Founder of Ms. Magazine change, both nationally and Melanne Verveer - Ambassador-at- globally. As a member of Large for Global Women’s Issues, NCRW, the Pembroke Center Department of State shares its research expertise with the network and partici- “We are so pleased that NCRW chose pates in conferences. to honor President Simmons,” said Kay Warren, director of the Pem- NCRW chose to honor Ruth broke Center. “We know what a trans- Simmons “for her outstand- formative impact she has had here at ing contributions to higher Brown, and on higher education education and as a remark- more broadly. The NCRW award is a able role model for women’s wonderful way to celebrate her transformational leadership,” Ruth Simmons remarkable accomplishments.” said Vivienne Heston- n February 28th, the National Demirel, director of commu- OCouncil for Research on nications for the National Council for Women (NCRW) honored Brown Research on Women. The annual University President Ruth J. Sim- award was also bestowed on Ed Gilli- mons with the “Making a Difference gan, vice president for American for Women Award” in New York Express. The event, held in New York inside City. NCRW created the award to City, was attended by a wide cross sec- celebrate outstanding leaders who tion of leaders from business, philan- • Linda Pei Grant Recipient p.3 are making a difference in the lives thropy, higher education, and the non- of women and girls. profit fields. Recent award recipients • Challenge Underway to Raise have included: $1 Million p.4-5 The Pembroke Center is a charter • Upcoming Events p.6 member of the National Council for Alison Bernstein - William and Research on Women, a network of Camille Cosby Endowed Professor at • A Special Thank You for Spelman College and former Vice Your Membership Renewal 120 leading research, policy, and in 2011 p.6 advocacy centers committed to President of the Ford Foundation improving the lives of women and • Bringing the History of Brown Women to Life through Digital Technology p.7 Pembroke Center Associates Council OFFICERS Elizabeth Munves Sherman ’77, P’06, P’09 From the Director Chair rom our large introductory perspective of so many fields of study Leslie Newman ’75, AM’75, P’08, P’12 course to the committed intellectual – from literature to sociology to medi- Vice-Chair F community fostered in the senior cine. The concentration’s advisory MEMBERS (as of July 1, 2010) research seminar required for all con- board currently includes faculty from Mary Kim Arnold ’93, MFA ’98 centrators, the Concentration in Gen- Political Science, Medicine, Modern Bernicestine McLeod Bailey ’68, P’99, P’03 der, and Sexuality Studies inspires Culture and Media, English, Urban Joan Weinberger Berman ’74, P’05, P’11 Brown students to think critically about Studies, Theatre Arts and Perform- Emily Blistein ’01 issues of difference. Each academic year, ance Studies, History, Comparative Nancy L. Buc ’65, LLD’94 hon. the Pembroke Center reaches hun- Literature, and Italian Studies. In Anne Buehl ’88 dreds of undergraduate students addition, there are faculty from many Elizabeth Castelli ’79 through Gender and Sexuality Studies other fields who are teaching in the Emily Coe-Sullivan ’99 courses and related offerings in other concentration. Given the span of dis- Arlene Gorton ’52 departments that examine women, ciplinary perspectives among the fac- Sonia Gupta ’06 Kay Gurtin ’83, P ’13 gender, or sexuality as a central focus. ulty, it is not surprising that we have a Ulle Viiroja Holt ’66, AM’92, PhD’00, P’93, P’03 The Center is pleased to offer a rigor- number of double concentrators who Carol Lemlein ’67, P’90 ous path for Brown students who are couple their interest in gender and Robin Lenhardt ’89 interested in exploring the construc- sexuality with fields such as Anthro- Joan Hoost McMaster ’60 tion of gender and sexuality in social, pology, English, Education, Interna- Barbara Raab ’81 cultural, political, economic, or scien- tional Relations, and Ethnic Studies. Meg Saggese ’06 tific contexts. Claudia Schechter ’66 Looking to the future, the Pembroke Gwenn Masterman Snider ’83, P’13 This academic year, the Pembroke Center has exciting plans to expand Leah W. Sprague ’66 Center is offering three new courses to the curriculum. Given the concentra- Jasmine Waddell ’99 undergraduates: “Gender and the tion’s concern with equipping stu- Ulla Wilska P’04 Modernist Self,” “The Laws of Vio- dents to do original research, we are Enid Wilson ’43 lence: Lawful Killings in Law Enforce- developing a new methods course. Ex Officio Members ment, Punishment, War and the War This will enable students to pursue on Terror,” and, “Sense and Scientific issues from a variety of disciplinary Joan MacLeod Heminway ’83 Sensibility: Beyond Vision, From the perspectives. Our goal is to enable Jean Miller ’49 Diane Lake Northrop ’54, P’81, GP’13 Scientific Revolution to Now.” Courses students to be fluent in theory and Chelsey Carrier Remington ’61, P’89, P’92 taught by the Pembroke Center’s post- methods within and across the Eileen Rudden ’72, P’03, P’07 doctoral fellows, provide Brown’s stu- humanities and social sciences, espe- Phyllis Kollmer Santry ’66 dents with the opportunity to study cially in relation to their own individ- Anita Spivey ’74, P’09 with the dynamic scholars that the ual research interests. We also plan to Mary Aguiar Vascellaro ’74, P’07 Pembroke Center brings to Brown develop a graduate level course on Beverly Heafitz Zweiman ’66, P’01 each year. critical and feminist theory that will Pembroke Center Staff serve graduate students from a wide Deborah Weinstein’93 directs the Gen- range of disciplines. Kay Warren der and Sexuality Studies concentra- Director tion. Weinstein earned her Ph.D. in None of these exciting accomplish- Suzanne Stewart-Steinberg the History of Science from Harvard ments and plans for the future would Acting Director University and was a postdoctoral fel- be possible without the Pembroke low at the Pembroke Center in 2002- Center Associates. Your support of Christy Law Blanchard 2003. Her research focuses on the his- the Pembroke Center provides Brown Director of Program Outreach and Development tory of modern American medicine students with the opportunity to take Denise Davis, AM ’97 and human sciences. In her role direct- advantage of an exciting curriculum Managing Editor of differences ing the concentration at the Pembroke that explores the myriad ways that Donna Goodnow Center, Weinstein works with Brown gender and sexuality inform and Center Manager faculty from across the disciplines to shape our world. enhance course offerings and advises Amy Greer Kay Warren, Director Archivist of the Feminist Theory Papers student concentrators. Martha Hamblett Gender and Sexuality Studies is inter- Programs and Stewardship Coordinator disciplinary by nature because it Deborah Weinstein explores issues of difference from the Director of Gender and Sexuality Studies

