Join Women’s History Month events throughout March

Women’s History Month offers the UNMC and Nebraska Medicine community a series of events and activities to celebrate women and their contributions.

Here are some opportunities to participate throughout the month.

March 4 | Best Burger Food Truck. Stop by the south side of the Sorrell Center between 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  to grab lunch while supporting an Omaha woman-owned local business: Best Burger. Ask for a "Ruth Ginsburger" to celebrate the first week of Women's History Month.

March 8 | The Art of Leading as a Woman. Sasha Shillcutt, MD, discusses strategies for successfully leading teams. She speaks on the kinds of leadership backlash women may face along with strategies to address them. She provides ways that women can support one another to lead authentically in their work spaces. Event is from noon to 1 p.m. Register online.

March 10 | Omaha’s Diverse Foremothers, presented by Amy Forss, PhD. This presentation will highlight numerous diverse women who were pivotal in creating what we know as Omaha but remain unsung heroines still today. The discussion, sponsored by UNMC Human Resources, will be from noon to 1:15 p.m. Join the Zoom, or UNMC employees can register via Bridge.

March 10 | Conversations for Inclusive Excellence. Inclusive Excellence is the regular monthly session that creates space for intentional and reflection discussions. The topics are intended to challenge our assumptions so we can engage in meaningful dialogue. This month’s session marries the value of courage with Women's History Month. It runs from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Add to your calendar online.

March 15 | The Importance of Women in Leadership. Ada Wilson, JD, Nebraska Medicine's chief diversity officer, offers her insights on the importance of women in leadership. Wilson has had a long career of serving in the diversity, equity and inclusion space. Her presentation runs from noon to 1 p.m. Register online.

March 16 | Let’s Talk – Women in Biz. Geetanjali Rathore, MD, leads a guided discussion based on interviews with some leading women in the private business sector. Dr. Rathore is a pediatric neurologist in Omaha and is affiliated with Nebraska Medicine and Children’s Hospital & Medical Center. The discussion is from noon to 1:30 p.m. Register online.

March 22 | Understanding Trauma Informed Care, Resilience and Health. Ashley Farrens is the violence prevention coordinator at Nebraska Medicine and coordinator of the Dusk to Dawn youth violence prevention program. She leads a journey to understand the intersections of trauma-informed care, resilience and health. The webinar is from noon to 1 p.m. Register online.

March 23 | The Journey of Healing, Hope and Change: The Transformative Process of a "Name Change," with Collette M. Yellow Robe, PhD. Dr. Yellow Robe’s Cheyenne name is Vonáhe’e. She is an enrolled citizen of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. Hear how her distinct tribal, cultural and familial background influenced her career in collaborative programming in education. The presentation, sponsored by the UNMC Human Resources, is from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. via Zoom; UNMC employees can register via Bridge.

March 29 | UNMC Then & Now. Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, introduces the program that starts with a presentation on “Pioneering Female Health Professionals at UNMC”, given by Emily Brush, PhD. It sheds light on UNMC women who led meaningful and accomplished careers in a difficult era and work environment for female scientists and health career professionals  before fast-forwarding to present-day initiatives and groups that have taken the baton. Nebraska Medicine and UNMC chief diversity officers and employee resource group leaders get the opportunity to reflect on how to leverage their groups and resources to continue to make progress in the area of gender equity. The webinar runs from noon to 1 p.m. Register online.

March 30 | Joy Jars activity from the inclusion corner. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., pick up a Joy Jar in the McGoogan Library's Inclusion Corner (northeast corner of the sixth floor in the McGoogan Health Sciences Library). Pick a woman on your team, in your collaborations or in your life to show appreciation beyond Women's History Month. Start the Joy Jar for her with 10 notes of appreciation then give it to her and tell her why you chose her. Encourage her to continue to fill it with affirmations that bring her up when she needs it.

March 31 | "Picture a Scientist" documentary and UNMC leader discussion panel. The documentary helps viewers gain a deeper understanding of the collective cost of sexism within science and why it is important for individuals and institutions to become advocates for diverse representation, access and inclusion in STEM. UNMC executive leaders will show some salient clips and embark on a discussion surrounding some of the documentary’s most prominent themes. The discussion runs from noon to 1:30 p.m. Register online.

Throughout March, engagement activities also give students, staff and faculty a chance to participate.

#BreakTheBias social media campaign. Check out information on the National #BreakTheBias Campaign here. Participate by taking a selfie wearing purple in the #BreakTheBias pose and adding a personal message to your photo. Alternatively, comment on any events or activities you participate in throughout the month. Pair your content with the following hashtags for a chance to be featured on UNMC’s official social media sites: #BreakTheBias, #WHM and #UNMC.

EMPOWER Cell Phone Donation Drive for YWCA. Check out the YWCA website to learn more about the organization. Donate your old cellphones for a good cause. Find collection bins at MSC 3021 (Dr. Schenart’s office) or WSH suite 2.0.106 (Office of Community Engagement).

AABA (African American Black Alliance) Cinema Series Reflection. Participate to win a mug or a mini-tumbler. Pick a movie from this calendar to watch and pay attention to any biases that you notice while you watch the movie. Think about how one thought could be reframed to #BreakTheBias. Finish the activity by emailing a short reflection to the African American Black Alliance along with your institutional mailbox zip code.