The University of Virginia has many things to be proud of and many students have passed through to go on and accomplish many things. It comes with great pride to have such an astonishing number of accomplished alumnae who have made extraordinary contributions in the world. Among U.Va.’s finest graduates is social entrepreneur Jacqueline Novogratz, whom Forbes Magazine featured on the cover of its December 2011 issue, titled “Innovation Saves the World.”

I had the fortunate opportunity to listen to Jacqueline speak directly to the students of U.Va. when she received her Distinguished Alumna Award. Among her many accomplishments Jacqueline is distinguished for founding Acumen, a fund that seeks to invest in companies around the world whose goals are to make significant differences in their communities. A kind of micro-finance fund, Acumen has attracted many notable donors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as well as Warren Buffet.

A graduate of U.Va., class of 1983, Jacqueline spoke of her experience bartending in Charlottesville to pay for her tuition which she insisted on paying for herself. She recalled that she was always interested in volunteer work and donating to worthy causes. She said that she and a friend once delivered a box of toys to a family who was known to be in need. She explained how good she felt gathering the toys and putting the package together. It wasn’t until they made their way to the home and secretly dropped the package off that she said she was filled with overwhelming shame. She explained that the shame came from knowing that the parents were going to open the package, see the toys and be reminded that others know how incapable they were in providing for their children. It was then that she realized that providing handouts was not healthy option for anyone. Handouts were good for emergencies but not as a long term economic reform for the individual family. The pride she felt in working hard to pay for her education was something worth providing to others.

She wanted to find a way to help people who wanted to work hard and make a difference in their communities. Banking and the world of finance was an accidental career option, but it eventually gave her the opportunity to travel directly help make a difference.

As an international banker she helped set up a micro-finance bank in Rwanda. She recounted how she helped a group of local women set up the bank. It was there that she found the young boy wearing a sweater she had donated to Goodwill as a teen in Virginia. The global reach of charity became obvious and it was then that she realized her true passion in life was social entrepreneurship. Jacqueline recalled her later torment when she learned of the Rwandan genocide that took place only a few years later, and that her dear friends had either been murdered, stood as bystanders, or even acted as the main perpetrators. A lesson she will never forget is the one when she understood that a monster and angel lives inside each of us, and that every single one of us is capable of accomplishing great acts of good as well as evil.

Jacqueline went on to describe some of the trials she encountered in being a social entrepreneur and the frustrations in investing into the right companies. She said that it isn’t easy being in the social business, but it has been rewarding and worth the effort to accomplish. Jacqueline believes that when people are given the opportunity to earn a living and experience the satisfaction of providing for their families in our increasingly globalized society, the better off we all will be.

By Jyle Dupuis
Image courtesy of TED

When life hangs in a balance we rely on a select group of nurses who commit their lives in increasing our odds of survival. The training involved to join these corps of miracle workers is not for the faint of heart and the education they receive has to prepare them for this increasingly complex field of study. When the University of Virginia was looking for a new dean to head their School of Nursing, they saw fit to call Dorrie Fontaine and recruited her in 2008. Her reputation as a dedicated nurse, author, and associate dean at the University of California at San Francisco cemented her candidacy.

I had the chance to correspond with Dean Fontaine and learn more about who she is, and it became apparent that her dedication and common-sense approach to patient care and teaching sets her apart in the effort to train and direct a new kind of nursing professional.

Playing the cymbals in her marching band at Villanova University, Fontaine knew that she wanted to be a nurse.

“I always loved the intensive care unit and so became a critical care nurse,” Fontaine says.

Although nursing is a career many people would avoid and find emotionally draining, Fontaine found her niche and sought to provide a humanist and common-sense approach to patient care. Understanding firsthand that the quality of care a patient receives is in direct correlation with the health of the workplace environment, Dorrie later sought to teach and promote these principles. She wanted to prepare nurses for the profession by teaching the skills necessary to take care of themselves, be accountable for their workplace, and be ready to always provide compassionate care for their patients.

