Board

The Center for Women's and Gender Studies Board of Advisors, established in Fall 2003, contributes to the success and growth of Women's and Gender Studies. Board members serve two-year terms and assume the following responsibilities: 

• Provide advice to the Center for Women's and Gender Studies; make linkages to individuals and business contacts in the region, nationally and internationally; help develop strategic and long range planning; provide community perspectives and perceptions.
• Actively seek funding for Women's and Gender Studies by participating in solicitation, donor prospecting, generating and facilitating contacts, attending ongoing development activities and events, and cultivating others.
• Provide financial support through donations and help obtain donations. Members of the Founding Board will make an initial annual donation of $1,000 annually (i.e., to give or get donations).
• Take time to become informed about the Center for Women's and Gender Studies, and promote the center through daily contact. May assist with public sector lobbying. Helps project the Center programs regionally and nationally. 
• Attend board meetings; be available for consultation by appointment, by phone or by email on a pre-notified basis. 
• Cultivate and recommend qualified people as potential future board members.

Past Board Members 

Ellen Cohn is an associate professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and an affiliated faculty member in the Center for Women's and Gender Studies. Cohn graduated magna cum laude from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1984, earning BA degrees in both psychology and law enforcement, and earned her MA degree in criminal justice from the same university in 1986. She earned both an MPhil (1988) and a PhD (1992) in criminology from the University of Cambridge. 

Kaleba Ngoie-Kasongo a social-entrepreneur is the founder of Hear Congo, a grassroots volunteer based organization with a mission to harness the hope and positive actions of caring individuals to help rebuild the shattered lives of vulnerable women and children in the Democratic Republic of Congo including war survivors. She organizes informational and fundraising events to raise awareness in the community about the violent crimes the women and children of Congo endure daily. She quickly realized that she needed to reach a global audience and align herself with like-minded organizations worldwide to have a more powerful and unified voice to fight violence against women and children. As a result she founded "Proudly UNITIE to End Violence Project", a collaboration of organizations working together within the framework of United Nations Secretary General's UNiTE Campaign to End Violence Against Women and Girls worldwide.

Lorna Owens is a former midwife, registered nurse, attorney, legal commentator and now author who travels the world teaching the art and science of success to women's groups and organizations. At any given time you can find Owens volunteering at local community events in Coconut Grove. She also hosts a local television talk show call "And the Women Gather" on Teleamerica Channel 88, as well as a radio show on Blogtalk radio by the same name. She is the author of "Daily Sustenance" and "Everyday Grace Everyday Miracle."

Joyce Peterson is an associate professor in the Department of History and an affiliated faculty member in the Center for Women's and Gender Studies. She earned her PhD in History University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1976. Her teaching fields are History of U.S. Women,  U.S. Cultural History, U.S. Social History and U.S. Labor History. 

Mary Lou Pfeiffer served on the advisory board in the then College of Arts and Sciences at FIU and the board for the Center for Spirituality as well as the Women's and Gender Studies Board of Advisors. She was the contributor of the Helen J. Dunnick and Endowment to teach American Indian Studies at FIU. She received an LL.M in Intercultural Human Rights from St. Thomas University School of Law and a master's degree in religious studies from FIU. She is the owner and operator of Pfeiffer Originals art glass studio, president and partner in Caressa-me, an aromatherapy company, and a recipient of the FIU Alumni Torch Award. 

Suzanna M. Rose is the senior associate dean for the Sciences and Professor of Psychology & Women's Studies in the College of Arts & Sciences. She previously served as chair of the Department of Psychology and as director of the Center for Women's and Gender Studies at FIU. Prior to coming to FIU, she was professor of psychology and director of Women's Studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Rose has published extensively on issues related to women and gender, including professional networks, career development, leadership and personal relationships. Rose has been a member of eight editorial boards for journals in psychology and women's studies and also served on APA grant panels. More than 30 universities nationally and internationally have consulted with her concerning strategies for recruiting and retaining women faculty in science and engineering.

Mine Üçer is a philanthropist with a special interest in projects targeting the education of girls and young women. After completing an economics degree at Gazi University in Ankara, she worked at the British Embassy as a commercial officer. Mine and her husband are passionate about expanding the international reach of education. They support valuable projects aimed at bright high school and university students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Mine is the sponsor of the Mine Üçer Women in Science Lecture Series.