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CWEALF In The News
CWEALF Announces 2006 One Woman Makes a Difference
Honorees
October 5, 2006
Carmen Cid, Dean of Arts and Sciences, Eastern
CT State University
Dr. Carmen R. Cid serves as professor of ecology,
chair of the Department of Biology, and Dean of Arts and Sciences
at Eastern Connecticut State University. In addition to her
work on the ecology of urban forests and wetlands, Dr. Cid
focuses her research on environmental education and strategies
to increase retention and recruitment of women and minorities
in the field of science. She has been profiled in both a prize
winning biology textbook and a "Women in Science Series" video/CD-ROM
entitled "The Urban Ecologist" as a role model ecologist.
From 1994 to 1998, Dr. Cid was the Principal
Investigator of a National Science Foundation grant project
funded. In turn, a statewide coalition, "United Connecticut
for Women in Science, Mathematics, and Education," was formed
to improve the participation and achievement of Connecticut
girls and women in science, mathematics, and engineering.
Amongst various other recruiting and retention initiatives,
the project sought to establish new gender-equity focused
classroom teaching strategies to help current and future math
and science K-12 teachers. CWEALF's Executive Director served
as evaluator of this project and documented its positive impact
on thousands of educators, students, and parents.
Outside of ECSU, Dr. Cid has served as Chair
of the Women and Minorities Committee for the Ecological Society
of America and Chair of the Humanities/Science/Social Sciences
American Fellowships Panel for the American Association of
University Women Educational Foundation.
CWEALF is proud to honor Dr. Cid for her remarkable
personal accomplishments within the field of science while
being an exemplary role model for peers and young women in
our state.
Patricia Kaplan, Director of New Haven Legal
Assistance Association
For twenty eight years, Patricia Kaplan has
been an integral part of the New Haven Legal Assistance Association.
Following graduation from the University of Connecticut Law
School, Attorney Kaplan joined New Haven Legal Assistance
Association, a nonprofit organization committed to securing
justice for and protecting the rights of those residents of
New Haven County unable to engage legal counsel. As a staff
attorney, Attorney Kaplan focused on family and child law.
By 1991, Attorney Kaplan rose to the position of Executive
Director.
Attorney Kaplan has also provided training to
legal services attorneys and directors at both the regional
and national level for over ten years. The management trainings
are focused on supervising legal work, time management and
executive directorship.
Beyond New Haven LAA, Attorney Kaplan is a member
of the Connecticut Law Tribune Advice of Counsel Board and
actively involved in the Connecticut Bar Association, having
previously served as the past President of the New Haven County
Bar Association.
For the past decade Attorney Kaplan has served
as CWEALF's retained legal counsel on family law issues. She
generously provides staff and clients with her insights and
legal expertise. Her passionate support of CWEALF's Information
& Referral Service has greatly enhanced the quality and the
longevity of the program.
CWEALF is privileged to honor Pat Kaplan for
all her tireless work to ensure women's access to basic legal
protections in our state.
Betty Kuehnel, Area Coordinator, AFSCME Council
4
Betty Kuehnel has a strong history of combining
workers rights and women's rights to enhance the employment
opportunities and conditions for the people in Connecticut.
For over 24 years, Ms. Kuehnel has worked representing union
members, especially working women. Ms. Kuehnel advocates on
women's issues through her elected and volunteer activities
such as:
- President of AFSCME Council 4 Staff Union
- Chair, Women's Committee and Executive Board Member Connecticut
AFL-CIO
- Assistant Treasurer, Greater Hartford Labor Council,
AFL-CIO
- Chair, Personnel Committee United Labor Agency
- Member, South Windsor Democratic Town Committee
- Chair, State Advisory Council on Displaced Homemakers
- Board member, United Way of the Capital Area
Ms. Kuehnel has had an impact on women's earning
in Connecticut as a member of the Steering Committee of the
original State of Connecticut Objective Job Evaluation (OJT)
Study which addressed inequities in wages for positions held
by women in state employment. She also held the position of
Commissioner of the State Board of Education bringing women's
voices to the table in the critical arena of education.
CWEALF is proud to honor Betty Kuehnel for fighting
on behalf of working women and men in our state.
Pat McCann-Vissepó, Executive Director, Casa
Otoñal
Patricia McCann Vissepó has worked tirelessly
for the City of New Haven through her tenure as Executive
Director of Casa Otoñal, a community based organization that
provides a variety of housing, social, and cultural services
to Hispanic elders, families, and children. Ms. McCann Vissepó
first joined Casa Otoñal in the early eighties, serving as
President of the board for seven years before becoming Executive
Director in 1993, a position she still holds today.
Ms. McCann Vissepó was appointed to the New
Haven Board of Education in 1990. In 1992, she became the
first Puerto Rican woman to serve as chairperson. Years later,
with the support of late Rep. John S. Martinez, Ms. McCann
Vissepo was confirmed by the Connecticut General Assembly
to serve on the Board of Governors for Higher Education. She
remains the only Latina sitting on this board, which oversees
all public and private universities and colleges in the state.
Ms. McCann Vissepó also remains an active member
in her local New Haven community, in addition to working for
larger state organizations such as Planned Parenthood and
the League of United Latin American Citizens Scholarship Fund.
Pat McCann Vissepó embodies the qualities that we wish to
instill in all the young women in our state: intelligence,
courage and passion. CWEALF is proud to honor Ms McCann Vissepó
for her service to women, girls and their families.
Ruth Pulda, Private Attorney
Ruth Pulda, a partner with the firm Livingston,
Adler, Pulda, Meiklejohn, & Kelly, has committed her work
as an attorney to representing individuals in all aspects
of employment, from the administrative level to trials in
state and federal courts. Attorney Pulda has over twenty years
of experience at Livingston, Adler, Pulda, Meiklejohn, & Kelly,
negotiating separation/severance matters and resolving employment
disputes.
For over 20 years, Attorney Pulda has acted
as legal counsel to CWEALF's I&R Service, providing training
to staff and acting as a resource. Additionally, Attorney
Pulda has acted as legal counsel for the Connecticut Coalition
for Choice, monitoring health care issues which prodominately
affect women and girls. She has served as a Commissioner on
the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women for twelve
years, with a term as Chair from 1993 to 1995 and Secretary
soon after. Attorney Pulda is also an educator within higher
education, teaching a course on Women and the Law and running
the Women's Rights Clinic as an Adjunct Professor at the University
of Connecticut Law School.
Attorney Pulda has been appointed to numerous
legislative task forces, including the Task Force to Revise
the State Family and Medical Leave Acts and the National Women's
Law Center Task Force on Sexual Harassment in Elementary and
Secondary Schools. Attorney Pulda maintained an online column
on women and girls in sports for Oxygen sports and continues
to write on employment discrimination and women's issues today.
Ruth Pulda's zeal for women's issue has been
an inspiration for attorneys, CWEALF staff and interns and
activists. CWEALF is honored to list Ruth Pulda among our
2006 One Woman Makes a Difference Awardees.
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