International Women’s Day At Lee

  • Friday, February 27, 2015
  • Katelyn Tresh, Lee University

Lee University is set to hold events March 17-19 in celebration of International Women’s Day, which is recognized worldwide to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. This year’s theme for the global celebration is “Make It Happen.” 

The Cultural Diversity Committee of Lee University has been organizing and recognizing IWD on campus since 2009. 

"The goal is for this year’s IWD celebration to be a time in which the Lee student body is not only informed about the many challenges faced and accomplishments achieved by women nationally and across the globe, but to also become active participants in this awareness campaign,” said Dr. Ana Alves, chair of the IWD subcommittee and assistant professor of political science at Lee. 

Mary Matthias-Dickerson will speak in a special liturgical chapel service on Tuesday, March 17, at 10:40 a.m. in the Lee Chapel. She, along with Pastor Heidi Johnson, will present a dialectic sermon based on Hannah’s Song in 1 Samuel 2, and Mary’s Song in Luke 1. 

On Wednesday, March 18, an IWD interdisciplinary poster session will be held from 2-4 p.m. in the Great Room of the Science and Math Complex. This event is a first for Lee University and will allow students to join the conversation by presenting their own research on women’s issues to Lee students, faculty, staff and the community. Among the posters to be presented are “Maternal Health and Mortality in Nigeria,” “Eliminating Domestic Violence against Women and Girls,” and “Capturing Mary in the Arts: Woman, Mother, Role Model.” 

On Thursday, March 19 at 10:40 a.m., Esmeralda Lee will speak in chapel in the Conn Center. She will share about her experience as a Christian woman in the business world. 

Ms. Matthias-Dickerson, originally from Arizona, joined Lee in 2011 to help launch the art major. She became interested in painting during a study abroad trip in Florence, Italy, during her undergraduate program. Her art has been exhibited at a variety of places at local, national and international levels. She has also conducted painting and drawing workshops and demonstrations in the United States, Mexico, and France. 

Pastor Johnson serves as an adjunct in Campus Ministries at Lee. She received her bachelor of arts in biblical studies at Colorado Christian University and her master of divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. She has served as an ordained pastor for reformed churches in Texas, Illinois, and Tennessee. She is married to Dr. Aaron Johnson, assistant professor of humanities at Lee. 

Ms. Lee grew up in South Africa during apartheid. She came to America and earned her master’s in public health with a concentration in health care administration from the University of Tennessee after completing her bachelor’s degree from Lee University. She has worked at Life Care Centers of America in many positions, but currently serves as campus manager of Garden Plaza of Cleveland. She has held many board positions in the community, as well as earned various awards. She became an American citizen in 2008. She is married to Dr. Andrew Lee, an assistant professor of English at Lee, and they have three kids. 

“We are super excited to hear Mary, Heidi, and Esmeralda during chapel,"s aid Dr. Alves.  "We have also gotten a great response from students regarding the IWD poster session. We will have 14 posters from students from a variety of courses and majors.  We expect this year’s IWD celebrations to be eye-opening, thought provoking, and encouraging.”   

All events are free and open to the public.  For more information about IWD, please visit www.internationalwomensday.com. For more information about IWD events on campus, please contact Dr. Alves at aalves@leeuniversity.edu.

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