UB Gender Institute Presents Four Awards

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo Gender Institute honored two individuals and two organizations for outstanding civic engagement in public service, research, business and philanthropy for women and girls in the greater Buffalo-Niagara region at its 10th-anniversary gala on Oct. 19 in UB's Jacobs Executive Development Center, 672 Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo.

Janet Meiselman, president of Oxford Consulting Inc., received the Business and Community Development Award for the influential role she has played in securing affordable housing for women and children in Western New York.

The Leadership in Research Award was presented to UB's Research Institute on Addictions, where federally funded studies have had a major impact on our understanding of the role of gender in the etiology and treatment of a number of addiction disorders.

Assemblywoman Crystal D. Peoples received the Public Service Award and was praised as an outstanding public servant and community leader, and a forthright advocate on issues that affect women's daily lives: health and substance abuse issues, environmental conservation, entrepreneurship, business and higher education.

The Western New York Women's Fund received the Leadership in Philanthropy Award for its leadership in investing in innovative philanthropic solutions that raise money and give grants to local community programs promoting systemic change for women and girls to develop self-reliance and economic self-sufficiency.

UB's Gender Institute is celebrating 10 years of research awards and faculty collaboration that have produced innovative interdisciplinary research in the arts, cultures and texts, basic sciences, engineering, mathematics, technology, social sciences, feminist studies, global studies, humanities, law, health-related disciplines, nursing, dental, medical and biomedical sciences. The institute encourages participation in the development of gender-inclusive interdisciplinary research and education through networking activities, small grants, and three major annual events: Gender Week, a fall series events and presentations from high-profile UB and off-campus scholars; the International Women's Film Festival, a

regional cultural event bringing independent international women's films to Western New York; and the Annual Distinguished Faculty Lecture, a spring presentation highlighting innovative research from the institute's prominent faculty. The institute also is growing its partnership with the community and advancing UB's strategic strengths in Civic Engagement and Public Policy and Health and Wellness Across the Lifespan.