March is an abundant month when it comes to DEI events, important dates, and observances.
We have a considerable number of College events lined up, from our Tippie Monday Memoir with Kelly Bedeian, to a great series of Tippie Women Summit events throughout the entire month, an Inclusive Teaching Circle on strategies for supporting struggling students with Professor Ken Brown, and our main DEI event of this semester that targets primarily students interested in getting a Ph.D. in Business.
Please see below for details on these events and use their respective attached calendar invites for ease of access.
More UI events are included below, as well as open nominations for DEI awards, resources for faculty, staff and students in distress, and monthly events and observances.
Tippie Events
Tippie Monday Memoir – Monday, March 7th at 12:00 PM CST
We celebrate Women’s History Month in our March Monday Memoir of the Spring 2022 semester. Our storyteller is Kelly Bedeian, Assistant Director and Grant Administrator, Institute for International Business.
Kelly received a degree in Linguistics from the University of Iowa after which she served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine in the mid-1990s. She went on to work on a variety of professional development and exchange programs, first for CONNECT/US-RUSSIA, then for the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) as the Country Manager for the IREX/Armenia office, and as the Regional Manager for the Internet Access and Training Program in the Caucasus Region. Kelly joined the staff of the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program (IWP) in 2004 where she helped build a portfolio of new programs including the Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, funded Lines & Spaces: American Writers Abroad program. In 2019 she moved to her current role at Tippie College of Business developing and managing programs in international business and entrepreneurship. Her work has taken her to over 50 countries spanning South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia.
Please mark your calendars and join us on Zoom on Monday, March 7th, at 12:00 PM CST.
Tippie Women Summit – Thursday March 3rd through Friday April 1st
The Tippie Women Summit hosts a series of events, starting with “It’s More than Business- Insights from Erin Rollenhagen” on March 3rd at 5:30 PM CST at the Courtyard Marriott in Iowa City. This in-person event will feature a brief keynote from Erin Rollenhagen (BBA02), CEO and founder of Entrepreneurial Technologies and author of Soul Uprising: It’s Never Just Business. Along with a Q&A between Erin and Tippie Dean Amy Kristof-Brown, this free event will have a structured networking opportunity for students and working professionals.
The series continues with virtual events:
Stepping up to Leadership: A Conversation with Female Leaders – March 9th at 11:00 AM CST.
Tippie Faculty Webinar: Breaking the Imposter Syndrome – March 25th at 12:00 PM CST.
Assembling your Power Players – Alumni Panel Discussion – April 1st at 12:00 PM CST.
Inclusive Teaching Circle – Monday, March 21st at 12:00 PM CST
Strategies for Supporting Struggling Students
Professor Ken Brown will lead a discussion about strategies for supporting struggling students. We will share ideas about how to respond when attendance and work is sporadic or when students are nonresponsive to email. Please join us on March 21st at 12:00 PM on Zoom.
Tippie DEI Event Spring 2022 – Monday, March 28th, 12:15 PM – 1:30 PM
What Does It Mean to Get a Ph.D. in Business?
Our main Tippie DEI Event of this Spring semester will feature a panel of faculty and current PhD students from different departments in the Tippie College of Business. The discussions will be centered on what it means to get a Ph.D in Business, different types of funding opportunities, faculty classifications, potential salaries, and placements.
A diverse workforce results from diversity in our PhD programs. Discussions will include details on the PhD project and its opportunities for underrepresented students. We will hear from two of this program’s alumni, Dr. Adrienne Rhodes, Assistant Professor of Accounting and Dr. Michele Williams, Assistant Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship.
Lunch will be provided at 12:15 PM and the program will start promptly at 12:30PM.
An RSVP link will be sent with the official invitation email this month.
