Women’s Symposium

The 58th Women's Symposium - Establish Your Seat

Wednesday, March 6th, 2024 in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Ballrooms

Establish Your Seat, 58th Women's Symposium

Register Here!

Schedule of Events

Check-in and Networking Session - 5:00pm - 6:30pm in Gallery 1911, Hughes-Trigg Student Center Lower Level

Plated Dinner served - 6:30pm

  • Welcome Remarks
  • Community Awards Presentation
  • Keynote Address:Alex Elle

Closing Remarks - 8:30pm

Attire for the event is business casual or business professional - we encourage folks to attend how they most feel confident!

The address for the event is as follows:

  Hughes-Trigg Student Center

  3140 Dyer Street

  Dallas, TX 75205

Parking information can be found on this map. Guest Parking is available in Binkley Garage, labeled "C" on the map.

If you have any questions about the event details, parking, or anything else regarding the Symposium, please reach out to us at womenandlgbtcenter@smu.edu

 Keynote Speaker: Alex Elle

Alex Elle is a New York Times Bestselling Author, certified breathwork coach, and Restorative Writing teacher living in Maryland with her family. Writing came into her life by way of therapy and exploration of healing through journaling and mindfulness. The intention behind Alex’s work is to build community and healing practices through literature and language. Alex teaches workshops, courses, and retreats to assist others in finding their voices and create clarity in their lives and relationships. We are so thrilled to welcome Alex to campus for our event!

Community Award Nominations are closed! 

As a part of our symposium, we honor members of the DFW community who make positive impacts on the lives of women through their work, philanthropy, mentorship, and service. We present 2 awards each year: the Gail Reese Ward Award for Excellence in Mentoring and the Profiles in Leadership Award. Please see below for a description of each award.

Gail Reese Ward Award for Excellence in Mentoring
This award is given to honor an individual who has shown a consistent dedication to the mentoring of the next generation of women leaders. This awards commemorates Gail Ward (1950-2003) who coordinated the Women's Symposium from 2000 - 2003 and created the Profiles in Leadership Awards program. It recognizes those for especially significant contributions as a mentor to girls and women in their work and life.

Profiles in Leadership Award
The Profiles in Leadership Award honors women who exemplify the purpose of the Women's Symposium: to educate women for social and political leadership. Honorees of this award have done outstanding work in their field and lives promoting the overall success of women. 

 

CORE the Podcast

 

Core The Podcast

 

Introducing CORE the PODCAST, an opportunity for all members of the SMU community to participate in the inner-generational dialogue and learning that takes place as part of the Women's Symposium. Listen and Subscribe here.

 

 

 

The Women's Symposium was created in 1966 as a part of the University's Fiftieth Anniversary celebration by the late Emmie V. Baine, Dean of Women at SMU from 1962 to 1988. The Symposium is the longest continuously running program of its nature in the country and one of SMU's oldest and most distinguished traditions.

The annual forum brings together women and men of differing ages and multicultural backgrounds to examine and discuss topics of national interest. The Symposium is a product of a year's work by joint committees of students, faculty, and community leaders. The program features nationally recognized speakers as well as topical seminars and workshops conducted by students, community leaders, and SMU faculty and staff.

CORE Women's Symposium Leadership Committee

JOIN THE WOMEN'S SYMPOSIUM STUDENT PLANNING CORE COMMITTEE TODAY!

  • Help plan and lead the longest continuously running program of its kind in the nation
  • Hear nationally recognized speakers
  • Discuss topics of national, global, and personal importance
  • Network with area leaders and community members

For more information, please contact  (214) 768-4792 or womenandlgbtcenter@smu.edu

Core the Podcast

CORE the PODCAST is on opportunity for all members of the SMU community to participate in the inner-generational dialogue and learning that has typically taken place solely between our CORE members and the Women's Symposium Community Award winner they are paired with in order to get to know them before they have to introduce them at the symposium. The women who are selected as our community award winners have such multi-faceted lives and incredible journeys that they have taken on order to get to where they are today, and we feel like those stories need to be heard. So, we bring you CORE the PODCAST! 

 

Image of the 6 community award winners over a yellow and white dotted background with text reading Women's Symposium Community Awards   

 

 

The Women's Symposium community awards recognizes women whose actions and example have served to advance the lives of women in the Dallas area. They will be honored and celebrated during the Women’s Symposium dinner on March 2nd. You can join us to celebrate with them to be registering here. 

 

The Gail Reese Ward Excellence in Mentoring Award

The Gail Reese Ward Excellence in Mentoring Award commemorates Gail Ward, 1950-2003, who coordinated the SMU Women’s Symposium from 2000 to 2003 and created the Profiles in Leadership Awards program. It recognizes an award recipient for especially significant contributions as a mentor to girls and women.

 

The Gail Reese Ward Award for Excellence in Mentoring Award Winner:

  • Lisa Culbertson, Head of Upper School at The Hockaday School

The Profiles in Leadership Award

The Profiles in Leadership award honors women who exemplify the purpose of the Women’s Symposium to educate women for social and political leadership.

 

Profiles in Leadership Award Winners:

  • Dr. Nancy Bernardino, Executive Director, Single Gender & Transformational Cluster, School Leadership A, Dallas ISD

  • Dr. Deanie Kepler, Former Director, Parent and Family Programs/Parent Liaison at SMU (retired)

  • Almas Muscatwalla, Founder & Executive Director, Faith Forward Dallas @ Thanks-Giving Square

  • Kelly Wilmore, Coordinator, Programs & Services, Diversity & Inclusion Chapter Lead, Alzheimer's Association, Dallas & Northeast Texas Chapter

  • Rabbi Elana Zelony, Senior Rabbi for Congregation Beth Torah

Individual Gifts

The lifeline of the SMU Women's Symposium is the individual contributor. Annual gifts from individuals, no matter what size, help fund a significant portion of the operations of the Symposium. Gifts may be made by cash, check, or online with a credit card. Give today and change the world and the women who can make the difference.

Honoraria and Memorials

Gifts may be made to honor or memorialize someone living or deceased. Celebrate a birth, graduation, anniversary or other special event with a gift to the SMU Women's Symposium.

Make A Gift