2 • pembroke center Linda Pei Grant Recipient Christine Zaleski ’11 Studies Oyster Restoration in The Gambia and Rhode Island tainable development approaches to their existing efforts and to develop a formal management plan. The com- munity has been able to use consen- sus decision-making to voluntarily reduce harvesting in the short-term for the long-term sustainability of the oyster fishery on which they depend. In Rhode Island, the Nature Conser- vancy is working to enhance the wild population of oysters in Ninigret Pond. This project will accept shell from area restaurants and recycle it back into the environment in order to enhance the oyster habitat and oyster population in the salt pond. Histori- cally, Rhode Island has been an area Christine Zaleski ’11 of high oyster productivity. However, Harvesters shuck oysters at landing sites with the help of family members. Women can also enlist the years of overexploitation, coastal help of retired harvesters to help shuck for the price of breakfast, three cups of oyster meat, and about a development, resulting sedimenta- dollar a day. tion, disease, and pollution have he Pembroke Center is pleased National Park. They are working to reduced oyster numbers to the point Tto support Christine Zaleski’s create a sustainable co-management where there is no commercially research into the potential of com- plan for the oyster fishery that bal- viable wild harvest in Rhode Island. munity-based management ances the needs of the harvesters, This oyster restoration project will approaches in the conservation of consumers, and the environment. In rely on citizens groups to help imple- coastal resources. She examines Rhode Island, the Nature Conser- ment the project and police the area how community-based management vancy has launched an oyster restora- for poachers. approaches have impacted human tion project in Ninigret Pond in Because both Tanbi National Park and ecosystem welfare in oyster Rhode Island. and Ninigret Pond are officially pro- restoration projects in The Gambia tected areas and have open access for and the United States. The $1,000 In The Gambia, women oyster har- vesters have been working in the oyster harvesting with some regula- Linda Pei grant supports student tions and restrictions, they provide research related to women’s finan- Tanbi National Park for more than thirty years. Over the last ten years, as interesting cases to compare. Zaleski cial empowerment. It honors the is studying how people adhere to the life of Linda Pei ’67 (1944–2007) more harvesters work the same area, they have increased their harvesting regulations and how compliance is and is made possible through the influenced by a number of factors generosity of Carol Lemlein ’67, effort and have experienced a marked decrease in oyster size. Although the including: governmental and citizen’s P’90, Eric Natwig ’69, AM ’72, P monitoring, perceived legitimacy of ’90, and the Women’s Committee Department of Parks and Wildlife Management is officially responsible the protection or regulation, and the of the Brown University Club of nature of the restricted resource. Southern California. for managing Tanbi’s natural resources, management of this fish- “Communities working together Zaleski, an environmental studies ery has largely followed tradition and have the power to make positive concentrator, is studying how alterna- community territorial rights. In 2007, impacts on their environment while tive management plans contribute to the women organized themselves into living off its resources,” observed human welfare and environmental a producer association called TRY Zaleski. “The oyster women in The protection in protected wetlands in Oyster Women’s Association to Gambia are living proof of that. The Gambia and Rhode Island. In improve their livelihoods by increas- The Linda Pei grant will allow me The Gambia, the TRY Oyster ing their capacity to buy and sell oys- to share lessons about cooperative Women’s Association is a self-organ- ters. In 2009, TRY partnered with the management across cultures.” ized group of women oyster har- sustainable fisheries project, Ba vesters who harvest from Tanbi Nafaa, to add conservation and sus-

