WASHINGTON – Howard University will celebrate International Women’s Day for the fifth year with a virtual event on Wednesday, March 3 from 12-1:30 p.m. EST. The event, titled “Women in Leadership: A Tribute to Howard Women Frontline Workers,” will align with the United Nations Women (UN Women) theme of women in leadership. Registration is available at coascenters.howard.edu/IWD21 to watch via Zoom.

“Our women health care workers, scientists and researchers have helped in the drive to ensure that the Black community receives the vaccine while giving lifesaving care to patients at the Howard University Hospital and the surrounding community. Women leaders have sat on advisory boards, conducted clinical trials and research, and have led national efforts in the fight against the pandemic. Howard women have zealously advocated for their local communities and have taken lead roles in educating the public about the dangers of the virus and the best safety practices for high-risk populations,” said Josephine Dawuni, Ph.D., the incoming director for the Center for Women, Gender and Global Leadership.

President Wayne A. I. Frederick will speak on the importance of women in STEM and those who have stepped up since the pandemic began at Howard. Keynote speaker Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG, president and dean of the Morehouse School of Medicine will speak on solidarity.

Additional speakers include:

• Anita L. A. Jenkins, MBA, FABC, chief executive officer at Howard University Hospital

• Josephine Dawuni, Ph.D, incoming director for the Center for Women, Gender and Global Leadership.

The honorees this year include:

• Gina S. Brown, Ph.D., MSA, RN, FAAN, dean of the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences

• Monika N. Daftary, PharmD, BCPS-AQ ID, AAHIVP, professor and chair of clinical and administrative pharmacy sciences in the Howard University College of Pharmacy
• Debra Holly Ford, MD, FACS, FASCRS, vice director of the Surgery Residency Program at the Howard University College of Medicine and an associate professor of surgery and colon and rectal surgery
• Jhansi Gajjala, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Howard University
• Siham M. Mahgoub, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Howard University
• Celia J. Maxwell, MD, FACP, FIDSA, associate dean for research at the College of Medicine and an infectious disease specialist at Howard University
• Gail Nunlee-Bland, MD, F.A.C.E., F.A.A.P, chief of endocrinology and director of the Diabetes Treatment Center at Howard University Hospital
• Anita L. A. Jenkins, MBA, FABC, chief executive officer at Howard University Hospital
• Shelly McDonald-Pinkett, MD, F.A.C.P., C.P.H.Q, chief medical officer of internal medicine at Howard University
• Tamara L. Owens, Ph.D., M.Ed., CHSE, founding director of the Clinical Skills and Simulation Centers at Howard University Health Sciences
• Toyin Tofade, MS, PharmD, BCPS, CPCC, FFIP, dean of the College of Pharmacy at Howard University
• Lori L. Wilson, MD, associate professor and the chief of surgical oncology at the College of Medicine at Howard University
  
   

“The pandemic has allowed us to reunite and reignite conversations about women as active agents within our global communities. While we are celebrating women who have been at the forefront of health care, we are also recognizing women at the frontline of their homes. The roles that women have played during the pandemic is not new; it is a continuation of women’s caregiving roles. While International Women’s Day allows us to pause and celebrate women, we must continuously acknowledge women’s leadership roles, and we should not wait to only recognize it during times of crisis,” said Dawuni. “The coronavirus has disproportionately affected Black communities across the United States. Black women have not only been victims of the infections and death but have had the added burden of being caregivers at home and in their communities. The response of women to this pandemic is noteworthy and today, more than ever, we must celebrate their leadership, emphasize the roles they play in the community, and stress the necessity of their expertise, knowledge and perspectives into the formulation and implementation of policies and programs in all aspects of the pandemic response and beyond.”

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About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue more than 140 programs of study leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 165 Fulbright recipients. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.

Media Contact: Imani Pope-Johns, public relations manager, Imani.popejohns@howard.edu