Pulitzer Prize-winning and nationally syndicated columnist Ellen Goodman headlines the dedication of the new Center for Women at Case Western Reserve University at 9 a.m. October 23 in the Thwing Center Ballroom.

Case President Edward M. Hundert and Dorothy Miller, center director, will kick off and host the event.

A symposium, luncheon and dedication ribbon-cutting celebrating the grand opening follow Goodman's address. She will host a question-and-answer session after her talk.

The symposium, "Women's Visions for a Strong Community: Health, Education and Leadership," begins at 10:45 a.m. in Thwing Center and features nine break-out sessions for participants. Case Interim Provost Lynn Singer will
be the luncheon speaker from noon to 1:30 p.m., followed by the ribbon cutting at 1:30 p.m.

All Thursday events, except lunch, are free to students, faculty and staff with their Case I.D. Lunch is $10 for students and $25 for faculty and staff and will be served in the Thwing Ballroom.

The campus community and general public are also invited to a free open house and celebration throughout the day October 24.

According to Miller, the Center for Women's mission is an important component in the achievement of Case's goal of creating the most powerful learning environment in the world. Activities at the center are designed to recognize, first, that learning takes place both inside and outside the classroom and, second, that learning is enhanced when all members of the community enjoy a safe, healthy and intellectually stimulating environment.

Literally all of the center's goals and activities are geared toward enhancing the learning environment, Miller said.

A nationally renowned columnist who writes primarily about social issues and change, Goodman's Pulitzer Prize-winning commentary appears in more than 450 newspapers, making her one of the two most syndicated columnists in the United States.

Goodman has been an innovative force in American journalism. She once said, "I think readers need to be less alienated from editorial pages" and made them so by expanding the debate on opinion pages. She has commented on the tumult of social change and its impact on families and shattered the mold of men being the only ones to write about politics.

She is widely acclaimed as "a voice of sanity" and readers depend on her to help them make sense of their changing lives and relationships.

Goodman has won numerous journalism awards throughout her career. In addition to the Pulitzer Prize for Distinguished Commentary, she has won numerous honors from organizations such as the National Women's Political Caucus, the American Society of Newspaper Editors and the Women's Research and Education Institute. She also is a former researcher for "Newsweek" and worked as a reporter and columnist for the "Detroit Free Press" and "Boston Globe." Her column was syndicated by "The Washington Post" Writers Group in 1976.

For more information on the Center for Women dedication events, contact the center at 368-0985 or visit its Web site at http://www.case.edu/provost/centerforwomen.

Return to the online edition of the 10-16-03 Campus News.