As a scholar, Dean Fontaine’s areas of expertise have focused on an in-depth look at the intensive care process and the promotion of a healthy workplace environment for nurses, doctors, and patients. Among her many published articles, she wrote, “Promoting a Healthy Workplace for Nursing Faculty and Staff” in the Nursing Clinics of North America. She sought to highlight the pitfalls of an unhealthy workplace and the toll it later takes on the quality of patient care.

She told us that “I have a commitment to creating a healthy work environment where all—faculty and staff—can flourish. We used appreciative inquiry as a strategic planning method and try to practice this way. I also have started a compassionate care initiative [which is] in its fourth year now where we are creating resilient nursing students and health care providers who can better care for themselves so that they can give excellent care to patients, families, and communities. We are engaged in inter-professional education training to all third year nursing and medical students together. We are a national model for this.”

Dean Fontaine Has had many successes with her department since taking charge. One of which has been a recent poll by the US News who gave the School of Nursing a ranking of 15th for best graduate level nursing school in the United States for 2013.

So what’s next for Dorrie Fontaine? Well aside from taking time to offer lectures and participating in seminars, she has managed to secure a new $5 million gift from Bill and Joanne Conway and says that she has plans “to double the size of our Clinical Nurse Leader Program and give students scholarships and hire new faculty.”

In just a short amount of time Dean Dorrie Fontaine has made her mark on the University of Virginia and its reputation as a premier center of education for nursing students. Her love for the University and efforts to expand her department will undoubtedly facilitate the training needed for a new generation of aspiring nurses who will later go on to provide compassionate care for all.

By Jyle Dupuis
Image courtesy of UVA

The University of Virginia is a dynamic institution; it is characterized by a thriving system of students, faculty, and staff who are the lifeblood of the “community of trust” we so admire. In our “Faculty Spotlight” feature, Iris seeks to celebrate some of the admirable, inspirational, and interesting women at our University. There truly is no shortage of such figures, and we recognize that we are only able to offer a glimpse of the achievements of the women in our academic community. Iris and the University of Virginia Women’s Center are happy to present the women in these “spotlights” in an attempt to honor their contributions to the University and dedication to their work. As the spring semester of 2013 comes to a close, it is our sincerest hope that as the reader of this series, you will find the same sense of pride and admiration that we do for these outstanding female faculty members.

Professor Zjaleh Hajibashi is a professor of Persian language and literature in the Middle Eastern & South Asian Languages & Cultures department here at the University of Virginia. Professor Hajibashi generously offered her time to answer a few questions for Iris.

While growing up in West Texas, Zjaleh Hajibashi says, “In a body that announced itself as different both by color and by name, I lived a world away from the country where absolutely everyone would know how to say ‘Zjaleh.’”

It was this intersection between her identity and her desire for advancing her education that proved an inspiring background for her eventual decision to devote her life’s pursuits to Persian literature.

Zjaleh Hajibashi studied English Literature as an undergraduate student at Rice University. After discovering a love and admiration for Virginia Woolf, Hajibashi sought to broaden her literary understanding by embarking on a course of study that involved Persian and Arabic literature in graduate school, and as they say, the rest is history.

Of her decision to dedicate her education to Persian and Arabic literatures, she says, “this decision opened more doors than I could possibly describe, enriching, as it has, not only my capacity for literary critical endeavors, but also my appreciation for other cultural worlds.”

Hajibashi cites a trip to Iran for dissertation research as another pivotal factor in her desire to engage in further pursuit of Persian literature and culture.

In 2000, Professor Hajibashi was hired to teach Persian language and literature at the University of Virginia. After receiving a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature with a specialization in Persian, Professor Hajibashi worked closely with Professor Farzaneh Milani to expand the Persian program at U.Va. Hajibashi says of her colleagues, “[they] were a very engaging group and the department I was to join promised to be a welcoming environment.”

What struck her most, however, was the beauty of the grounds of Thomas Jefferson’s university.

“Walking through the gardens on grounds, I remember thinking how extraordinary it was to have such peaceful spaces woven into such a vibrant place of higher learning,” said Hajibashi.

