Since 2000, the Women Who Make a Difference program has honored those who are impacting our CU Boulder community. Each fall, nominations are accepted from the campus community to honor those who identify as women and awards are presented at a celebration for the nominees and their nominators. 

Each October, the center invites CU Boulder students, faculty and staff to nominate marvelous women in our community including advocates, colleagues, friends, grandmothers, mothers, storytellers or any woman who has impacted your life in a positive way. While nominators must be affiliated with CU Boulder, nominees can be members of the wider community. Because the goal of this award is to recognize more women for all their contributions to our campus, the program honors all women who are nominated.

The awards reception for 2023 took place Tuesday, Dec. 12.

    History

    Twenty years ago, student staff in the CU Boulder Women’s Resource Center conceived of this award to honor one woman at CU Boulder and solicited nominations from the community. They received nominations of such quality that they decided to honor all eight nominees. And so, a tradition was born. Although the Women’s Resource Center no longer exists, the Center for Inclusion and Social Change is proud to carry on this tradition. 

    This program builds upon the legacy of women like Mary Rippon, the first University of Colorado woman professor, and Lucile Buchanan, the first African-American woman to graduate from CU. These influential women paved the way for other women at CU Boulder and beyond and continue to inspire us. We know there are many more women in the CU Boulder community today who also deserve our recognition and appreciation.

    Contact Amanda Linsenmeyer for more information.

    2023 Recipients

    Aisha Nammari
    Ann Herrmann
    Ann Piano
    Bernadette Stewart
    Beth Amsel
    Carla Eugene
    Cherie Summers
    Cristine Wiedinmyer
    Debra Sparn

    Erika Eckert
    Giovanna Ruffolo
    Johanna Maes
    Kelly Ebert
    Lily Board
    Maggie Cornelius
    Manasa Kolavennu
    Marcia Yonemoto
    Meagan Larsen

    Megan Stephenson
    Nimisha Mallela
    Rebcca Komarek
    Sara Swain
    Sherri Sanders
    Shloka Dhar
    Sophia Wonneberger
    Soraya Latiff
    Yoriko Morita

    View past recipients.