Center for Gender Equity History
Spring 1990 – “Women’s Center of Pacific Lutheran University” established in East Campus in April; Women’s Studies minor passed by faculty that same month
1992 – Women’s Center moves to a house near upper campus & Becky Frehse, Professor of Art, is given course release to serve as the first Women’s Center director
1995 – Judy Mladineo hired as the 2nd Women’s Center Director
1997 – First Inspirational Women’s Banquet held
Fall 1997 – Move to blue house on lower campus next to athletic fields
Spring 1999 -The first training of the Sexual Assault Prevention Education Team (SAPET) takes place at the Women’s Center
Spring 2003 – Provost James Pense attempts to turn the Women’s Center into toilets for the Athletic Department
2004 – PLU alum Bobbi Hughes hired as 3rd Director of Women’s Center
2005 – Women’s Center is awarded $200,000 grant from the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. Jennifer Warwick is hired as the Victim Advocate Coordinator and Jonathan Grove is hired as the Men Against Violence Coordinator
Fall 2006 – Women’s Center moves to upper campus on 121st St.
2010 – Kandel-Oleksak Scholarship established
Spring 2010 – Visit from the Assistant Attorney General Tony West as part of a national tour of 10 universities to showcase exceptional campus-based programs to address violence against women
2011 – Dr. Jennifer Smith hired as the 4th Women’s Center Director and as a member of WMGS faculty
Fall 2014 – Jonathan Yglesias hired as the 2nd Men’s Project Coordinator
Spring 2015 – Jennifer Warwick asked to serve on CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) Think Tank on Sexual Violence Prevention on College and University Campuses
March 9th, 2016 – Dawn Cuthbertson hired as the 2nd Gender-based Violence Advocate
Spring 2016 – Tolu Taiwo hired as the first Outreach and Prevention Coordinator
March 17, 2016 – The Women’s Center changed its name to the Center for Gender Equity!
April 10th, 2016 – Sex + brought Author Lisa Wade to campus to talk about her newest book, American Hookup: The new Culture of Sex on Campus
November 2016 – In partnership with dCenter the First Transgender Day of Remembrance Event was held
February 2017 – Inside OUT a psychoeducational skills class for queer-identified students was established
March 2017 – Successful USEED campaign completed funding the Elect Her program and the Sista Circle Leadership Retreat for the next two years
April 2017 – SAPET brought Sex Signals to campus a sexual assault prevention program offered on college campuses, Sex + held Sex Night! An evening of games and education about sexual health!
April 2017 – A month of sexual assault awareness programing across campus starting with pancakes for all campus, a Consent Poster campaign, RA boards with consent education, 1000 teal ribbons given out across campus
May 2nd 2017 – Inside OUT was awarded Educational Program of the Year
September 2017 – Queer Connections Welcome Event established, Queer Student Retreat held on Campus for the first time, and Queer faculty and Staff coffee hour established
October 2017 – Center for Gender Equity partnered with the Bethel Boys and Girls Club to introduce bystander intervention and healthy relationships curriculum
October 2017 – In partnership with the dCenter we programed LGBTQ+ history week for the first time at PLU
October 2018 – In partnership with the Karate Club held a 5-week self-defense class,
First Bi-Visibility day in the AUC, and The Inaugural Queering Gender; Trans and Gender Awesome Student Retreat
J-Term 2018 – Talcott Broadhead hired as the 5th Center for Gender Equity Director
September 2019 – Center for Gender Equity moves from under the Provost office to Student Life
Spring 2019 – The Alger LGBTQ+ Scholarship established
Spring 2019 – SAPET changed their name to PACE (Peer advocacy and education)
February 2019 – PACE held a successful fundraiser
May 14th 2019 – In partnership with the dCenter and ASPLU held the first Queer and Trans Self-Care event
September 2019 – Angie Hambrick named Interim Director of the Center for Gender Equity
J-Term 2020 – Nicole Jordan hired as the 1st Coordinator
Social Media