Susan B. Anthony Awards

Susan B. Anthony Awards

The Commission for Women (CFW) present Susan B. Anthony Campus and Community Awards annually to recognize a member of our campus family and a member of the local community, whose lives and deeds exemplify the dedication, fortitude, political agitation and involvement of Susan B. Anthony on behalf of women. Anthony forced a nation to recognize human rights, challenged gross inequities endured by women in our society, and taught us that failure is impossible!

SAVE THE DATE POSTPONED: Susan B. Anthony Campus and Community Awards, Thursday, April 4, 2024 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm   Stay tuned for further details, this event to take place in early Fall.

Location: Michigan Rooms, Fairlane Center North

Susan B. Anthony Campus and Community Awards and flowers on table.
 Helen Brown, Guest Speaker, Detroit Police Chaplain, Ellen Judge-Gonzalez, Campus Award Recipient, Dr. Ramona Cox, Community Award Recipient
Helen Brown, Guest Speaker, Detroit Police Chaplain, Ellen Judge-Gonzalez, Campus Award Recipient, Dr. Ramona Cox, Community Award Recipient

Congratulations to our 2022 Susan B. Anthony Award Recipients!

  • Campus Award - Ellen Judge-Gonzalez, Director of SOAR Program
  • Community Award - Dr. Ramona Cox, Director of the Champions Network

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to our 2022 Campus Award Recipient!

 2022 Susan B. Anthony Campus Award Recipient - Ellen Judge-Gonzalez
2022 Susan B. Anthony Campus Award Recipient - Ellen Judge-Gonzalez

Ellen Judge-Gonzalez is an innovative, equity-minded leader with extensive experience in program management, student mentorship, intergroup dialogue, college teaching, and academic support for diverse student populations.

Since 2008, Ellen has directed the SOAR program on the University of Michigan-Dearborn campus. SOAR offers support, opportunities, advocacy, and resources for nontraditional, returning adult learners experiencing socioeconomic barriers. Under her leadership, SOAR has doubled enrollment, improved retention and graduation rates, expanded nontraditional student engagement in high impact practices, increased community partnerships and program visibility, increased the number of SOAR students applying to graduate school, and created internships geared to nontraditional learners.

Understanding that not being able to afford college is the number one predictor of nontraditional student attrition, Ellen works tirelessly finding funds to support SOAR student success. She has partnered with institutional advancement to secure SOAR specific endowed scholarships and major gifts including funds to launch and maintain a successful laptop loan program, ensuring all SOAR students have access to a working laptop and a donor-supported textbook loan program, now in its 12th year that has provided over $120,000 in textbooks to first-year SOAR students. Ellen has secured over $200,000 in grants for and other funds for SOAR program initiatives and critical difference funding for students.

Known for her ability to engage students, successfully lead collaborative institutional initiatives, and reduce barriers to student achievement, Ellen has served on numerous campus committees including the Prison Education Working Group, CASL strategic planning, co-chairing the university strategic planning subcommittee on reducing student barriers to success, serving as project lead on retention planning in the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters, and taking a lead role in the formation of UM-Dearborn’s non-trad student friendly integrative studies major. Ellen has presented at local and national conferences on best practices in supporting nontraditional learners utilizing an equity framework.

Prior to her arrival at UM-Dearborn, Ellen taught in the communication department at Washtenaw Community College and credits that experience, along with time at Madonna University doing academic supervision in the TRiO program, and her own experiences as a first-gen, nontraditional student with informing her guidance of the SOAR program and its students. In addition to directing SOAR, Ellen teaches at UM-Dearborn as a LEO lecturer in Language, Culture, and Communication and also in Liberal Studies where she teaches an academic renewal seminar for returning adult learners.

When not working, Ellen is an avid amateur genealogist who enjoys travel, native plant gardening, long walks, and hanging out with family and friends.

 

 

Congratulations to our 2022 Community Award Recipient!

 2022 Susan B. Anthony Community Award Recipient - Dr. Ramona Cox
2022 Susan B. Anthony Community Award Recipient - Dr. Ramona Cox

Dr. Ramona Cox is the Director of the Champions Network for Doc Wayne Youth Services. Dr. Cox is responsible for overseeing various trainings that teach fundamental and trauma-informed mental health skills that leverage sport-and community-based therapies

Ramona is a graduate of the University of Michigan where she played on the women's volleyball team. She later received her master’s degree in Sports Administration from Wayne State University and obtained her Ph.D. in Kinesiology with a concentration in sport psychology from Michigan State University in 2014. Following Ramona’s collegiate volleyball career, she played 11 years of women’s semi-professional football as tight end and fullback for the Detroit Demolition and Detroit Dark Angels. 

Ramona has a passion for sports-based youth development and has researched increasing sports and physical activity opportunities for urban African American adolescent girls. 

Ramona is heavily involved in the sports-based youth development community as a facilitator and lead trainer for the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), a board member of the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association and the McDonald Phelps Foundation, and a member of the State of Michigan Women in Sports Task Force. 

She has also worked collaboratively and implemented impactful projects with organizations such as the Women’s Sports Foundation and U.S. Soccer Foundation. 

Ramona continues to coach girls’ volleyball in Detroit at Cass Technical High School and Instant Replay Volleyball Club. 

She also oversees the “Girls Changing the Game” program that seeks to increase the number of girls that participate in sport and physical activity and the number of innovative quality programs for girls like the Future Coaches Leadership Academy. 

Her research interests include sports-based youth development and increased sports and physical activity opportunities for girls. 

Ramona has been afforded a variety of exciting experiences through her involvement in sport and it is her passion to provide those same opportunities to the girls she works with. 

Introduction of the Susan Cushnier Endowed Scholarship

Susan Cushnier Endowed Scholarship
Susan Cushnier Endowed Scholarship

The family of Susan Cushnier has established the Susan Cushnier Endowed Scholarship in memory of all her contributions to the campus. Susan was a member of the Commission for Women for many years, and the Susan B. Anthony Awards Banquet was one of her favorite events.

Commission for Women

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4901 Evergreen Road
Dearborn, MI 48128
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Shareia Carter or Stephanie Hall-Sturgis