FAU's Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Receives Gift

Florida Atlantic University's Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) recently received a gift of $125,000 from the board of the Feminist Scholarship Fund, Inc. to support educational and research opportunities for WGSS students and faculty. The gift, titled the "Feminist Fund," will be administered by the Director of WGSS to enhance program excellence.

"We are so excited by this generous gift, which will help us to continue to support our students and faculty as they bridge the worlds of academics and activism on issues of women, gender, and sexuality," said Barclay Barrios, director of WGSS.

The Feminist Scholarship Fund, Inc. was created in 1995 by a generous donation to the Palm Beach County chapter of NOW, the National Organization for Women. Regina Fine remembered NOW in her will and a new scholarship for feminist students was created. Board members Tori Hodge, Dr. Maria  Ladino Sturchler and Penny Darling are past scholarship recipients and graduates of FAU. According to a board member, "Since 1995, the Feminist Scholarship fund has awarded over one hundred scholarships to deserving students. As part of the gift, several of them will join the WGSS Advisory Council, which was founded to create community awareness about the Center and to support the center through community events and fundraising."

FAU's WGSS is in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. The center houses an interdisciplinary program that offers a master's degree, graduate certificate and undergraduate certificate. Courses are taught by nationally and internationally known faculty from a variety of disciplines. For more information about WGSS, call 561-297-3865 or visit www.fau.edu/wgss.