Ohio University in Athens has selected its inaugural class of 20 Margaret Boyd Scholars. The new program seeks to inspire and encourage women undergraduate students to succeed and become leaders of the campus community. The program is open to all first-year women students. Those accepted into the program will receive academic enrichment and leadership development opportunities. The 20 scholars recently came together for a weekend retreat and will participate in a first-year seminar during the spring semester. Next year, the 20 Margaret Boyd Scholars will live in the same residence hall on campus.
The program was founded by Patti McSteen, associate dean of students; Tanya Barnett, director of degree programs at University College; and Susanne Dietzel, director of the university’s Women’s Center. Dr. McSteen, the director of the program, stated, “The basis of the program is to help develop women as leaders on campus and beyond through opportunity, access, mentoring and networking. We look to choose women to participate who are active agents of change on campus. We hope that women will be involved in other things on campus such as athletics, Greek life, student senate, various community service, undergraduate research and more.”
The new scholars program is named after an alumna of the Class of 1873, who was the first woman to graduate from the university. Maggie Boyd earned a bachelor’s degree in 1873 and two years later was the first woman to earn a master’s degree at the university. She then taught at Cincinnati Wesleyan College for Young Women and served as a high school principal in Martinsville, Indiana, and Athens, Ohio. She died in 1905 at the age of 60. A university dormitory is named in her honor.