In the last lecture of the year the AAUW hosts Dr. Wendy Baker, ACSD Superintendent and Representative Peter Conlon – D for a conversation about Act 73 in Vermont.
Category Archives: AAUW Speaker Series
AAUW Talk: Finding Hope Within 10/21/2025
To launch their 2025-26 speaker series, on Tuesday evening, October 21 at 7:00pm AAUW (American Association of University Women) and Ilsley Library will host an interactive presentation in the Johnson Gallery at Middlebury College by John Vincent and Heather Newcomb, co-curators of the art exhibit “Finding Hope Within.” This traveling exhibit features works by incarcerated and formerly incarcerated Vermont artists, and has been viewed throughout the state since its opening at the Rokeby Museum in 2023.
John Vincent, a retired police officer, poet, and letterpress printer, will share the story of his business, A Revolutionary Press, which is committed to amplifying the voices of incarcerated writers and poets, detailing how this particular initiative evolved into direct collaborations with artists “inside.” Heather Newcomb is a community advocate at Vermont Works for Women, interacting as a certified somatic life coach with women living in poverty, battling addiction, or involved with our justice system to support their paths towards fulfillment and economic independence. Newcomb approaches her work through the lens of lived experience as a woman in long-term recovery from addiction and a history with the legal system, and as a single mother receiving public assistance.
AAUW talk with Dr. Kelly Macauley on Simulation in Healthcare 04/15/2025
In this final talk in the AAUW/Ilsley Library 2024-25 speaker series, by Clinical Professor and Director of Curriculum at Northern Arizona University Dr. Kelly Macauley (PT, DPT, EdD) will explore the history and evolution of simulation in healthcare. To learn more, please visit https://www.aauw.org/
Navigating Depths: My Voyage in Ocean Robotics,” An AAUW Speaker Series Talk
Jaine Perotti is a Robotics Engineer living in Richmond, Vermont. She graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2022 with dual bachelor’s degrees in Robotics and Physics. She works for a Vermont-based company which specializes in custom subsea robotics software and several marine robots designed to perform different tasks.
Jaine has been involved mainly in mapping and navigation software. Her software will be deployed on the US Navy’s fleet of EOD (explosive ordinance disposal) robots in order to map and track mines in the water. Her current project is developing SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) software to help improve navigation accuracy on a ship hull-cleaning robot. Customers of the ship-hull cleaning service include major cruise lines. Jaine will be giving a talk on her career trajectory, from her college education all the way up through her current projects. Sponsored by the Middlebury Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW).
AAUW Speaker Series: Elderly Services, Your Partner in Aging
Join the local chapter of the American Association of University Women for “Elderly Services: Your Partner in Aging,” a talk by former Elderly Service Executive Director Joanne Corbett.
Sponsored by AAUW (American Association of University Women) and Ilsley Public Library.
Producer: MCTV
AAUW Speaker Series: Women and Intercollegiate Athletics
Cornwall Native Julie Power Ruppert speaks on Female Leadership Perspectives on Navigating Intercollegiate Athletics Today. Ruppert shares her inspiring success story in a field largely dominated by men. She made history by being named the first woman NCAA Northeast-10 Division II commissioner, and now has the longest tenure in Northeast-10 Conference history. Ruppert frequently represents Division II at national events, and is an active member of Women Leaders in College Sports.
Sponsored by AAUW (American Association of University Women) and Ilsley Public Library.
Producer: MCTV
AAUW Speaker Series: On Being Enough, Combating Perfectionism Through Self-Compassion
Join us for an inspiring evening with University of Vermont physician and educator Dr. Naomi Hodde as she shares practical strategies and evidence-based techniques for overcoming limiting beliefs and fostering self-compassion in all aspects of life. Drawing from her extensive experience as a physician and professor of medicine, Dr. Hodde has observed firsthand the detrimental effects of perfectionism, particularly among women and students of color in the medical field. Through her mentorship and coaching initiatives, she actively addresses and challenges the imposter syndrome and self-doubt that often hinder professional growth and success. Attendees can expect to gain valuable insights into navigating the pressures of perfectionism and cultivating a confident and resilient mindset. Sponsored by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and Ilsley Public Library.
Producer: MCTV
AAUW Speaker Series: Embracing Solitude for Psychological Wellbeing
The prospect of being alone elicits diverse reactions: some of us desire more time by ourselves, while others of us avoid it at all costs. To “be alone” is complex because it includes the possibility of loneliness as well as the potential for positive solitude. When chosen, solitude is a restorative and generative state that plays a significant role in psychological wellbeing. It’s also a radical act in a culture that rewards extroversion and is saturated by social media. In this talk, Virgina (Gina) Thomas, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Middlebury College, shares her research findings on why people seek solitude, how they benefit from it, and the skills they use to enjoy time alone. Dr. Thomas earned her PhD in Developmental Psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, with an emphasis in Feminist Studies. As a developmental psychologist, Dr. Thomas studies social and emotional development throughout the lifespan, especially the role of solitude in identity development and psychological well-being. Her research identifies key differences in loneliness and solitude, explores how solitary engagement with social media and digital devices affects well-being, and investigates the skills necessary to use solitude constructively. Learn more about her work at www.virginiathomas.net. Sponsored by the Middlebury chapter of AAUW.
