CU Empowering Women in Leadership and STEM conference
Cameron University will present CU Empowering Women in Leadership and STEM, a conference aimed at strengthening the leadership skills of women in southwest Oklahoma, on Friday, February 28. Dr. Darla Fent-Kelly, Assistant Dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies at the University of Central Oklahoma, will present a keynote address titled “Women 2 Woman: Support in the Workplace Using the Labyrinth to ‘Create Space’ for Self and Others.” The program is open to the public at no cost and takes place in the Shelper Ballroom in the Shepler Center. Registration starts at 5 p.m.
Fent-Kelly has been a member of the faculty in the Kinesiology and Health Studies Department of UCO since 2004. She is one of the founding members of UCO’s Empowerment for Excellence organization, which empowers female faculty and staff on campus and currently serves on the organization’s executive board. She holds an Ed.D. in higher education with an emphasis in exercise science and health. Fent-Kelly is actively involved in research and has presented at state, national and international conferences. Her areas of interest include senior fitness, behavior modification, and the impact of movement on learning. She is a Certified Veriditas Labyrinth Facilitator and serves The Labyrinth Society as a Regional Representative.
5:30 p.m. KEYNOTE: “Women 2 Woman: Support in the Workplace Using the Labyrinth to ‘Create Space’ for Self and Others”
Fent-Kelly will kick off her presentation with a discussion of women in leadership roles and their relationship with other women in the workplace. She will also focus on what women in leadership positions can do to support other women professionally by introducing the labyrinth. She presents this as a tool to provide a safe space to recognize individual self-worth and explore ways to support and empower other women in doing the same, both personally and professionally. Her presentation will culminate with an actual labyrinth walk with time for personal reflection and an opportunity to share.
6:30 p.m. Reception/Networking
Between the keynote and the panel discussion food will be served and participants are encouraged to network and build further connections with local women in leadership.
7 p.m.: Panel Discussion
Following her keynote presentation, Fent-Kelly will participate in a panel discussion with other local women who served in leadership roles in our community. The panelists will be asked to share their personal journey to success, including road blocks or detours along the way. There will also be an open Q&A for conference goers to ask impromptu questions of the panelists.
“CU Empowering Women in Leadership and STEM” is sponsored by CU Lectures and Concerts and the CU Home Savings Bank Endowed Lectureship in Organizational Leadership. The event will be hosted by the CU Engineering Club.
For more information, Dr. Sheila Youngblood, syoungbl@cameron.edu or 591-8005.