UI Events
Welcoming the Immigrants – Tuesday, March 1st, 4:30 – 6:00 PM
The Iowa Women’s Archives features a presentation by Dr. Jeannette Gabriel to celebrate Women’s History Month. Drawing from materials in the Iowa Women’s Archives, Dr. Gabriel will examine the impact of WWII refugees on Iowa’s Jewish communities. Attendees may join the presentation live at the Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A, or online by watching the live stream on the Iowa City Public Library’s YouTube channel.
Provost’s Global Forum: Teaching Anne Frank – February 28th – March 2nd
This Provost’s Global Forum brings together a multi-disciplinary panel of experts from Iowa and across Europe between February 28 – March 2, 2022, to highlight the educational value and continuing relevance of Anne Frank’s story. Presenters will discuss how Anne’s life and legacy are taught in multiple disciplines, in K-12 education, and in museums and other media. UNESCO’S 2014 publication, Holocaust Education in a Global Context, outlines the role Holocaust education can play in tackling difficult issues of the past in diverse national and cultural contexts. Sharing Anne’s story is all the more urgent as the last eyewitnesses are passing, and at a time when crimes against humanity still occur.
Please see here the full description and schedule of events of this Forum.
UI Staff Council DEI Annual Celebration Event – March 7th, 4:00 – 5:30 PM
UI Staff Council (UISC) would like to invite the University of Iowa faculty, staff, and students to join us for our fourth annual DEI Celebration event on Monday, March 7 on Zoom. Guest speakers include President Wilson and Dr. Liz Tovar.
A Message from the UISC DEI Committee Co-Chairs, Matsalyn Brown and James Jorris:
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.” Today we look forward to celebrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on campus and those efforts of all who work tirelessly answering that test by making our campus and community the best it can be. Although, there is still so much work to do, it is necessary take a step back and reflect on all of our accomplishments and celebrate how far we have come. Please join the UI Staff Council DEI Committee and esteemed members of the University of Iowa and UIHC DEI community for this special event to celebrate all that has been achieved and all that we can still do!
Hawks of Color Event – March 11th at 11:30 AM CST
“Uplifting Our Excellence” with Mr. Lew Montgomery
Join Mr. Lew Montgomery, Assistant Director of DEI Finance and Operations & Interim Associate Athletics Director DEI, as he speaks about “We are all in this together. How to build cultural versatility in higher education.” How to uncover your self-awareness and take control of DEI issues to make productive contributions in our work on campus, in our community and in your personal life. I look to challenge individuals to look deeper and identify authentically with their emotions, to better understand how to navigate a progressively changing diverse world.
LNACC in Action Celebration Week – March 27th – April 2nd
The Latino Native American Cultural Center (LNACC) holds its 15th in Action Celebration week at the end of March and beginning of April. This is when the LNACC also celebrates its 50th Anniversary with a “Celebration of our Story” event on April 1st, 2022. The schedule of events can be found here and the RSVP form for the 50th Anniversary event here.
DEI Awards Announcements
The Tippie’s Top 21 Award gives well-deserved recognition to outstanding leaders who begin their college journeys from many different backgrounds. Whether it is through stellar academics or impressive initiative, our students can impact the Tippie community in countless ways. It is important to us to acknowledge these impacts and highlight the students who make them.
All Tippie students and pre-business students are eligible to be nominated. Nominees also are expected to have demonstrated excellence in at least two of the following areas:
Scholarship
Leadership
Experiential learning
Advancing diversity, inclusion, and global engagement
Please take a few minutes to nominate students who you feel are strong examples of what it means to be a Tippie student. The nomination deadline is Thursday, March 3 at 11:59 pm CST.
The Tippie’s 2022 Diversity Equity and Inclusion Awards recognize faculty and staff as well as programs, departments and centers within the Tippie College engaged in diversity initiatives during the previous calendar year that have promoted the development of an inclusive, diverse community at the Tippie College.
Nominations should be submitted via email to Gabriela Rivera (gabriela-rivera@uiowa.edu) and Renea Jay (renea-jay@uiowa.edu) no later than March 25, 2022. Please specify whether you are nominating an individual employee, a group, a program, or a department.