pembroke center • 3 Challenge Underway to Raise $1 Million to Endow Innovative Research Collaborations at the Pembroke Center What disciplines will be invited to participate? Brown faculty from a broad range of disciplines will be invited to submit proposals to lead research initiatives. The Center expects that faculty from fields as diverse as history, public health, international relations, liter- ary studies, creative arts, modern cul- ture and media, American civiliza- tion, anthropology, sociology, comparative politics, economics, development studies, and education will be interested in seeking research funding under this initiative. Who will create the research groups and how will they be organized? The Pembroke Center will announce Research under the category of “Gender and Public Policy” could examine micro-loans to poor women funding opportunities as they become in India. This photo shows women weaving rope out of coir, which is one way women earn money in available. Brown faculty will be invited Kerala, India. to apply. Application requirements will include: faculty project directors from he Pembroke Challenge seeks to Endowed income will be used to fund at least two fields; a central research help the Pembroke Center bring research stipends for research group T question or common issue that will together interdisciplinary groups of leaders drawn from the Brown faculty, serve as an umbrella for the group; a Brown researchers and colleagues at support visiting scholars, create oppor- specific plan to involve other faculty other institutions to investigate tunities for student involvement, con- researchers, visiting scholars, postdoc- transnational issues of common con- vene workgroups and symposia for toral fellows, and graduate students; cern. If the Pembroke Center can collaborative exchange, organize and, opportunities for undergraduate raise $750,000, Elizabeth Munves conferences to disseminate research involvement. Applicants also will be Sherman’77, P’06, P’09 and David findings to wider scholarly and public Sherman’79, P’06, P’09 will give an audiences, and facilitate publications. additional $250,000 to fully fund the $1 million endowment for new What is the goal of the research collaborations in three Pembroke Challenge? broad categories: Research initiatives funded by the Pembroke Challenge will bring • Gender, Medicine, and Science together scholars from different • Gender and Public Policy fields across the social sciences, • Families and Workers on the Move humanities, and creative arts to col- laborate on common research prob- Within each category, requests for lems that explore the benefits and proposals will be solicited from risks of social change. Brown faculty through a competitive process. The optimal proposal— Why is interdisciplinary broad enough to encourage dialogue research important? yet narrow enough to produce tangi- Scholars most often dedicate them- ble results—will plan a multi-year selves to research within their own initiative. We expect that the interdis- field, which limits the scope of their ciplinary and international scope of collaboration. The Pembroke Center the issues and researchers will pro- wants to create forums through duce new lines of inquiry and which scholars can pursue their own Research under the category of “Gender, research partnerships. Medicine, and Science” might explore how interests and collaborate across disci- health technologies present unexpected plines on issues of common concern. challenges for some communities.