At the University, Hajibashi writes that teaching is one of her utmost passions. When asked to share one “fun fact” about herself, Professor Hajibashi responded, “since I was a child, one of my very favorite things to do has been to ride a unicycle. Unfortunately, a foot injury has side-lined me for the past several years.”

Professor Hajibashi’s dedication to her department at the University, marked by an extensive knowledge and passion for the genre of Persian literature, have made her an outstanding candidate for our first “Faculty Spotlight.” What’s next on Professor Hajibashi’s agenda?

Several contributions to the literary community, of which Hajibashi says: “Writing Confinement in Iran, my book in progress, is a project I’m very passionate about. I have been able to pursue work on the project here in part because of generous funding from the Arts and Sciences Research Awards. Writing Confinement in Iran introduces prison memoirs from the period following the 1979 Islamic Revolution and explores the myriad ways in which first-person narratives reflect social controls.”

In addition to this memoir project, she is also in the process of “two ongoing creative writing projects, my novella: Day Breaks in Iran, and a poetry collection, Another “Alefba,” for Persian Words’ Indefinition.

Professor Hajibashi is currently teaching Elementary Persian, Readings in Modern Persian Prose Fiction, and Twentieth-Century Persian Literature in Translation. If you would like to learn more about Professor Hajibashi or the Department of Middle Eastern & South Asian Languages & Cultures, please follow the link to their website.

- Addie

Old Mother Earth, the giver of life and home to us all, is constantly being threatened. Women from all over the country have taken the lead to start new green initiatives within their organizations to help make a difference in their communities. First Lady Michelle Obama recruited the help of Monticello’s Garden Curator, Peter Hatch, to help start an organic garden at the White House. And even here at the University of Virginia our own Kendall Singleton took on the role as Sustainability Coordinator with dining services when she saw that their waste and carbon footprint needed reforming.

These are all remarkable stories of what remarkable women have done to make a difference. So what can the rest of us do to really make an impact of change? This year for Mother Earth Day (April 22nd) let us focus on what each and every one of us can do now. Learning achievable goals today can help us change some of our bad energy wasting habits, which alone may not make a difference but collectively can make a difference.

Being a student living on your own for the first time poses many challenges. With a limited budget, school, roommates, friends and a part-time job occupying your time, it’s hard to stop and make a conscientious effort to ensure that the paper is separated from the cardboard. So for the sake of simplicity and with a renewed effort to commit to making a difference this Earth Day, here is a list of simple things we can all learn to make a habit of doing. At the end of the day it’s the simple things that make all the difference.

• Turn off the lights when you leave a room. If it’s a nice bright sunny day, open the blinds. I’m always surprised by how simple and yet easily forgotten a habit this one is.
• Unplug chargers and devices not being used. Mostly anything plugged into an outlet draws energy. It might seem insignificant, but collectively and overtime can account for a lot of wasted electricity.
• Freecycle. Not quite the same of recycling, Freecycle is an online community of people committed to keeping good quality stuff out of the landfill. If you don’t need something, give it away. If you need something, ask for it.
• Support companies that have environmental efforts. Do some research and purchase goods and do business with companies that are making an effort to save energy and make environmental contributions.
• Walk, carpool and take public transportation. Most of you do this anyways, but it seems all too easy to suddenly want to drive a block down the street when you do have a car at your disposal.
• Recycle! Electronics, batteries, cloths, etc… can all have a life after they are long outdated. Be informed about what could and should not go into the trash.

Also, be sure to come by the Women’s Center (the “Corner Building” at the intersection of 14th St. & University Ave.) on Earth Day this Monday, April 22nd between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to pick up a pledge card. Take a study break and simply write a specific thing that you will pledge to do on the card and keep it as a daily reminder of your goals. Get a snack while you’re here! So what will you commit to do to help the environment this year?

