MANSFIELD, PA— Mansfield University faculty members Sheila Kasperek, associate professor in the University 
Library, and Nicolle Mayo, assistant professor of Psychology, attended the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Women’s Consortium’s Leadership Institute for Faculty Women on August 7-11 in State College, PA.
Kasperek and Mayo were selected to represent MU at this leadership development opportunity by the President’s Commission on the Status of Women.
The conference consisted of presentations, panels and discussion sessions throughout the week. Presentations covered a wide array of topics that addressed leadership positions and gender, strategies to advance in academe, effective self-promotion, resilience, productivity, communication, hidden biases, and methods of advocating for women on campus.
Each presenter stressed how components such as gender, culture, socioeconomic status, and religious affiliation affect perceptions and approaches taken in academia, resulting in unique outcomes for women faculty.
The participants ended the week by developing several ideas and action items for cross-campus collaborative projects advocating for women on their campuses and focusing on mentorship, networking, policy education and awareness, as well as program implementation.
Kasperek and Mayo will be working on an upcoming multi-campus project that emphasizes education and awareness of specific women’s issues.
To learn more about the President’s Commission on the Status of Women and the PASSHE Women’s Consortium, go to mansfield.edu/pcsw/