Margaret Boyd became the first woman to graduate from Ohio University 140 years ago. Now, her image is in Baker University Center, the pop-art photo the trademark image for a new program for female students launching this fall.
The Margaret Boyd Scholars program is accepting its first round of applications. The program, the brainchild of founders Patti McSteen, Susanne Dietzel and Tanya Barnett, aims to create a network of female leaders, beginning their first Spring Semester on campus.
“We’ve gotten a lot of reactions of, ‘I wish something like this was around when I was a first-year student,’” McSteen said, the official director of the program and the associate dean of students.
The applications are open to female freshmen. The acceptance process does not use GPA as a determining factor, instead looking to build a class of 20 from various scholastic and extracurricular pursuits. A leadership background is a plus.
“(We’re looking for) a little bit of a spark,” Dietzel said, director of the Women’s Center and co-founding director.
Funding the program comes through an internal grant from the university’s 1804 Fund. The money so far has been spent on marketing the program, but fundraising is currently taking place to fund future endeavors within the program.
The women do not receive financial aid through the scholars program.
Dietzel said the class will be selected prior to Thanksgiving. Once admitted, the women will attend a retreat and then take an academic seminar Spring Semester. Three female professors will teach the class: Miriam Shadis, Gerardine Botte and Melissa Haviland.
Shadis, an associate professor of history, said the first planning meeting for the seminar will take place next week, but she’s exploring readings and curriculum for the class.
“I’m thinking of focusing on historical experiences of women coming to university,” she said.
Shadis added she feels the program will benefit not only the women in it but also other members of the university community. McSteen hopes the women will make a lasting impact on campus and after they leave.
“I want people to look (at the scholars) and say, ‘I see myself in that group,’” she said. “I don’t want this to be a group that people can’t identify with.”
Applications are due Oct. 25.
eb104010@ohiou.edu
@EmilyMBamforth
