Grants or Gifts Relating to Women in Higher Education

Here is this week’s news of grants and gifts that may be of particular interest to women in higher education.

Gwen Latendresse, a professor at the University of Utah, College of Nursing, is leading a three-year, $1.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to examine the feasibility of using remote technology – like video calls and online forums – as preventative mental health treatment for perinatal depression. Depression is the most common complication of childbirth. Unfortunately, less than a quarter of women diagnosed with it receive treatment, and only 6 percent continue therapy. Dr. Latendresse is a graduate of Metropolitan State University in Denver. She holds a master’s degree in nurse-midwifery and a Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Utah.

Sweet Briar College, the women’s educational institution in Virginia, received a $5 million gift from alumna Keenan Colton Kelsey to support the renovation of Gray Hall. The building was constructed in 1906. In 2000 Gray Hall was transformed from a residence hall to an administrative and academic building, with the addition of classrooms and by modifying dorm rooms to become offices for faculty and staff. Now, with the college’s enrollment on the rise, Gray Hall will undergo a transition back to a residence hall. The project will restore original residence hall room configurations, replace demolished partitions, re-open blocked doors, and improve bathroom, kitchen, and laundry facilities. The college will also modernize Gray’s HVAC system.

Mount Holyoke College, the women’s college in South Hadley, Massachusetts, received a $499,437 National Science Foundation grant to produce virtual field experiences for underserved students. The grant is under the director of Angelica Patterson, curator of education and outreach at Miller Worley Center for the Environment at Mount Holyoke. With the grant, Dr. Patterson will produce virtual field experiences of various ecosystems that will be used to create a library for faculty and help transform the method in which underserved and underrepresented college students across the country learn about earth science. Dr. Patterson received her bachelor’s degree in natural resources from Cornell University. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in plant ecophysiology from Columbia University.

Cedar Crest College, the women’s college in Allentown, Pennsylvania, recently was awarded a three-year, $750,000 grant from the National Aeronautical and Space Administration to help engage and retain women in STEM, or science, technology, engineering, and math, disciplines. Starting this coming summer, 12 students will be able to participate in a five-week summer program before their first-year in college begins, working on research projects and receiving mentorship from faculty and upper-class students.