Women, and men, from across West Virginia University and the state will gather Oct. 12 to celebrate 125 years of women at WVU as part of the 29th annual Women of Color Luncheon.
The luncheon, which will take place Wednesday, Oct. 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Mountainlair Ballrooms, is hosted by the WVU Council for Women’s Concerns in an effort to connect and inspire women.
Patrice A. Harris, the first African-American woman to be elected as chair of the American Medical Association Board of Trustees, will be the keynote speaker. Harris, a WVU alum, is a psychiatrist from Atlanta who practices privately and consults with both public and private organizations on health service delivery and emerging trends in practice and health policy. She was elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees in 2011 and elected Chair of the Board in 2016. Since 2014, Dr. Harris has served as Chair of the AMA’s Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse. She has also been a member of the governing council of the AMA Women Physicians Congress.
Harris is a three-time graduate of WVU, earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology, master’s degree in counseling psychology, and her MD from the WVU School of Medicine. She was inducted into the West Virginia University Academy of Distinguished Alumni in 2007. Upon her induction, she was the youngest WVU graduate and the first African-American woman to be inducted into the Academy.
The Women of Color Luncheon is one of several events during WVU’s annual Diversity Week, held this year from Oct. 9-14, and sponsored by the Division for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Early bird tickets for the luncheon are $17 per individual, and reservations can also be made for tables of eight or ten. Beginning Monday, Oct. 3, ticket prices increase to $20 per person. Limited seating is available. To purchase tickets, visit http://cwc.wvu.edu/special-events .
The theme was inspired by the 125th anniversary of the graduation of Harriet E. Lyon, the first woman to earn a degree at West Virginia University. The luncheon’s d�cor will showcase the contributions and accomplishments of WVU women over the past 125 years. Mrs. Kisstaman Epps will share “A Woman of Color, A Person of Character,” a poem from her upcoming publication. Kisstaman is the author of A Kiss From God, a poetry book which was published in 2011. She is a current member of the Council for Women’s Concerns as well as the Administrative Associate for the WVU Reed College of Media IMC Online Graduate Program.
The Council for Women’s Concerns’ mission promotes equality and empowers women in all areas of the University and local community by facilitating a dialogue on women’s issues and serving as a resource for women and girls. To learn more about the WVU Council for Women’s Concerns, visit http://cwc.wvu.edu.
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rn/09/07/16
CONTACT: Daniel Brewster, WVU Council for Women’s Concerns
304.293.8167, Daniel.Brewster@mail.wvu.edu
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