DEI Resources
In light of current distressing global events, we want to remind everyone of resources, and mental health service options available to our faculty, staff and students affected by these events.
Other resources:
Quick guide of responding to distress from the Office of the Dean of Students
Children and trauma resources.
Coping with traumatic stress, uncertainty and building resilience.
University Counseling Services Same-day Quick Access Appointment line: 319-335-7294 (Mon-Fri. 8:00AM to 5:00 PM).
Crisis line (24/7/365) serviced through CommUnity Crisis Services
Let’s Talk, Hawks! drop-in consultation service for students, offered by the University Counseling Service (UCS), with with Dr. Tianyi Xie on Fridays 2:30 PM – 3:20 PM. Students can sign up here.
Student Accommodations and Support: Student Care and Assistance
Solidarity – Support Group for International Students and Students of Color on Fridays, 1:00-2:00 PMC (bi-weekly, next one on March 11). Contact Tianyi-xie@uiowa.edu or scott-liu@uiowa.edu.
Study Abroad Office resources specific to Ukraine crisis: Project Dynamo, MCF group, UNCHR help page
March – Events and Observances
March is National Women’s History Month
Women’s History Month is a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture and society. It began as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California. The Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women planned and executed a “Women’s History Week” celebration in 1978. The organizers selected the week of March 8 to correspond with International Women’s Day. The movement spread across the country as other communities initiated their own Women’s History Week celebrations the following year.
March is Greek-American Heritage Month
Greek American Heritage Month, also known as Hellenic Heritage Month or Greek American History Month, coincides with the celebration of Greece’s National Greek Independence Day on March 25th. Hellenism, originating from Έλλην (Éllēn, “a Greek”), is the emulation of ancient Greek culture, civilization, principles, and ideals.
March is Irish-American Heritage Month
Irish-American Heritage Month is celebrated by proclamation of the President and Congress in the United States to honor the achievements and contributions of Irish immigrants and their descendants living in the United States. It was first celebrated in 1991 and it was chosen to include the celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day on March 17th.
March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
This month gives us the opportunity to raise awareness about the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all areas of community life, as well as awareness to the barriers that people with disabilities still sometimes face in connecting to the communities in which they live.
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month
The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) has designated March to raise awareness about what is a significant cause of death and impairment in America. According to their site, there are more than 5.3 million people in the U.S., including children, who are living with permanent brain injuries. BIAA, therefore, hopes to spread awareness about the fact that brain injuries can lead to a permanent alteration of one’s life. The theme for the 2021 to 2023 campaign is More Than My Brain Injury.
March is National Social Work Month
National Social Work Month, observed throughout March, uplifts the social workers of our country and celebrates their constant contributions to our society. These professionals use psychology and sociology to solve social issues and improve individual lives. The theme for Social Work Month of 2022 is The Time is Right for Social Work.
Mardi Gras – March 1st
Mardi is the French word for Tuesday, and gras means “fat.” In France, the day before Ash Wednesday came to be known as Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday.” Purple, green and gold are the official colors of Mardi Gras. According to Carnival historians, the colors represent justice, faith and power respectively and they can be found even on King Cakes. Following two years of cancelled events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, celebrations in New Orleans are proceeding in 2022.
Martisor – March 1st
The Martisor is a traditional Romanian custom that celebrates the beginning of spring and it is represented by a token given on March 1st of every year. This custom is also observed in Moldova and Bulgaria. Some ethnologists believe that Mărțișor has a Roman origin, while others believe it has a Daco-Thracian origin. Giving this talisman to people is an old custom, and it is believed that the wearer will be strong and healthy for the year to come.
Along with the first day of March, Romanians also celebrate an ancestral tradition, called “Babele” (“Old Women”), when they choose a day from March 1st to March 9th as their “Baba”. The way the day (“Baba”) unfolds (sunny, rainy, etc.) determines how the year is going to be.
