Anderson Center director Morrow receives national recognition

The National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) selected Rebecca Morrow, Ph.D., director of the Janet C. Anderson Gender Resource Center at Idaho State University, co-chair of its Women’s Centers Committee. Morrow, appointed on June 22, will serve for two years with Candace Rosovsky, Ph.D., of the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

Established in 1977, NWSA is a professional organization dedicated to leading the field of women’s and gender studies in social and educational transformation. NWSA’s focus is on feminist teaching, research and service and is the premier organization for college and university women’s centers.

“It really is an honor for me to serve the women’s centers community through NWSA,” Morrow said. “I was nominated for the position by the director of a women’s center in Ohio, so it is gratifying to be nationally recognized as having already made a significant contribution to the women’s centers profession. It also speaks to the quality of programs available at ISU, as chairs are generally drawn from model centers.”

As the director of Anderson Center for the past six years, Morrow has helped expand the center’s offerings, including establishing the annual Art of Gender in Everyday Life Conference. The center is also home to the Project Hope Advocacy Program and the WISE HIV prevention program.  Morrow has served on the NWSA WCC since 2006, overseeing the “What Women’s Centers Need” project.

Morrow’s ongoing commitment to university gender centers began with her position, from 1999 through 2001, as assistant to the director at the Institute for Research and Education on Women and Gender at the State University of New York at Buffalo, the institution where she earned her doctorate.

Her work continued with an international emphasis during a 2001-02 Fulbright Fellowship at the Gender Studies Centre at Vilnius University in Lithuania. An anthropologist by training, Morrow has also conducted two grant-funded fieldwork projects in Ireland. She received her undergraduate degrees in anthropology and music performance from Oberlin College.

Morrow is excited about her new role within the NWSA governing structure.

“I am very much looking forward to working with Candace,” Morrow said. “We were able to accomplish a lot of brainstorming and planning at the NWSA conference in Cincinnati in June. Candace is smart and fun to be around which are two qualities that are essential in a co-chair.  I expect that we will have a very productive term in office.”

The Morrow/Rosovsky team is looking forward to helping support the progress of several NWSA WCC projects currently underway. They will also be taking an in-depth look at the needs of community college women’s centers, Morrow said.

“This is an exciting time for college and university women’s centers, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it,” she said.

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If you’d like more information about the Anderson Center or its staff, or to schedule an interview, please contact Rebecca Morrow at 282-2805 or gndrctr@isu.edu.