UT director recognized as ‘Woman of Achievement’
By Jeffrey Romagni : July 2nd, 2009
Gilbert
Zonta International is a worldwide organization working to improve the legal, political, economic, health, educational and professional status of women through service and advocacy.
Recently, the Zonta Club of Toledo honored Charlene Gilbert, director of the UT Catharine S. Eberly Center for Women, with the Zonta Women of Achievement Award for 2009.
The award is a way to celebrate women who have made a significant difference in their communities.
Since Gilbert has been at UT, she has doubled the services provided by the Center, created WISE, a mentor program for women in STEMM, and expanded Project Succeed, a center program aimed at recruiting and retaining non-traditional women students.
At the May 20 award ceremony, Gilbert spoke with admiration about the courageous women who benefit from the Eberly Center.
“Whether it be a 70-year-old woman who upon retiring in a dream house discovers her husband no longer wants to be married, a 20-year-old single mother who sees a college degree as the key to getting out of an abusive relationship, or a woman deciding to major in a field where she will be the only woman in a classroom for two to three years, those women making hard choices are the ones who achieve amazing things, blazing the way and allowing me the privilege of offering a helping hand on their journey,” she said.