The Feminist Leadership Working Group is a WGSC initiative that supports graduate students, faculty and staff across the UW System interested in learning more about feminist leadership initiatives across UW System. This group meets virtually from 6:30-8pm on the last Thursday of the month (unless noted otherwise).

This working group is co-facilitated by Dr. Stephanie Rytilahti (she/her/hers), Director of the UW System Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium, and Dr. Silviana Amethyst (she/her/hers), Assistant Professor of Mathematics at UW-Eau Claire.

The first 45 minutes will consist of a brief dialogue from a leader across the UW System who will explain their leadership on a specific diversity initiative. In the next 45 minutes, we will facilitate a large group discussion and Q&A. On Thursday, March 31, 2022, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., Dr. Melinda Brennan (she/her/hers) will present on “Transitions of Justice & Care.”

Before being appointed as the new Executive Director of the ACLU Wisconsin, Melinda worked at UW-Milwaukee as the Assistant Chair and Undergraduate Advisor for Women’s & Gender Studies and was an active participant in many advocacy and caregiving committees, and she also served as the Co-Chair of the UW System Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium as a member of the Rapid Response Team for Hate and Bias Incidents, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Board Consultant for the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition Project.

This is a fantastic opportunity to dialogue with an established professional, and a great chance to learn what Melinda is up to now!  You can register to participate in this dialogue here.

There is a Facebook page for the working group, (@WiWGSC) and participants can share articles from The Chronicles of Higher Ed and other relevant publications. We anticipate that the goals and format of this group may change, and that it will become an ongoing meeting space in subsequent years.