Rodin lauds Penn women for ten years of leadership

The 10th annual conference of the Trustees Council of Penn Women continued yesterday with a lecture on leadership by University President Judith Rodin. College Hall's Room 200 was filled with nearly 100 women -- and the occasional man -- yesterday afternoon, as University Trustee Gloria Chisum introduced Rodin. "She hit the ground running when she left her crib," Chisum joked. "She hasn't stopped yet." During her speech, entitled, "Honoring a Decade of Leadership," Rodin paid tribute to the founders of the Trustees Council for their persistence and inspiration. "Over these three days, we're celebrating together a story that I think is still very much in the making -- a story which began in 1987 when Penn women planted a seed," Rodin said. "At first nothing seemed to happen -- and then one day a glorious flower came up, just as these women knew that it would," she added. "That flower was the Trustees Council of Penn Women. What a rich harvest we at Penn have gleaned from the determination and the inspiration of these visionaries." The Trustees Council, of which Rodin is a member, was the first organization of its kind and serves as a national network of Penn alumnae. Its members are nominated for their commitment to the University and leadership in their profession, according to 1970 College for Women graduate Pamela Petre Reis, who is chairperson of the Council's 10th anniversary celebration conference. The conference, entitled, "Celebrating a Decade of Women's Leadership" began Wednesday with first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's keynote address and concludes today. Applauding the achievements of the Council during its first 10 years, Rodin highlighted just a few of its many accomplishments. More than $13 million has been raised for women's initiatives, participation of women on all University boards has increased and funding for women's athletic teams has risen. "It's a marvelous example of women helping women," she said. Rodin did note, however, that much progress can still be made and pointed out that only 17 percent of University professors are women. "We're ahead of our Ivy League peers at which women comprise only 10 to 15 percent of the faculty but it's still not as good as we'd like," she said. Directing her remarks to the undergraduate women in the audience, Rodin urged them to "make some waves" and take advantage of the networking and mentoring opportunities the Council can provide. "You are fortunate to have the women of the women's council as your role models," she said. "To all of you -- from the class of 1998 to the class of 2001 -- it's now up to you to continue the story." Following her speech, Rodin held a question and answer period, giving the audience the opportunity to ask about topics ranging from alcohol on campus to her research on body image.