Women’s Board Annual Dinner
Thursday, September 29, 2022

The Supreme Court and the Overturning of Roe v. Wade

The Rubenstein Forum Professor Geoffrey R. Stone, the Edward H. Levi Distinguished Service Professor of Law, will discuss the history of Abortion, the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision in Roe v Wade, and its recent decision in the Dobbs case, which overruled Roe.  He will also comment briefly on a few of the Court’s other recent decisions to give a sense of where the current Court is headed.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Women’s Board October Luncheon
Wednesday, October 19, 2022

                          January 6 and the Rise of Violent American Populism                      

Robert A. Pape, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats (CPOST), will present research findings on the demographics, attitudes and social connections of those who participated in the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol, and the emergence of a new force in American politics – a mass political movement that has violence at its core.  Pape will discuss implications of this movement on the 2022 midterm elections and on American democracy at large.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Women’s Board November Luncheon
Wednesday, November 16, 2022

The James Webb Space Telescope and a Sharper View of Life and the Universe

Wendy L. Freedman, the John and Marion Sullivan University Professor in Astronomy and Astrophysics and the College will discuss the development and deployment of NASA’s new flagship telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), what astronomers are learning from its images, and how the JWST enhances knowledge about the history of the universe and origins of life.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Women’s Board February Luncheon
Wednesday, February 22, 2023

From Science Fiction to Reality in Organ Transplantation

Rolf N. Barth, Professor of Surgery and Director of Kidney, Pancreas, and Liver Transplantation at the University of Chicago Medicine Transplant Institute will speak about remarkable advances in organ transplantation including hand and face transplantation, uterus transplantation, and experimental use of animal organs for human transplantation. He will additionally discuss the historic and current unique roles that the University of Chicago has played in surgical advances in living donor transplantation.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Women’s Board March Luncheon
Wednesday, March 29, 2023

PME’s Second Decade: Leading the Way in Engineering Sustainability and Health

The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering has developed a powerful new interdisciplinary approach to engineering from the molecular level up. This model can lead to transformative new technologies, which Dean Matthew Tirrell will illustrate using examples of new therapies for cardiovascular disease and the development of powerful batteries for heavy transit and grid applications. He will also discuss the way that PME’s research efforts can benefit both Chicago and the larger Midwest, including the creation of the new the Chan-Zuckerberg BioHub in Chicago and PME’s efforts to secure the next DOE hub in Energy Storage at Argonne National Lab.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Women’s Board April Luncheon
Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Psychoactive Drugs in Psychiatry

Harriet De Wit, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, will present on the Human Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory (HBPL) and her work on the medical and therapeutic impact of psychoactive drugs. Dr. de Wit investigates the subjective, behavioral, and physiological effects of drugs of abuse in healthy human volunteers. She will present on the need for psychiatric medications, what we can learn from the use of nonmedical psychoactive drugs such as ketamine, MDMA and psychedelics, and address big questions such as whether mystical or psychedelic experiences are necessary to therapeutic benefits.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Women’s Board May Luncheon
Wednesday, May 17, 2023

A Winning Pitch: The Story Behind UChicago’s 2022 Men’s Soccer NCAA Championship

Julianne Sitch, Head Coach of Men’s Soccer at the University of Chicago, will share her journey to being the first woman to lead a men’s soccer team to an NCAA championship. She will also describe the application and interview process to be Head Coach, biases she has encountered and overcome throughout her career, and her approach to leadership.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Women’s Board June Luncheon
Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Through the Looking Glass: Reimagining the UChicago Library

If the University of Chicago is going to remain at the forefront as an intellectual destination, the Library must be more than a shrine to books and a space for contemplative study. The future of the Library involves actively engaging with the complex knowledge environment transforming society. Torsten Reimer, University Librarian and Dean of the University Library, is re-defining what the UChicago Library can be. This program will be an exciting opportunity to learn about his vision for the future.