By Jyle Dupuis
Image courtesy of The White House Blog 

The anticipation of war loomed into the hearts of every British citizen of 1939. They understood that by declaring war with Germany each and every one of them was a target, subject to be attacked by the bombing raids. To them it wasn’t a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ were they going to attack. Should they panic and abandon their cities? Stockpile weapons and barricade themselves in their homes? The advice given to them from their Ministry of Information was direct and concise. KEEP CALM and CARRY ON. The idea was that the only way they were going to mentally survive and win the war was if they all remained calm and carried on with their lives and their jobs.

With final exams quickly approaching many students are starting to feel the pressure to do well. The stress that seems to follow can be overwhelming, causing panic, anxiety and even adverse physical manifestations. Like the British of 1939, learning safe and effective coping strategies now is an important tool you can use throughout your life well beyond your days in University.

So what is the best way to deal with stress? The truth is that there is no one correct method. The human condition is too complex to be summed up in a one, cure-all solution. The truth is that it is an individual journey and one that only you can figure out. Some people have to gain inner peace in India – others find coping strategies among friends. So this question is worth asking a few people.

How do you cope with stress?

Jyle – Bob Parsons, founder and owner of GoDaddy.com said that one of his keys for success is his ability to cope with stress effectively. His lesson came when he was a soldier in Vietnam. Faced with the likelihood of death on a daily basis, Parsons had been stressed to the max. He decided to envision himself dying, coming to terms and accepting it. Every day that he was alive after that, seemed to him like a new gift of life. He performed better as a soldier and became a successful entrepreneur by applying those same stress techniques.

When faced with a stressful situation I like to think ‘what is the worst that can happen?,’ accept it as a likelihood, and when the worst doesn’t happen I am somewhat relieved and move on. I also tend to be inside my head allot so anything that gets me to operate something other than my mind is a stress relief. Playing Call of Duty, tinkering on my car, fixing things or gardening are all ways I like to get out and decompress.

Aida – When I’m feeling outdoorsy, which is… not often, I like to take a book and a blanket and read in the sunshine or take a walk around the prettier parts of Grounds, like Darden Court in the E-School. If it’s rainy or cold I’ll stay in my dorm room and lie around in my pajamas drinking tea and playing Sims on my computer. Smaller, quicker things I do to de-stress include painting my nails, listening to podcasts (highly recommend This American Life and The JV Club), baking, and taking Sporcle quizzes! And nothing beats getting a good night’s sleep!

Ginger – When I am feeling stressed out I like to turn on the TV and watch a good episode of Miss Marple (BBC). There’s something mentally soothing to watch a good murder mystery. Solving crimes by analyzing people in a ‘who did it’ kind of way helps drain away other preoccupied thoughts.

Addie – Whether we like it or not, stress is just a part of being alive in the twenty-first century. We are forever haunted by our e-mail, our cellphones, our televisions, and our computers; we are accessible anytime, anywhere. I often times realize that I have forgotten what it is like when things are completely silent. I live my life to a soundtrack of iPhone rings and fingers hitting computer keys, and I can’t sit down to do my work without my headphones in. So, when I’m stressed–I unplug myself. I turn off my phone, shut down my computer, turn off the TV, and just let myself be! When this isn’t enough, I always treat myself to a massage or a new outfit (retail therapy is real!), and if all else fails, I go home, because if there is one thing I know it’s that nothing is better than scooping up my 3 year old Bichon-Shihtzu mix into my arms and letting her little pink tongue lick all my stress away!

Like the British of 1939, keeping calm and carrying on meant being prepared by building bomb shelters, but otherwise living life as normally as possible to demonstrate to the Nazis a resolve that couldn’t be intimidated. Stressful situations will come and go throughout your life. Learning helpful/healthy coping strategies that work for you is one of the most important lessons you can learn in universities.

So what do you find helpful in dealing with stress?

Image courtesy of Anna Gutermuth and Wikipedia.org

A big thank you to everyone who came out to participate and discuss Bad** Women in Politics with us. We had a great discussion with our guest panel speakers who shared with us their favorite political women. The bada** nominations were terrific and we all had a great time discussing past and current issues about women, gender and the political arena.

