BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Alumni, faculty, staff, and students will convene in Bloomington next month for the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs’ For the Greater Good Women’s Summit.
The two-day event will bring together women from across the nation and from a wide array of fields to reconnect, inspire, and develop skills that will have a positive impact on their lives going forward.
“The O’Neill School has a rich history of producing successful and inspiring alumni, and we couldn’t think of a better way to engage the next generation of leaders than by bringing together the past, present, and future of our school to learn about and from one another,” said Alison Pitt, the school’s director of alumni relations and advancement. “This is an alumni-led initiative to increase confidence in our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students and alumni who identify as female as they prepare to become or advance as leaders for the greater good.”
The conference will begin Friday, October 4, with an introduction from newly installed O’Neill School Dean Siân Mooney, followed by a keynote address by acclaimed writer and speaker Emily Esfahani-Smith, author of The Power of Meaning.
“This is going to be a powerful and meaningful event for so many women,” Mooney said. “We look forward to welcoming everyone to Bloomington for an engaging and enlightening weekend.”
Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in several panel discussions and career sessions on Saturday, led by more than 30 O’Neill women.
Women interested in pursuing careers in certain fields will have ample opportunity to hear from leaders in government, consulting, the environment, nonprofit and arts management, and technology. Panelists will help students and alumni navigate issues like salary negotiations, interviewing skills and techniques, and workplace challenges.
“The summit is an exciting way for current students to interact with alumni, and also for alumni at different points in their careers to connect with each other and with students,” said Jaime Blakesley, BSPA’00, an environmental engineer for the City of Chicago. “This includes me – I, too, am looking forward to interacting with as many attendees as possible; to starting a dialogue and to keep this momentum going.”
A full schedule of events and link to register to attend can be found online. There is a $65 cost to attend for alumni. Students are free to attend but must register in advance.
The O’Neill School wishes to thank the summit’s sponsors, without whom this event would not be possible: Koehler Partners, Indianapolis Power & Light Company, CCS Fundraising, Gnarly Tree Sustainability Institute, Crowe LLP, ICF, IU Alumni Association, Signature Healthcare Services, LLC, and Diagnotes, Inc.