By Diane Duke Williams
The Academic Women's Network (AWN) recently received the 2002 Women in Medicine Leadership Development Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
The award, which was presented at the AAMC's national meeting Nov. 10 in San Francisco, recognizes a woman or organization for outstanding contributions to develop female leaders in academic medicine.
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| Janet Rader |
A group of women formed AWN in 1991 to promote professional and social interactions among female faculty at the School of Medicine. The group hoped to discover and support mutual goals and to assist junior faculty and trainees in the pursuit of their goals.
"Since its founding, AWN has made major contributions to the School of Medicine," said William A. Peck, M.D., executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the medical school.
"The many changes it has crafted and promoted and the services it has provided have enhanced significantly the quality of faculty life and raised our consciousness of the crucial importance of increasing substantially the representation of women on our faculty, particularly at the most senior levels. AWN richly deserves our thanks and our congratulations for this most prestigious award."
From its inception, AWN made it a priority to work with medical school administration on issues of concern, which include family leave, gender pay equity and the composition of search committees.
When AWN was founded, the department chair search committees were composed entirely of department heads and senior faculty, all of whom were men.
AWN brought the matter to the attention of Peck, and he responded by opening the chair search committees to women.
In 1997, Peck also established the Office of Faculty Affairs as a result of the Task Force on the Status of Women, an AWN initiative.
AWN has published the Family Resource Handbook, which contains extensive information on available daycare facilities, resources for sick child care, schools, services for disabled children and care of the elderly.
The handbook was underwritten by the University and has been distributed to graduate students, residents and faculty.
Additionally, AWN sponsors programs that contribute to the quality of academic life.
These include an annual Women's Health Symposium and informal brown-bag lunches on topics such as the tenure process, grant-writing and juggling career and family.