After the reception of the first SHERO Awards, Newman University is proud to once again honor a special group of influential women from the Newman community.
“The SHERO Awards were created in 2019 to recognize the barrier-breaking women of the Newman University community who go over and beyond to create long-lasting change in the Wichita and Newman community,” said Joseph Shepard, director of multicultural engagement and campus life.
Beyond recognizing incredibly impactful women, “the awards were created to ensure that we’re promoting an atmosphere of equity, equality and inclusion,” said Shepard.
Shepard reinforced the need to make a stand against gender-based financial discrimination in addition to the importance of fighting for equality in general.
“Data states that women make 77 cents to every man’s dollar. As we look at the pay gap for women of color, the difference is significantly larger. This is one of many examples that highlight the need to advocate for women to be acknowledged and recognized for the value they bring to the table.
“All women of the Newman community are eligible for nominations,” stated Shepard. “We send out a campus-wide invitation for nominations. Judges are community members who reviewed each nomination and scored each nominee individually. Scores were then tabulated and the nominee with the highest score was deemed the winner.”
This year, four women were recognized, each of a different category:
- Faculty SHERO — Amy Siple, Ph.D., associate professor of nursing
- Staff SHERO — Angela McCoy, assistant director of MBA and degree completion program
- Student SHERO — Kimberly Pham
- Administration SHERO — Joanna Pryor
Shepard hopes to honor winners when the campus is reopened and it is safe to do so.
“We look forward to continuing our efforts to acknowledge the women of our Newman community through various avenues.”
