More Than 150 Take Part in Day-Long Event

More than 150 people from around the world, including 90 St. Francis College students from ten academic departments, came to the College on April 2nd to attend the conference, Women's Health: Science, Technology and Society. The conference, which was chaired by Dr. Irina Ellison, Assistant Professor of Biology and Health Promotion at St. Francis College and Vice President of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) Metro NY Chapter, took a unique approach to women's health by examining the subject through a variety of disciplines including basic science, psychology, sociology, history, public health, philosophy, nursing and medicine.

The goal was to gain insight into and appreciation for the diversity of health issues faced by women, the challenges these issues pose and the novel solutions presented by sharing perspectives from professionals in different fields as well as professionals from different countries. "By initiating an open interdisciplinary dialogue we can shed light on the health issues that women face, begin to understand the impact of these issues on society and share successful approaches to healing," said Dr. Ellison.

Attendees were able to attend ten professional panel sessions, a keynote address by Dr. Leonore Tiefer on the medicalization of sex, a movie on the same topic and a performance by Ben Lillie's The Story Collider, which added a personal perspective to exploring women's health.

"The generous support of St. Francis College is a testament to the commitment of the College to further the understanding of women's health issues; the College should be commended on its willingness to embrace diversity through the support of these enriching academic events" said Dr. Ellison. The conference was also sponsored by AWIS and the Metro Women's Group of the American Chemical Society.

For information or presenting and/or sponsoring future women's health events, please contact Dr. Ellison at [email protected].

St. Francis College, founded in 1859 by the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn, is located in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. Since its founding, the College has pursued its Franciscan mission to provide an affordable, high-quality education to students from New York City’s five boroughs and beyond.
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St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201
www.sfc.edu