Our first speaker was Lynn Sanders who spoke briefly about Monique Wittig, author of Les Guérillères. A novel widely considered as one of the great examples of feminist ideology. In it an army of women rise to power and through war finally attain peace by taking political and military power away from men.

Sanders also discussed Shirley Chisholm who in the 60’s rose to popularity and became the first African-American female to be elected and serve a term as congresswoman. She also became the first African-American female to run for the office of United States President in 1972. She ran her Presidential campaign without the support of feminist rights groups who said she was not middle-class enough. She was refused support from the NAACP who saw no interest in having her as president. Without any support she ran her campaign but eventually lost at the Democratic Convention.

Suzie McCarthy was also kind enough to attend our panel and she felt like Jeannette Rankin fit the bill of someone who deserved the bada** title. A lifelong pacifist, Rankin was the first female to be elected into the US Congress. During her times in office she opposed the United States involvement in both World Wars and even after retirement she led rallies opposing the Vietnam War. McCarthy reiterated how hard it was for Rankin, who was a pacifist, to vote against involvement in World War II even after the Pearl Harbor attack when the nation demanded revenge. With war sentiments being so strong in the nation, congressmen wanted to show a strong unified House. After Rankin cast her vote she was literally chased out of the House and, fearing for her life, had to hide in a phone booth where she waited for a police escort.

Our final panel speaker was Lawrie Balfour who gave us an interesting look into the life of Ida B. Wells. Born into slavery in Mississippi, Wells had a hard time staying silent about the mistreatment of African-Americans. Through her investigative journalism she discovered the organization behind lynchings. Wells came to realize that lynchings were not just a form of ‘street justice’ by an angry mob. By giving her witness reports through her writings she exposed that lynchings were used by local law enforcers and other city officials for control and intimidation of local black populations. Her publications later helped the US change by having pressure put on them by the international community.

By discussing bada** women in politics our panel helped us understand that women play an important role in effecting change. So who do you believe deserves to be called a Bada** Woman in Politics?

It is 1990. Hundreds of students are standing on the steps of the Rotunda holding candles, day and night. They take turns through the nights and days with other students, male and female. All of the students are determined to continue the vigil until they reach their goal. Holding candles of hope on the steps of the University structure that is most representative of hope, the students say they will not leave until the vigil has gone on for 134 hours. Why 134 hours? That was the number of sexual assaults that had been reported through all local offices and agencies, both at the University and in the community, in 1990.

The students also have a demand: create a sexual assault prevention and education office for the University, and hire a full-time coordinator to lead change at the University. Faculty and students wanted that office and coordinator at the Women’s Center, where it resides today.

Created and designed by Claire Kaplan in 1991 to combat sexual violence and abuse through advocacy, training and leadership, Sexual and Domestic Violence Services (SDVS) at the Women’s Center is a key resource and support for both male and female students. Increasingly, faculty and staff too have sought out SDVS for active engagement. Many have opted to take part in the Survivor Support Training program in order to better understand and help those survivors who come to them for advice at perhaps the most vulnerable time in their lives.

Prevention of sexual assault and intimate partner violence, and support for survivors, are at the heart of SDVS. But no one program, office, or person can do this alone: that is why partnerships with others who are combating violence are so highly valued within SDVS. These key partnerships are both within the University—for instance, with the Office of the Dean of Students, Student Health, the Forensic Nursing Team, and the University Police—and within the community, for example with the Sexual Assault Resource Agency (SARA), the Shelter for Help and Emergency (SHE), and the community Victim-Witness Assistance Program.

The services and leadership training provided through SDVS include advocacy, information and referral for survivors; seminars; for-credit courses; self-defense short courses as well as full RAD training; peer mentorship; training in effective support of survivors; and direct accompaniment of students seeking aid inside and outside of the University.

Students who partner with SDVS—whether Women’s Center interns or peer educators –are also a core part of SDVS: they provide some of the best ideas for outreach to their peers. This partnership is in full force to retool and expand programs using best practices and a primary prevention model of social and behavioral change. Claire, our U.Va. and community partners, and student activists anticipate introducing exciting new programs in the fall aimed at engaging the entire U.Va. community.