4 • pembroke center Research funded through this Challenge under the category of “Families and Workers on the Move” could explore urban conflicts and migrant communities in Western Europe. The photo above was taken at a June 2010 rally against the British National Party and the English Defence League in East London. asked to describe the dissemination of endowed research initiatives, it is Brown’s standing in the global individual and collective results hoped that faculty will leverage the research community will continue to through professional meetings, publi- Pembroke funding into outside grow through Brown scholars’ contri- cations, and other activities. grants to continue the research. butions to the interdisciplinary bodies of knowledge delivered via books, arti- How will students be involved How does Brown benefit? cles, and presentations at conferences in these research groups? The benefits to Brown are many. The around the world. Brown’s interna- Although the faculty leaders of each funding of these innovative research tionalization efforts will be enhanced initiative will recruit their research opportunities will help Brown recruit through research findings that group, it is expected that students will and retain faculty who see the bene- address the problems that arise from be involved through a variety of means, fits of collaborative research. Excel- social change and strategies that can including paid research assistantships, lent postdoctoral and graduate schol- be applied to improve people’s lives. advanced workshops or courses that ars interested in these initiatives will are developed and taught during the be attracted to Brown. Students will For more information about contribut- initiative, and student research grants enjoy the opportunity to work with ing to the Pembroke Challenge, please for related honors projects. faculty on research projects and take contact Christy Law Blanchard at new interdisciplinary courses tied to [email protected] What will be the end products research initiatives. Alumni will be or (401) 863-3650. of these research groups? presented with research that is rele- It is expected that each research vant to their lives and is connected to group will produce tangible products issues that are in – or should be in – such as publications, symposia, new the news. The initiatives will provide courses, and papers presented at aca- a platform for faculty to seek longer- demic or other conferences. After the term grant support from outside initial period of support from the funding agencies.

pembroke center • 5 Save The Date! A Mirror on International Development and Humanitarianism Wednesday, April 27th, 2011 approaches seek to displace charity by focusing on rights and 6:30 – 8:30 PM responsibilities. A century ago, Oliver Wendell Holmes noted Washington, D.C. that the Supreme Court was a “mirror on America.” This event will take a mirror to the practices of international devel- Cosponsored by the Women’s Leadership Council opment and relief efforts and consider the reflection. s natural and unnatural disasters erupt around the Please join Kay B. Warren, the Charles C. Tillinghast Jr. ’32 Aglobe, the pressure on non-governmental organizations Professor of International Studies and Professor of Anthro- (NGOs) to provide long and short-term international assis- pology, and Director of the Pembroke Center, David Waskow tance grows. Why have development and relief programs ‘88, Program Director for Oxfam America, and moderator failed to eradicate poverty and inequality, despite decades of Jasmine Waddell ’99, Visiting Lecturer of Sustainable Inter- targeted efforts and billions of dollars in aid? We will examine national Development at Brandeis University’s Heller the particular challenges of international development and School for Social Policy and Management, to discuss the humanitarianism, including cases where donor pressures impact of international development and humanitarian undercut highly successful local NGOs, transnational labor relief programs on the poor. migration and human trafficking confront conventional RSVP to Megan Rozzero by April 15 at (401) 863-6010 country-focused assistance, and human rights-based or via email to [email protected] Save The Date! Commencement Forum with Award-Winning Playwright, Lynne Nottage’86 Saturday, May 28, 2011 roles to religion – is off-limits. How do about how they write to inspire, pro- Time and Campus Location they do it? Join Lynn Nottage’86, recipi- voke, and engage theater audiences to be announced. ent of the 2007 MacArthur Genius around the world. Learn about their Grant and 2009 Pulitzer Prize, whose motivations and the roadblocks they rown alumnae/i continue to take plays include Ruined, Intimate Apparel, face as they write plays that are trans- Bthe theater world by storm, captur- and Crumbs from the Table of Joy and forming theater today. Other panelists ing some of theater’s most prestigious other Brown alumnae/i playwrights to be announced. prizes. No issue – from race to gender for a no holds barred conversation