Producer: MCTV
AAUW Speaker Series: Sharing Lessons Learned Working in International Reproductive Health Programs
Linda Andrews was in second grade, dressed as a nurse for a Middlebury Halloween parade, when she decided to work internationally. At age 38 she realized her dream. With degrees from UVM and UCLA, she traveled to Thailand to help develop a reproductive health program and continued to work on international health for 30 years in seven Asian and African countries. In this talk and in her recent book, Building a Better World Together, Lisa Andrews shares insights on sustainable reproductive health programs. Come learn about both sustainable (in Thailand and Tanzania) and unsustainable (in Somalia) reproductive health systems, and about the challenges and satisfactions of working internationally. An AAUW Speaker Series talk.
Producer: MCTV
AAUW Series: Putin’s Chechnya and Ukraine Wars: Different Blood, Same Tactics
Award-Winning Russian Photojournalist Dmitri Beliakov launches the 2023-24 AAUW/Ilsley Library Speaker Series. Born in Russia in 1970 and currently a refugee living in Vermont, Beliakov has traveled to the Caucasus more than 50 times and is one of only two Russian photographers to document the Second Chechen war (1999-2010) from all sides, including the Chechen armed resistance, Russian regular troops, pro-Kremlin Chechen loyalists, and civilians. From 2014 to 2019 he covered the conflict in Ukraine, photographing the annexation of Crimea, the war in Donbas, and the economic and humanitarian impacts of the war from all sides – civilians, pro-Kremlin armed separatists, and the Ukrainian army. “Why does the conflict in Ukraine look so much like that in Chechnya?” asks Beliakov. There is a “remarkable and tragic link” between the two. His goal is to provide an honest account of what actually went on during the Chechen War and explain how, in a sense, that war foreshadowed today’s horrific events in Ukraine. This slide presentation of Dmitri Beliakov’s work is made possible in part by a grant from Middlebury’s Neat Repeats. Recorded 10/17/23 Producer: MCTV
A female scientist’s journey through academia
A personal account of the scientific life with Dr. Shannon Macauley, Associate Professor with Tenure in the Departments of Physiology & Pharmacology and Internal Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Dr. Macauley has coauthored over 40 peer reviewed, scientific publications on her work and currently runs a multi-million dollar research lab funded by the National Institute of Health and foundation grants to better understand neurodegenerative diseases. Her work has been showcased in numerous media outlets and Dr. Macauley has been a repeat guest on NPR’s Science Friday with Ira Flatow. This talk is sponsored by the Middlebury chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW).
Producer: MCTV
AAUW Speaker Series: Conflict Transformation at Middlebury and Beyond
A talk with Sarah Stroup, Middlebury College professor of political science and director of the Kathryn Wasserman Davis Collaborative in Conflict Transformation. Conflict is part of the human experience. The field of conflict transformation (CT) explores how destructive conflicts become relatively constructive and how people can conduct themselves to foster such changes. In 2022, Middlebury received a seven-year, $25 million grant to expand the work of conflict transformation throughout the institution. In this talk, Professor Stroup outlines the challenges and opportunities of this major initiative.
Part of AAUW/Ilsley Library Speaker Series
Producer: MCTV
AAUW Speaker Series: Covering Local News in a Changing World
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[/ezcol_1third] [ezcol_2third_end]During his presentation McCright discusses the changes he has seen during his three decades in journalism, and offer some information on how the Addison Independent will both adjust and grow in the future — even in this coming year! “The way that a community newspaper covers the news is changing in this digital age,” says McCright, “but the role of the community newspaper continues to be the same as it has been for the last century or two: to help glue together the people and institutions in Addison County by showing what is going on.” John McCright oversees the gathering of news for the Independent, managing a staff that includes three full-time reporters, a photographer, an online editor, a copyeditor, and many outside contributors. He works closely with the publisher, production department, advertising staff, and front-office crew to make sure the news gets to the community.
Part of AAUW/Ilsley Library Speaker Series[/ezcol_2third_end][ezcol_1third] Producer: MCTV
AAUW Speaker Series: Nursing Education in Crisis
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[/ezcol_1third] [ezcol_2third_end] A steady supply of new nurses is needed in the US to replace those who leave or retire from the profession. While there had been steady growth in nursing school enrollments through 2019, since 2020 enrollments, numbers of newly licensed nurses, and numbers of nurse educators have all declined substantially, a worrisome trend. Negative social media posts by nurses, reports of violence against nurses during the pandemic, reportedly low salaries, and frequent reference to burnout may be pushing college-age students away from a career in nursing. Dr. Moore-Cox discusses these issues along with strategies to combat them. Sponsored by the Middlebury Chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). Talk[/ezcol_2third_end][ezcol_1third] Producer: MCTV