CSU Pueblo Senior Leaders Selected as Keynote Panelists at the Women in Leadership for Higher Education Conference
Release Date: October 12, 2023
CAMBRIDGE, MA – October 11, 2023 - CSU Pueblo is proud to announce Dr. Donna Souder Hodge, Vice President of Operations and Advancement, and Dr. Kristyn White Davis, Vice President of Enrollment Management and Extended Studies, have been selected as keynote panelists for the opening session at the Women in Leadership for Higher Education (WLHE) conference presented by the National Diversity Congress in Cambridge, Massachusetts, entitled, "Institutional Advancements in D&I: How to Create a Culture of Inclusion." This prestigious event, scheduled October 11-12 at the Harvard Faculty Club, brings together higher education leaders, educators, and professionals from across the nation to discuss and address critical issues related to gender equity as well as diversity and inclusion in higher education.
“Dr. Souder Hodge and Dr. White Davis are excellent ambassadors for our university, and I am delighted that they will get to present their relationship-building work on an international level this week at Harvard,” CSU Pueblo President Dr. Timothy Mottet said.
Dr. Souder Hodge and Dr. White Davis first attended the WLHE conference in 2018. From that experience, they established a campus-wide initiative, “The 36-ers Club,” as an opportunity for women in higher education to spend 36 minutes each month with colleagues as a means to build relationships, learn from each other, and develop a network of support. The 36-ers Club is open to all employees at CSU Pueblo and features monthly luncheons with keynote addresses by other leaders in higher education. White Davis and Souder Hodge have been invited to present on “The 36-ers Club” at numerous venues over the past 5 years.
According to Souder Hodge, “Our goal from the start was to honor the opportunity we had by bringing one thing back to campus. That became 36-ers, which was possible because of the support we received from our colleagues, and thanks to the funding we secured from our Hispanic Serving Institution Initiatives Programs. Our hope was to create new ways to build connections across our campus; we are proud that this initiative has grown and will now be part of the conference programming where it all began several years ago.”
The CSU Pueblo leaders will share their stories alongside colleagues from Pepperdine, Harvard, University of California, Duke, and many others. Dr. Souder Hodge has been recognized for her extensive work in strategy, high-level communications, and creating enterprise solutions and opportunities in higher education. Dr. White Davis is an expert in strategic enrollment initiatives and has developed new academic programs and targeted new student groups to increase enrollment for the campus.
“I’m honored to be a part of a larger conversation about gender equity in higher education, but more importantly, we are incredibly proud of the small impact we have had on our own campus. Our original gatherings grew quickly, indicating a need for community and allyship. At the end of each luncheon, we invite everyone to return and bring a friend. They always do,” Dr. White Davis said.
GlobalMindEd Seminar
New York, NY- October 13, 2023 - Immediately following the WLHE conference, Dr. Souder Hodge and Dr. White Davis have been invited to join GlobalMindEd at a day-long seminar at the United Nations in New York, NY titled, “Transforming Financial Boundaries in Education, the Environment, and the Economy.” Souder Hodge and White David will join Latinx Student Union President, Alondra Solis Ayala, a junior at CSU Pueblo who is double majoring in Spanish and Social Work with a minor in Chicano Studies, in New York for the GlobalMindEd summit at the United Nations on Thursday. The summit features a keynote address from Janet C. Salazar, Chairman and President, the Foundation for the Support of the United Nations and Carol J. Carter, Founder and CEO, GlobalMindEd. Sessions include high-level discussions related to innovative models of funding, inclusion and outcomes, sustainability, ethics, and access.
About The Women in Leadership for Higher Education Conference
The Women in Leadership for Higher Education conference is part of the National Diversity Congress's ongoing commitment to advocating for diversity and promoting a better understanding of how to combat sexism, racism, heterosexism, ageism, and ableism in the workplace. Through events like these, National Diversity Congress continues to empower organizations and individuals to build more inclusive and equitable communities.
About the Foundation for the Support of the United Nations and GlobalMindEd
Foundation for the Support of the United Nations (FSUN) pledges full support for GlobalMindED, an inclusive success network powered with a technology platform that connects the least economically resourced students to role models, mentors, internships, experiences, and jobs. GlobalMindED has a unique approach that begins with pre-college advising and readiness preparation providing academic, personal and professional support throughout college, facilitating mentorships, internships and ultimately job placement for First Gen, poverty-affected and minoritized college students.
About Colorado State University Pueblo
Colorado State University Pueblo is a comprehensive state university with an enrollment of nearly 4,000 students. With 34 percent of its students Hispanic, it is a designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), and a military friendly university. The university is dedicated to interdisciplinary learning and entrepreneurship that elevates its people and community, creates educational opportunities, fosters unique collaborations, and supports inclusion, access, and affordability as a gateway to the world.
