Perla Frias Perez (right), an early childhood special education graduate student, stands beside her adviser, Hsuying Ward, early childhood special education coordinator, during the International Women’s Day luncheon held March 8 on the Brownsville campus. Frias was presented with the Outstanding Female Student award. MICHELLE ESPINOZA/THE RIDER
UTRGV and the rest of the United States are celebrating women’s achievements and contributions in observance of Women’s History Month.
The Office of Global Engagement celebrated International Women’s Day with luncheons on both campuses honoring an Outstanding International Female Faculty and an Outstanding International Female Student.
Perla Frias Perez, a graduate student in early childhood special education in Brownsville, and Roshni Manwani, a junior accounting major in Edinburg, received the Outstanding Female Student award during a ceremony held on both campuses March 7 and 8.
Samantha Lopez, director of UTRGV International Admissions and Student Services, said both students were selected by a university scholarship committee.
Each student received a $1,000 scholarship.
Lopez said their recognition was due to a combination of outstanding achievements, leadership, community service and economic need.
UTRGV accounting junior Roshni Manwani (center) receives the Outstanding International Female Student award during the International Women’s Day ceremony March 7 in the University Ballroom in Edinburg. With her are Associate Provost for Global Engagement Dennis Hart and Samantha Lopez, director of International Admissions and Student Services.
In an interview with The Rider, Frias offered some advice for all UTRGV female students.
“Never underestimate yourself, always have confidence in who you are and what you can do. There are moments in life when you experience dark nights, but at the same time, there is always the starting of a new day. … Keep going because we were born for success,” Frias said in Spanish.
On the Edinburg campus, Bin Wang, a professor of information systems, was honored as an Outstanding International Female Faculty. In Brownsville, Alexandre Couture Gagnon, an assistant professor in public affairs and security studies, was also honored with the award.
Lopez said both faculty members were selected by the UTRGV Women’s Faculty Network Executive Team.
“We asked them … to select one professor from each campus that was international faculty,” Lopez said.
The Women’s Faculty Network empowers UTRGV female faculty members by advocating for opportunities to advance women’s professional development in research, teaching and service, according to the UTRGV website.
“I am proud. I am so thrilled. I was not expecting this. [This award] means that UTRGV really is my school,” Couture Gagnon said in an interview with The Rider in Brownsville. “It means that UTRGV loves me as much as I love it. It’s a reciprocal relationship.
“There are many resources at the university, and there are many people willing to help you, but sometimes you have to reach out to them. Find a mentor or a professor … because they really support you through hard times.”
Among the attendees on the Brownsville campus was Clarise Flores, a marketing junior who said UTRGV should continue holding events that promote women’s empowerment.
“I think that it’s very empowering for women to know that they are [deserving] and to make them feel special,” Flores said. “I think every woman should feel special. We should have more events like this one.”
UTRGV information systems Professor Bin Wang (center) receives the Outstanding International Female Faculty award during the International Women’s Day ceremony March 7 in the University Ballroom in Edinburg. With her are International Admissions and Student Services Director Samantha Lopez (left) and Women’s Faculty Network Chair Marie Mora.
The annual observance evolved from one day to one month throughout the United States, said Linda English, an associate professor in the History Department and program director for the UTRGV General and Women’s Studies Program.
“[March 8] is International Women’s Day and that has been in effect since 1911,” English said, adding that in the 1970s, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County, Calif., Commission on the Status of Women was concerned that women’s contributions were not being recognized.
“They established a women’s history week and that was in Sonoma, Calif. … From there, President Jimmy Carter in 1980 recognized the first Women’s History Week,” English said. “… Congress recognized Women’s History Month in 1987. The idea of Women’s History Month is to recognize women’s contributions to American culture and society.”
A special presidential proclamation is issued every year honoring the achievements of American women, according to the National Women’s History Project.
In a proclamation March 1, President Donald Trump stated: “America will continue to fight for women’s rights and equality across the country and around the world. Though poverty holds back many women, America cannot and will not allow this to persist. We will empower all women to pursue their American dreams, to live, work and thrive in safe communities that allow them to protect and provide for themselves and their families.”
For those in the campus community interested in learning and recognizing the importance of this month, Student Involvement and the General and Women’s Studies Program in the College of Liberal Arts have planned several events.
The General and Women’s Studies Program will show the Emmy award-winning movie, “Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton’s Cafeteria” from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Tuesday in Liberal Arts Building 101 in Edinburg. The documentary film deals with transgenders fighting against police harassment in the 1966 Compton’s Cafeteria riot in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District.
Student Involvement will present “Talk about it S’more” from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday in the Ballroom in Edinburg. Guest speakers will talk about women’s empowerment in the United States. S’mores, hot chocolate and hot dogs will be served.
Asked what speakers will attend, Alejandra Buitron, a student assistant at Student Involvement, replied: “As of right now, we are still getting in touch with different speakers, so we are not sure yet.”
On Thursday, Student Involvement will show the New York Film Critics Circle award-winning movie, “Edge of Seventeen” from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Student Union Theater in Edinburg. The film tells about the life and adventures of a teenage girl. Popcorn and lemonade will be served.
“We live in a world that still doesn’t have the equality that we deserve as women. So, we need to go back [and look] into history so that things don’t repeat themselves,” Buitron said.
On March 28, the General and Women’s Studies Program will show the documentary “Chisholm ’72: Unbought and Unbossed” from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Liberal Arts Building 125 in Edinburg. The documentary portrays the life of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm and her campaign for the 1972 Democratic Party presidential nomination.
The Gender and Women’s Studies Program provides students an interdisciplinary and global arena to study the history and theories of women, men, gender, sexuality and other related topics.
UTRGV Philosophy Lecturer Christina Rawls said Harriet Tubman, an American abolitionist and humanitarian, is one of her inspirations.
“Her image is about to be recognized … on the United States $20 bill,” Rawls said. “She will be the first woman in 2020 to be placed on our currency. She was an amazing humanitarian and courageous individual during the Underground Railroad time period and during the slavery time period … in the United States. In the 1800s, for many years, she survived being a slave and … went free. Then, she continued to free other slaves secretly through various underground lines. ”
