Women’s Giving Circle Awards Nearly $100,000 to University Programs

Mental Health First Aid Training for Higher Education award recipient Monica Holland with WGC President Billye Veteto, Senior Advisor for Advancement Sandy Edwards and Provost Terry Martin. Photo by Brandon Ngo.

The University of Arkansas Women’s Giving Circle celebrated its 22nd year of funding innovative projects, programs and research last week by awarding $99,745 at its annual fall voting event.

This year’s funding brings the group’s total to more than $1.9 million awarded since 2002.

The Women’s Giving Circle is made up of U of A alumnae, faculty, staff and friends of the university and was created to encourage women as philanthropic leaders.

Members of the circle make yearly contributions to generate funds for the awards, and these contributions are pooled together and awarded annually to selected recipients who complete the grant proposal process.

This year’s grant recipients were chosen from 31 proposals, with 11finalists selected through an online vote. Women’s Giving Circle members heard presentations from the finalists as part of the event and then voted to select the winning programs. The amounts of the eight grants awarded this year ranged from $4,411 up to $20,000.

“We’re incredibly proud of the diverse grant proposals that we are able to fund each year,” said Billye Veteto, WGC president. “These projects will bring long-lasting impact and positive change, and we are honored to play a part in helping them succeed. It’s fulfilling to be part of a group that believes in the strength of women-led philanthropy and, as the Women’s Giving Circle continues to grow in both membership and impact, we welcome anyone interested to join us in making a tangible difference on campus, in our community and across the state of Arkansas.”

The recipients of funding this year include:

Investigating the Biochemical Pathways Driving Tumor-Induced Bone Disease – Presented by Leonard Harris with the College of Engineering, this proposal received $20,000 in funding.

This project will investigate the biochemical pathways inside cancer cells that promote tumor-induced bone disease, a painful condition that arises in cancer patients when tumors metastasize to the bone, with the ultimate goal of improving therapeutic outcomes for patients.

Mental Health First-Aid Training for Higher Education – Presented by Monica Holland from Student Affairs, this proposal received $19,550 in funding.

This project will provide the U of A campus with training related to Mental Health First Aid for Higher Education. This skill-based training course teaches early intervention techniques and equips the campus community with mental health literacy to understand, identify and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges.

Veterans Impact Program and Orientation – Presented by Megan Witherspoon Evans from Student Affairs, this proposal received $18,450 in funding.

This project will provide a small, cohort-style experience for the U of A’s veteran students, meeting weekly throughout the fall semester. Participants will learn about campus resources, best practices for using their VA education benefits, build career-oriented skills and knowledge, and be paired with a faculty, staff or returning student veteran on campus for mentorship.

Breast Milk Dehydration Project – Presented by Griffiths G. Atungulu from the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, this proposal received $17,309 in funding.

This project aims to dehydrate expressed breast milk via an innovative vacuum-assisted convective drying method, effectively eliminating the need for cold storage of breast milk while maintaining stability. This technology will provide a solution for all mothers who want to continue to provide breast milk for their infants while they are away.

Arkansas Health and Wellness Research Course and Summit – Presented by Louise Hancox, Dean Lynda Coon and Madison Price from the Honors College, this proposal received $7,475 in funding.

High-achieving students from across Arkansas will gather in a class that will lay the foundation for their understanding of the most pressing themes and challenges in health and wellness across the state. Students will engage in research and gather at a Health and Wellness Summit to present their findings to the community and state legislators with the goal of improving health outcomes for Arkansans.

Adolescent Menstrual Education and Needs (AMEN) – Presented by Emily Richardson with the College of Education and Health Professions, this proposal received $6,550 in funding.

The Adolescent Menstrual Education and Needs (AMEN) program aims to increase parental-child communication around menstrual, reproductive and sexual health. This project will facilitate exploratory focus groups of parents and guardians in Arkansas to better understand parental barriers and strengths to educating their children on menstrual health.

A Randomized Control Trial of a Group Treatment for Incarcerated Female Sexual Assault Victims – Presented by Ana Julia Bridges in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, this proposal received $6,000 in funding.

This research project will compare incarcerated participants of the Survivors Healing from Abuse: Recover through Exposure (SHARE) to a wait-list control. SHARE was specifically designed to treat sexual trauma in incarcerated women. This research will ultimately show SHARE’s effectiveness and allow for publication of a treatment manual for wider use.

Curriculum Materials Center to Support Future Teachers – Presented by Megan York from University Libraries, this proposal received $4,411.09 in funding.

Instructional materials such as games, posters, models, maps and puppets will support pre-service teachers within the College of Education and Health Professions. Housed in Mullins Library, these materials will create a library of “things” to aid in the creation of lesson plans and development of educational activities for new teachers.

About The Women’s Giving Circle: The Women’s Giving Circle was established in 2002, and its founding members include Sylvia Boyer (B.S.E.’63), Pat Cooper, Johnelle Hunt, Debbie King, Mary Trimble Maier (B.A.’49), Julia Peck Mobley (B.S.E.’65), Harriett Phillips (B.A.’72), Lynne Walton (B.A.’70), Margaret Whillock (B.S.E.’57), Mary Lib White and Donna Axum Whitworth (B.A.’66, M.A.’69).