The ACE Women’s Network – Ohio has four annual awards to honor and support women working in Ohio’s higher education institutions.
ACE WNO Awards include the Excellence in Higher Education Leadership Award, Excellence in Higher Education Research Award, Professional Development Scholarship Award, and the Campus Conversations Scholarship Award. Professional women employed by any ACE WNO participating institution are eligible to be nominated.
From left, Malaika Bell, director of Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Dr. Monica Klonowski, research associate with the Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute; Aleiah Jones, associate director of the Office of Multicultural Student Success; and Danielle Lutman, associate director for the Catharine S. Eberly Center.
Danielle Lutman, associate director for the Catharine S. Eberly Center who is the institutional representative for ACE WNO, submitted UToledo nominations for three of the four awards, all of which were selected as the state-wide winners.
“ ‘Lift as you climb’ is a common phrase we hear in women and gender equity spaces. Advancing and promoting gender equity on campus can only happen with the help of our campus community and so shouting out and lifting up the amazing work of my colleagues is one of my favorite things,” Lutman said. “When you nominate someone for an award, you send the message that you see them, you know they’re putting in the work, and they are making our campus better; you’re saying thank you in a way they can’t brush off.”
Aleiah Jones, associate director of the Office of Multicultural Student Success, was recognized with the 2023 Excellence in Higher Education Leadership Award, which ACE WNO describes as their highest honor, recognizing a woman leader who makes significant contributions to leadership development.
“It is an honor to be recognized by such an amazing organization that does such important work for women in higher education,” Jones said. “I am blessed to be able to give back to the community through the work that I do at the university. Thank you to Danielle for nominating me and being a true partner making positive change on campus.”
Dr. Monica Klonowski, research associate with the Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute, was recognized with the 2023 Excellence in Higher Education Research Award, which highlights research or publication that advances knowledge of women in higher education.
“I am honored to have been nominated and to receive this award, which would not have been possible without the women in higher education who agreed to share their stories and experiences to provide more nuanced perspectives on cultural violence in the context of an institution and theory in which their perspectives were previously omitted,” Klonowski said.
Lutman and Malaika Bell, director of Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, received the ACE WNO Campus Conversations Award, which supports women’s leadership development activities that foster continued conversations and collaboration. This funding will provide Rocket Revolutions to the Women’s Mentoring Network and Sister Circle.
“The time has come for us to focus on our commonalities, rather than our differences,” Bell said. “Rocket Revolutions provide an opportunity for our campus to share the human experience with one another, through this vulnerability we can begin to see each other in ways that negate our identities. During these dialogues, the attention is placed on our shared experiences as human beings.”
