Faculty Women of Color in the Academy national conference features research, honors leaders April 11-14

Virginia Tech’s Office for Inclusion and Diversity will host its 2024 Faculty Women of Color in the Academy (FWCA) National Conference with a writing workshop kicking off activities on April 11.

In-person programming will take place at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington from April 11-14. A robust virtual experience will be available via the associated app.

The popular conference offers educational and professional opportunities for Indigenous and women of color scholars — at all levels of their career — to network, engage, and learn with colleagues from around the country. The opportunity to connect across disciplines makes the Faculty Women of Color in the Academy a special space for women of color in academia — a space that is especially needed right now.

“Women of color are facing unique challenges in higher education, from disproportionate underrepresentation to a lack of mentorship and hypervisibility,” said Chatrice Barnes, director for faculty diversity and community engagement. “Our conference is an opportunity for us to come together in community and serve as support for one another in essential academic sisterhood.

“We have an incredible four days of programming planned for our attendees, and I can’t wait to see how they engage with what we’ve been working on for the last year.”

The conference, now in its 12th year, will feature research-based workshops exploring leadership, career advancement, personal well-being, and scholar activism. Additionally, conference attendees can expect a signature leadership panel, talks from featured authors, and a dynamic keynote addresses from Cherríe Moraga, Gabrielle A. Tayac, and Virginia Tech’s Menah Pratt, vice president for strategic affairs and diversity and professor of education.

In addition to these learning sessions, the event also features the presentation of the Zenobia L. Hikes Distinguished Career Award. Named for the dedicated and charismatic former vice president of Student Affairs at Virginia Tech, this award recognizes a woman of color who has had a distinguished career in higher education.

“I founded FWCA to facilitate essential experiences for women of color in higher education to connect, find and give support, and be empowered,” Pratt said. “Since 2012, we have made a difference in lives of over 500 women faculty, administrators, post-docs, and graduate students each year, and we hope to make many more meaningful impacts in the years to come. We are grateful to the almost 25 universities that are sponsoring cohorts of women to attend the conference as part of their commitment to recruiting and retaining talent."

Regular in-person registration ends March 31, and virtual registration will remain open through April 5.