Women's council elect chair

The Trustees' Council of Penn Women, a standing committee of the University's Board of Trustees, hosted its annual faculty tea honoring women professors and senior administrators last week. The Council, a seven-year-old group of about 120 members, all of whom are University alumnae, used the occasion to send off current chairperson Pamela Reis, who served a two-year term. "Our mission is to expand the role of women in the University," said Elsie Sterling Howard, a founding Council member and public relations consultant who was installed as the Council's fourth chairperson. "The Council provides Penn women with a national and international network," she said. "Men have always had this, but women never traditionally had the opportunity." Howard is currently co-chairperson of the Council's Communications Committee, and has been a member of its Steering Committee. She was nominated for the position of chairperson by several people on the Council, and her nomination received final approval from the Steering Committee. "I'm delighted to have this opportunity to serve," Howard said. "This organization has created a trampoline for Penn women to break the glass ceiling, in addition to being a net. "Our committment is very strong," she added. Howard said she hopes to increase on-campus knowledge of the Council and its activities, which include career panels, a mentoring program and financial aid for term chairs and research grants. In addition she said she hopes to focus attention on student life issues, like safety. "I also want to do more in the way of regional outreach when Penn women are at home," she said. "And I want to expand our basis with institutional advancement, assisting women faculty members in achieving the preeminence they deserve. "Our ability to interact with the administration can serve as a great conduit for undergraduates," she added. Former Council Chairperson Judy Berkowitz said she was exposed to "some of the most exciting women on campus -- students, faculty and administrators, and women on the Council" when she led the group. Berkowitz advised Howard to "be aware of all her varied constituencies and work to improve initiatives" which the Council has implemented, such as the PennQuest pre-freshman orientation camping trip.