Maha Shivaratri – March 1st
Maha Shivaratri, which translates to “The Great Night of Shiva” is a Hindu festival honoring the night that Lord Shiva performs his heavenly dance of creation, preservation and destruction. In Hinduism, this is a solemn festival marking the overcoming of darkness and ignorance in life. It is reserved for introspection and leaving behind things that come in the way of success and growth.
Lailat al Miraj – March 1st
Lailat al Miraj is a Muslim holiday celebrated on the 27th of Rajab in the Islamic calendar each year1. It celebrates Isra and Miraj, or the Prophet Mohammed’s miraculous two-part journey taken in one night. It is said that in this one evening, Muhammed learned of both Heaven and Hell, and was granted Salah, or the obligatory prayers.
Self-Injury Awareness Day – March 1st
Self-Injury Awareness Day on March 1st each year focuses on increasing education and support on a misunderstood problem. When someone causes deliberate self-injury or harm, the action is an indication of emotional distress. According to research from the Journal of American Board of Family Medicine, approximately 4% of Americans self-harm, with a majority of those being college students. The day aims to help friends and family recognize the signs and help those in emotional distress find help.
Ash Wednesday (First day of Lent) – March 2nd
Ash Wednesday is a Christian holy day of prayer and fasting. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and falls on the first day of Lent (the six weeks of penitence before Easter). Ash Wednesday is traditionally observed by Western Christians. It is observed by Catholics in the Roman Rite, Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, Nazarenes, Moravians, as well as by many from the Reformed tradition (inclusive of the Congregationalist, Continental Reformed, and Presbyterian traditions).
National Read Across America Day – March 2nd
National Read Across America Day was established by the National Education Association (NEA) in 1998 to help get kids excited about reading. The day occurs each year on the birthday of beloved children’s book author Dr. Seuss. On this day, students, teachers, parents, and community members around the nation come together to read books and celebrate the joy of reading.
World Hearing Day – March 3rd
World Hearing Day 2022 focuses on the importance of safe listening as a means of maintaining good hearing across the life course. The theme for this year is “To hear for life, listen with care”.
Employee Appreciation Day – March 4th
National Employee Appreciation Day on the first Friday in March each year focuses attention on employees in all industries. Employers across the country in business and organizations plan employee recognition and celebrations. Employee achievement and contributions are honored.
International Women’s Day – March 8th
International Women’s Day is a global holiday that commemorates the cultural, political and socioeconomic achievements of women. This is also the day that the United Nations has designated as the UN Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace, as a call to unity to end violence against women and girls. The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is “Gender equality today, for a sustainable tomorrow”, recognizing the contribution of women and girls around the world, who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response, to build a more sustainable future for all.
World Day of Muslim Culture, Peace, Dialogue and Film – March 11th
This day was created in 2010 by Javed Mohammed, a writer and producer from California, to bring awareness to the Islamic faith through an artistic lens in order to promote a better knowledge of Muslim culture.
K9 Veterans Day – March 13th
National K9 Veterans Day honors and commemorates the service and sacrifices of American military and dedicated K9 units throughout history.
Pi Day – March 14th
Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th (3/14) around the world. Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159. Pi Day is an annual opportunity for math enthusiasts to recite the infinite digits of Pi, talk to their friends about math, and eat pie.
St. Urho Day – March 16th
Urho is a fictional Finnish saint who is said to have chased away the grasshoppers from Finland to save the wine vineyards and the grapes from destruction. St. Urho’s Day is the day before St. Patrick’s Day, when widespread celebrations are happening across northern Minnesota and many places with populations of Finnish descent.
March 17th – St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day observes of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking and a whole lot of green.
Purim – March 16th – 17th
Purim, which translates to “Feast of Lots”, is a Jewish holiday which commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman, an Achaemenid Persian Empire official who was planning to kill all the Jews in the empire, as recounted in the Book of Esther.
Holi – March 18th
Holi is considered one of the most famous and revered Hindu festivals and it is celebrated throughout North India on the full-moon day of Phalguna. Participants throw colored water and powders on one another, and, on this one day only, license is given for the usual rankings of caste, gender, status, and age to be reversed.
Global Recycling Day – March 18th
Global Recycling Day emphasizes the importance of recycling and conservation by educating the world about the status of our essential resources.
Hola Mohalla – March 18th-20th
Hola Mohalla, also called Hola, is a three-day long Sikh festival honoring valor, skill and defense preparedness. It usually falls in March and takes place on the second day of the lunar month of Chet, after the Hindu spring festival Holi. Hola Mohalla is dedicated to the Sikh community, especially the armed order called Nihang. It is an annual fair where Nihangs, known for their brave acts going back to the days of Ranjit Singh, display their skills in martial arts in a unique, yet traditional style.
Ostara- March 20th
Ostara is just one of the names applied to the celebration of the spring equinox on March 21. It has been celebrated and observed for a long time in many places around the world. The word Ostara comes from the Anglo-Saxon goddess name, Eostre, who represents spring and new beginnings.
National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day – March 20th
National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is a national mobilization effort designed to encourage Native people (American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians) across the United States and Territorial Areas to get educated, get tested, get involved in prevention, and get treated for HIV. The theme for 2022 is “Reflection. Celebration. Rejuvenation.”
International Day of Happiness – March 20th
The International Day of Happiness was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012, recognizing the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings around the world and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives.
Naw-Ruz (Baha’i New Year) – March 20th – 21st
Naw Ruz means “New Day” and it is the Bahá’í and Persian New Year, which occurs on the date of the vernal equinox. The holiday is fixed as March 21 for Bahá’ís in all countries outside the Middle East, regardless of exactly when the equinox occurs. However, those who celebrate this day culturally, rather than religiously, celebrate on the exact day of the equinox. Naw Rúz dates back approximately 3,000 years and is rooted in Zoroastrianism, an ancient Persian religion the predates Christianity and Islam.
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination – March 21st
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on the day the police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid “pass laws” in 1960. The UN created this event to call for elimination of racial discrimination.
World Down Syndrome Day – March 21st
World Down Syndrome Day is a global awareness day officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. The date for WDSD being the 21st day of the 3rd month, was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome. This day gives people with Down Syndrome and their advocates a voice and an opportunity to be heard and organize activities to promote public awareness for the genetic disorder.
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade – March 25th
This day offers the opportunity to honor and remember those who suffered and died at the hands of the brutal slavery system. It also aims to raise awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice today. In order to more permanently honor the victims, a memorial has been erected at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The winning design for the memorial as The Ark of Return by Rodney Leo, an American architect of Haitian descent was selected through an international competition.
The Annunciation – March 25th
The Annunciation represents the day in the Christian religion when the Angel Gabriel announced that the Virgin Mary would become the mother of Jesus.
Epilepsy Awareness Day (Purple Day) – March 26th
Epilepsy Awareness Day aims to increase the public’s knowledge of a neurological condition affecting nearly 50 million people worldwide and to eliminate the fear and stigma surrounding it. Also known as Purple Day, people are encouraged to wear purple in support of epilepsy awareness.
National Vietnam War Veterans Day – March 29th
The National Vietnam War Veterans Day is a way to thank and honor our nation’s Vietnam veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice. This day was chosen to be observed on March 29th, as on this day in 1973, the United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam was disestablished. This was also the day the last U.S. combat troops departed Vietnam. In addition, on and around this same day Hanoi released the last of its acknowledged prisoners of war.
World Bipolar Day – March 30th
World Bipolar Day is celebrated each year on March 30th, the birthday of Vincent Van Gogh, who was posthumously diagnosed as having bipolar disorder.World Bipolar Day educates and promotes the spread of information on bipolar disorder through international collaborative efforts.