A Special Thank You for Your Membership Renewal in 2011

he Pembroke Center Associates have Tcreated a mouse pad showcasing another perspective on our home, Pembroke Hall. We will be delighted to send you your mouse pad, along with a special note of thanks, for your membership renewal in 2011. Membership gifts provide critical support for the Pembroke Center’s scholarly initiatives, Associates programming, and publications. Through your generosity, we will provide stu- dent research grants, support faculty projects, record oral histories, and bring intellectually engaging speakers to Brown. To renew online, please visit www.pembrokecenter.org or use the form on the back page of this newsletter. Thank you for your membership!

6 • pembroke center Bringing the History of Brown Women to Life through Digital Technology Concerned about the fragile state of some of these recordings and eager to celebrate the history of Brown women, the Associates have decided to use membership donations to help pay for this project. After the Library converted the recordings from their original format to digital form, volunteers have been listening to them for sound quality and writ- ing abstracts to give a brief descrip- tion of what participants spoke about during their interviews. Under the supervision of the Pembroke Center’s Feminist Theory Papers Archivist Amy Greer, graduate student intern Krystal Appiah’95, GS’11, is providing critical expertise Krystal Appiah’95 listens to an oral history at the Orwig Music Library. to the project. Appiah has a master’s degree in library and information science, specializing in archives fter our successful collaboration with the Brown Univer- management, from the University of California, Los sity Library to digitize the Pembroke Record, the Pem- A Angeles. Currently she is working towards a master’s broke Center Associates are taking on a new women’s his- degree in public humanities at Brown and will graduate in tory project. With the help of the Library, we are digitizing May. As part of her internship with the Pembroke Center, the oral history recordings of Brown women and plan to Appiah is reviewing the recordings and identifying them showcase them on a website that will provide contextual with metadata, or keywords, relating to the topics being historical information, photographs, and links to other discussed. This metadata will allow the oral histories to be Brown history resources. The goal is to make this treasure searchable online, which will be a great boon to Brown trove of original sources available to today’s researchers and students and faculty who use them for their research. Once educators. The site also will feature materials to help K-12 completed, Brown alumnae/i also will be able to search the teachers utilize the oral histories for their classes. oral histories and listen to those of interest, just as they For nearly three decades, the Associates have been recording now can access the digital archives of the Pembroke Record oral histories of Brown women, in both individual and group (www.pembrokecenter.org/associates/history.html). formats. The project was launched by then Director of Alum- This ambitious project will take some time to complete. nae/i Affairs Barbara Anton. There are over 100 recordings We anticipate having some oral histories online in the in the collection. Many of the group oral histories have been fall of 2011, in honor of both the Pembroke Center’s 30th of women from classes celebrating their fiftieth or twenty- anniversary and the 120th anniversary of women at fifth reunions. First recorded on audiocassette tapes, the Brown. Going forward, the website will continue to more recent recordings, approximately ten percent, were evolve as the Pembroke Center Associates record new videotaped. They are stored in the Brown University oral histories and add them to the online collection. We Archives. In addition to the preservation concern of the orig- are grateful to our members, whose membership gifts inal older cassettes deteriorating with time and use, these make this project possible. recordings were not easy for researchers to use. For example, there is no way to search them by topic or participant.

PEMBROKE CENTER FOR TEACHING AND RESEARCH ON WOMEN

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