Women whose leadership has made a difference at Iowa State University will be honored by the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics on the 12th annual Woman Impacting Iowa State calendar – and two of them have ties to the Greenlee School.
Daniela Dimitrova, professor, and Emily Barske, senior in journalism and mass communication and marketing, will appear in the 2018 calendar, which will officially be unveiled in January during a reception recognizing the 12 honorees.
A selection committee of 12 members from across the university selected the women from a pool of 70 nominees, according to Kristine Perkins, public relations and student programs coordinator for the Catt Center who oversees the project.
Leading through example
As the Director of Graduate Education, Dimitrova leads the Greenlee School’s master’s program. She also serves as chair of Greenlee’s Promotion and Tenure Committee.
Her impact is felt at the college, university and national levels through service and scholarship. Dimitrova has served several terms on the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ Faculty Development Committee and the selection committee for the Carrie Chapman Catt Prize for Research on Women and Politics. She is the also the vice chair of the University Committee on Women and has held leadership positions in the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. She has published more than 50 peer-reviewed works since she arrived at Iowa State in 2003.
Colleagues note her dedication to graduate students and junior faculty.
“It is difficult to imagine the Greenlee School without Daniela Dimitrova,” said Assistant Professor Tracy Lucht, in a nomination letter. “Her insightful mentoring, thoughtful feedback and judicious advice have proved invaluable to faculty and students and have been pivotal in creating the collegial climate we enjoy.”
“This is such a competitive award and I am truly humbled to have been selected. Most rewarding for me are the letters of support I received from my colleagues during the nomination process, which show that my 14 years of service to Iowa State have not gone unnoticed,” Dimitrova said.
Giving a voice to other students
Barske holds a distinction that no other Iowa State student has earned in at least the last 20 years – she’s in the midst of a second term as editor-in-chief of the Iowa State Daily.
In addition, Barske is a Peer Mentor for the Journalism Learning Community, a member of the Greenlee School’s Student Advisory Board and a participant in the University Honors Program.
“But, what’s made her such a high-impact person on the ISU Community is her work to bring diversity issues to the fore of campus discussion,” said Lecturer Lisa Oakes, in her nomination letter.
As editor-in-chief, Barske created a Diversity Desk at the Daily to regularly report on and highlight issues on campus to “give a voice to the voiceless” and bring to light stories that often go untold. She also oversaw the expansion of the Daily’s “Voices” project into a community-driven website and in-person discussions. She received the Society of Professional Journalists Robert D.G. Lewis First Amendment Award for exceptional service to the First Amendment – a national distinction.
“It’s not just about good journalism,” Barske said. “It’s about actually making impact. That’s the coolest part about it the award. How the committee recognized that the Daily does make an impact is cool.”
Barske and Dimitrova will be honored along with the other women on Wednesday, Jan. 10 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Sun Room/South Ballroom of the Memorial Union. During and after the reception, free copies of the calendar will be distributed.
The Catt Center sponsors the calendar with funding provided by the Office of the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion.