Observed throughout the United States since the 1980s, Women’s History Month is a time to honor and celebrate the impact women have made on society. Here we have provided a listing of stories, exhibits, events and reading resources that highlight extraordinary women in history and the present.

Campus Events

March 1—Texas Girls in STEM Day: Virtual Role Model Panels
Women in STEM is hosting three virtual STEM role model panels to celebrate Texas Girls in STEM Day 2023. The virtual events begin at 12 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Go to the Girl Day website for more information.

March 3-31—Women’s History Month Movie Showings 
The Gender & Sexuality Center (GSC) is featuring movies and clips from the Ana Sisnett Library throughout the month of March to celebrate women across the globe. Showings will be announced on the GSC’s Instagram channel: @gscatut. 

March 3—A Conversation with Vicki Hollub
The Cockrell School of Engineering is hosting a talk with Vicki Hollub, Oxy president and CEO, titled “The Role of the Oil and Gas Industry in a Sustainable Energy Future” on March 3, 2-3 p.m. at the Gary L. Thomas Energy Engineering building (GLT 5.104).

March 6—‘What Makes Work Worth It’ 
The LBJ School’s RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service is hosting a speaker event titled “What Makes the Work Worth It” featuring Emily Haynes, reporter for the Chronicle of Philanthropy on March 6, 5:30-7:15 p.m. at Sid Richardson Hall (SRH 3.122).

March 8—Meet the Mayors
The LBJ School of Public Affairs is hosting a speaker event featuring Mattie Parker, the youngest mayor of any major U.S. city and the 45th mayor of Fort Worth, Texas. The event will take place on March 8, 12 p.m. at Sid Richardson Hall (SRH 3.122).

March 22—Research Tips for Feminist and LGBTQ+ Scholars 
The Gender & Sexuality Center is hosting an event titled “How Do You Do Research Anyway?” to help researchers prepare for projects and final papers. The event is happening on March 22, 1-2 p.m. in the GSC located in the William C. Powers Jr. Student Activity Center (WCP 2.112). Free brain food will be provided!

March 23-24—Diversity in Media Symposium 
Join the Moody College of Communication at the Diversity in Media Symposium, themed “Global Women’s Rights and the Media: Past, Present and Future,” on March 23-24 at the Dealey Center for New Media (DCM). 

March 28—‘Women in Sports: Our Past Paves the Future’
In celebration of Women’s History Month and the 50th anniversary of Title IX, Texas Athletics and the Center For Sports Communication & Media are hosting a talk by Dr. Donna Lopiano, executive director of the Women’s Sports Foundation and member of the National Sports Hall of Fame and the National Softball Hall of Fame. The event will take place on March 28, 7:30 p.m. at the Dealey Center for New Media Auditorium (DMC 1.206).

April 4—Mexico Through the Lens of Women Filmmakers 
The Moody College’s Latino Media Arts and Studies program is co-hosting a film series titled “Mexico Through the Lens of Women Filmmakers,” presenting four films that aim to reflect an identity and a sense of belonging for the Latino and Hispanic communities. The film series takes place on April 4, 3:30-5:30 p.m. at the G. B. Dealey Center for New Media (DMC 5.102). 

April 13—Film Screening: “For the Record”
The Monday College’s Radio-Television-Film department is hosting a screening of the documentary “For the Record” by Heather Courtney on April 13, 7:30 p.m. at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center Ampitheater.  The film is about a Texas Panhandle newspaper, the Canadian Record, and its editor/publisher Laurie Brown’s fight to keep the paper alive.

Art & Culture

Choreographing Sisterhood

The College of Fine Arts’ Department of Theater and Dance presents “EMERGE,” featuring new work from professional and student choreographers. The performance features a piece by choreographer Gesel Mason titled “Renaissance Futura,” which provides a depiction of sisterhood that places value on courage and vulnerability. “EMERGE” runs through March 1-5. Go here for more information.

Exploring Identities and Experiences of Women

Visit the Blanton Museum of Art to see the “Las Hermanas Iglesias” exhibition (open through July 9), which explores the complexities of caregiving from the perspective of two sisters Lisa and Janelle Iglesias. Their exhibition debuts new artworks that draw from their own recent experiences with fertility, pregnancy, loss and birth. Watch an artist talk with Las Hermanas Iglesias on the Blanton’s YouTube page.

Stories

Speaking Out for Mental Health

Read about the life and work of Bert Kruger Smith, a Hogg Foundation program officer who oversaw education in mental health through mass media from 1952 to 1983. She hosted a series of weekly radio broadcasts, “The Human Condition,” which featured conversations spanning the full range of human interest involving mental health. Read the full story. 

Promoting Music Therapy 

Go back in time to the 1950s and ‘60s when the Music Therapy Program at Texas Women’s University first began. With funding from the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health (championed by Ima Hogg), the program hired on Geneva Scheihing, enabling her to offer a course in music therapy, to assist in setting up a clinical practice for music therapy at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, and to engage in additional research.   Read the full story. 

Gazing Upward 

Read about Anne Marie Adkins, an amateur astronomer who draws inspiration from Beatrice Tinsley, a UT Austin alum who was the only female astronomy student back in the 1960s. Visit the Texas Leader website to learn more about Adkins’ passion for stargazing—and how she’s supporting the next generation of women astronomers.

Holding the Torch

Turn back the pages of time to the early 1980s when Brenda Burt came to campus and took charge of the Multicultural Information Center (now known as the MEC). For more than three decades, she has touched the lives of many students, helping them feel more accepted and at home during their time on campus. Read the full story. 

Citing Black Women

Read about College of Liberal Arts Professor Christen Smith’s “Cite Black Women” project, and how it is motivating people across disciplines to honor the intellectual property of those who historically have been overlooked and whose work has gone uncited.  Read the full story.

Documenting Black Women Athletes

Amira Rose Davis is an assistant professor and Harrington Faculty Fellow in the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies, where she is finishing her first book, “Can’t Eat a Medal: The Lives and Labors of Black Women Athletes in the Age of Jim Crow.” Read about her life and work. 

Recording Stories of Incarceration 

Listen to an audio interview with Sara Bennett, an artist and public defender who photographs and records stores of formerly incarcerated women. The interview is part of the Blanton Museum of Art’s exhibition, Day Jobs, which explores how artists’ day jobs impact their practice.

Honoring Exceptional Women in Law

Read about ten women in the legal profession who made a big impact in their various roles that include working at law firms, corporate settings, education, healthcare, government and more. Read the full story.

Celebrating Dr. Lilia Raquel Rosas

Dr. Lilia Raquel Rosas, assistant professor of instruction for the Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies, has been awarded the 2023 Ellen Clarke Temple Research Fellowship in Texas Women’s History presented by the Texas State Historical Association. Read the full story.

Reading and Listening Resources

Add These Books to Your Reading List

Find a listing of book and articles recommended by faculty members in the Center for Women’s & Gender Studies that explore various issues related to women.

Download the New ‘Overcoming’ Audiobook 

Download a free copy of the new audio adaptation of “Overcoming,” a book penned by a beloved figure in UT history: Almetris Marsh Duren. Narrated by members of the Precursors, staff and alumni, the chapters cover various challenges and triumphs faced by African Americans on the Forty Acres.

Listen to Women’s History Lessons

The Department of History’s Not Even Past website offers a wealth of learning and teaching materials covering a range of topics—from women’s suffrage to contraception rights to important figures in women’s history.

Visit the Ana Sisnett Library

Housed within the Gender & Sexuality Center (SAC 2.112), the Ana Sisnett Library features an array of reading materials—genre fiction, nonfiction, magazines, etc.—that honor and celebrate women and the LGBTQ+ community. Ana Sisnett was a celebrated author, educator, artist and activist.