Claire earned her B.S. from UC Davis, her master’s from the University of Southern California, and her Ph.D. from U.Va. She joined the LA Commission on Assaults Against Women as a hotline advocate in 1983, where she played a leadership role for many years. In 1991 she was hired as the first Director of the SVDS program.

With the increased need to provide accurate, concise and effective training to combat sexual violence at U.Va., Claire developed a stream of assistive programs to help victims in many areas that are often overlooked. Inclusiveness has been a hallmark of Claire’s work, from her days on the LA Commission on Assaults Against Women, where she trained the first Deaf hotline counselors, to the ground-breaking Handbook For Survivors published by SDVS, which has chapters written by survivors from every background.

Claire has made an impact nationally as well, working hard to have intimate partner violence included in the Clery Act, for instance. By invitation, she spoke in 2012 at the National District Attorneys Annual Conference on Domestic Violence. This spring she was invited to the White House in recognition of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, and recently was invited again to launch “No More,” a new national campaign on violence against women.

During Take Back The Night Week (April 8th – 11th), SDVS will be joining with the Sexual Assault Leadership Council and the TBTN organizers to host a series of events at the University. TBTN is an annual program at U.Va. that aims at ending silence about sexual violence and aiding in the elimination of sexual violence in our community.

The TBTN marchers demand something so simple and yet so difficult to achieve: safety for women from assault, whoever they are and wherever they go, whether they walk in the day or at night. But TBTN events go beyond this, bringing together survivors of domestic and sexual abuse to discuss its complexities and offer solutions for awareness and change. TBTN events include a panel on How to Date a Survivor, a Sexual Misconduct Board Mock Trial, a Poetry Slam and the “Rally, March and Survivors’ Speakout.”

Those candles of hope lit in 1990 on the steps of the Rotunda have never gone out. They speak to us, those flames of a passionate desire for change: they ask for our help, for our compassion. They tell us there is so much more for us to do before we have taken back the night.

• Sexual and Domestic Violence Services (SDVS)
• Take Back the Night

By Jyle Dupuis

Iris Magazine is proud to host yet another Bada** Women’s Event. This time we will be discussing Women in Politics. We have a great panel of speakers lending us their time to discuss their favorite bada** women in the world of politics so be sure to attend. OpenGrounds has been kind enough to let us take over their facility and as usual treats and refreshments will be provided.

Again for those wishing to attend RSVP via Facebook is prefered just so we know how many people are attending otherwise feel free to walk-in to attend. It will be at the U.Va. OpenGrounds 1400 University Avenue, Charlottesville, VA. Thursday April 4th at 12:30 p.m.

Like I said we are expecting some terrific panel speakers such as Lynn Sanders who is an Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies at U.Va. She wanted to stop by to discuss Monique Wittig, author of Les Guérillères & Shirley Chisholm, who was the first black female elected to the US Congress in 1968 and later the first black female to run for the US Presidential elections in 1972.

We will also be hearing from Lawrie Balfour, Associate Professor at the Department of Politics at U.Va. She would like to discuss Ida B. Wells. African-American, journalist, newspaper editor, suffragist, sociologist, author, and political persuader. Her contributions to the advancement of civil rights and liberties are a great source of inspiration to anyone who wants inspiration to advance change in a seemingly corrupt society.

Our third speaker for tomorrow will be Suzie McCarthy, PhD student at U.Va., Suzie has already found her niche in social media and political activism when she coordinated the  ”Students, Friends, and Family for the Reinstatement of President Sullivan”. It seemed fitting when she decided to discuss Jeannette Rankin who provides further evidence that well-behaved women seldom make history.

We hope you all will be there to attend and learn about these great Bada** Women in Politics.

Iris Magazine and the U.Va. Women’s Center teamed up to host “Navigating The Real World” a lunch seminar geared towards offering tips and advice on landing that first job out of college and pursuing a successful career path. Many of our interns have voiced concerns about their career options and it certainly is a hot topic for any student who is approaching graduation. Graduating from University for many students means the completion of a lifetime goal. Once attained, many graduates may feel lost or fearful about what to do next.

