Liberal Arts Student Also Recognized
Dr. Tamela Eitle, dean of the IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI, has been recognized with a 2023 IUPUI Women’s History Month Recognition Award in the newcomer category that highlights faculty that have been at IUPUI for fewer than five years.
Liberal Arts economics student Rashi Dhenia, who is double majoring in Computer Engineering in the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology and Quantitative Economics in the IU School of Liberal Arts, was also recognized in the undergraduate student category.
For more than 20 years, these awards have been presented to recognize and celebrate students, faculty, and staff who have demonstrated significant leadership, achievement, advocacy, or service at the campus, community, national, and/or international level in support of gender equity, women’s empowerment, women’s history, or cultures of inclusion.
Dr. Eitle said, “It's humbling to be acknowledged among this year’s honorees as well as to join the long list of other women from the IU School of Liberal Arts that have received this award over the years.”
“I have particularly appreciated Dr. Eitle’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and social justice,” said Kathy E. Johnson, executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at IUPUI, who nominated Dr. Eitle for this award. “She is a fierce advocate for individuals from historical marginalized backgrounds, and this thread extends from her scholarly research through her leadership activities. She is deeply committed to advancing women in leadership roles and serves as an active and caring mentor for many women on campus.”
“Dean Eitle has made gender equity within the leadership of the School of Liberal Arts a priority, and she has generated substantial progress toward that goal,” said John F. DiTusa, dean of the Purdue School of Science at IUPUI, who also nominated Dean Eitle. “This has included retaining women faculty that have received offers of employment from other universities as well as hiring women into department chair positions and into staff leadership roles. This work has cultivated a culture of inclusivity within the school and supported the advancement of an inclusive climate more widely at IUPUI.”
Lori Handy, Ph.D., assistant dean for finance and administration for the IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI and another of Dean Eitle’s nominators, added, “Since joining IUPUI in early 2021, Dean Eitle has continually advocated for transparency, communication, and collaboration. She is focused on making positive changes even when it might be difficult, and her leadership has had an impact on me and the School.”
In total, five students, seven faculty, and four staff from across IUPUI were selected for recognition this year. The awards were formally presented during a recognition reception held on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, in the Campus Center. View the full list of 2023 Women’s History Month Recognition Award recipients.
2023 Women’s History Month Recognition Award recipients gather after the awards ceremony
The recognition event also included acknowledgement of the 2023 National Women’s History Month Theme, “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” Associate Professor Andrea Walton, IU School of Education, Bloomington, presented the keynote and discussed her recently edited and released book, Women at Indiana University, 150 Years of Experience and Contributions.
Several women affiliated with the IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI contributed to the book, including Catherine Dobris, associate professor of Communication Studies and director of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program; Mary Giorgio, Master of Arts in Public History; Angela Bowen Potter, Master of Arts in Public History; Rachel Jean Turner, adjunct instructor, Communications Studies; and Loree B. Wilcox, Master of Arts in Applied Communication.