This needn’t be the case was the common theme of today’s discussion. In sharing our career stories it became evident that everyone had a unique narration of jobs that pushed them into all different directions. They all have taken on jobs that they didn’t like, quite jobs they found unfulfilling, changed career directions (sometimes several times), tried on different hats to find out what their passions were – and yet in the end might still be unsure of what the next step will be. The common theme seemed to be that life was more of a journey rather than a destination. Plans are good and they offer stability, but plans can be broken and changed as many times as you want, because in the end it is your journey and yours alone to make.

Our guest speaker for this discussion group was human resource manager Kyle Massey of the University of Virginia’s Temporary Search Group. She wanted to stress that despite the economy there is gainful employment to be had at the University. Here at U.Va. they are constantly looking for people to fill new positions but that the trick for getting your foot in the door is through temporary work. The Temp Search Group is essentially designed to work for you and find the right position to suit your preferences and abilities. Very often (once in) these temp jobs allow you to network and access internal jobs that can later become full-time and permanent jobs. Temp-work is also a great way for recent grads to really get a feel for the many career paths out there and discover jobs that they might not have considered before.

Choosing a career today is more than just analyzing education cost, equating salary, job security and availability. The real questions you should be asking yourself is “is this your passion, do you love your job, are you good at it and how do you make money doing this.” A common theme among successful people is that they pursued a passion that later became a business or career. If you are unsure of your passions go out there and get involved. Take up a hobby, join a team or club, volunteer, network and ask around. Very little can be accomplished alone so take risks, make mistakes and live your life. Life tends to pull you into all different directions so it is important to always find and stay grounded constant in your ambitions and goals.

For information about the U.Va. Temporary Search Group follow the link provided.

On March 5th 2013 Iris Magazine of the U.Va.’s Women’s Center hosted a luncheon discussion – the topic: “Bada** Women in Literature.”  Held at U.Va. OpenGrounds, the program featured three great U.Va. faculty members who spoke to us about their favorite female literary writers and why they thought their picks deserved the title of bada**.

Our first guest speaker was Deborah McGrady who is the Associate Professor & Chair at the Department of French.  She discussed her favorite bada** author Christine de Pizan, a French/Italian medieval author who gained fame by being the court writer for several dukes and later at the French royal court during the time of Charles VI.  She was noticed when she wrote attacks against Jean de Meun who was famous for writing Romance of the Rose, a novel in which a female character seduces a young monastic monk.  Authoring many poems during her 31 year career as a writer, she is now credited as being the first professional female writer and some argue as the first feminist writer.  Being so well respected in the French Royal courts she found that her writing had an influential impact on moving the social issues of her time forward.

Our second speaker was Professor Alison Booth from the Department of English.  Her favorite bada** author was French 19^th century author, George Sand.  Famous for her many literary works, Sand was popular around the world for her captivating novels.  Known to wear men clothes, Sand challenged the social norms of her time.  And during the French rebellion of 1848 she started a newspaper to help publish her socialist sympathies towards the French working class.  Booth also showed us her new Collective Biographies for Women database that references and cross-references women writers.

Our final guest speaker was Associate Professor Victoria Olwell from the Department of English. She described how Harriet Jacobs and her biography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl earned her the rights to be called Victoria’s favorite bada** author. Born and raised in slavery on a plantation in North Carolina, Jacobs escaped her servitude and hid in her grandmother’s attic for seven long years. Much of her life was then spent trying to avoid being captured and she later used her experience and connections to assist others in escaping slavery. Though she was initially approached to sell her story to Harriet Beecher Stowe, Jacobs decided instead to publish Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl under her own pen name.

Iris Magazine and the Women’s Center are planning many more Bada** Women seminars, so please stay tuned for more information.

Our Next Bada** Women Event

“Bada** Women in Politics”
Apri 4th, 12:30 @ OpenGrounds
RSVP with us on Facebook

All Welcome!