WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes to speak at SU Division of Student Affairs Women’s Leadership Awards ceremony on March 7

WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes to speak at SU Division of Student Affairs Women’s Leadership Awards ceremony on March 7February 23, 2007Carol K. Masiclatclkim@syr.edu

Basketball star Sheryl Swoopes will visit the Syracuse University campus to participate in the Division of Student Affairs Women’s Leadership Awards on Wednesday, March 7. The award recognizes and promotes the role women play as leaders on the SU campus and in the community. The awards ceremony will take place at 3 p.m. in Goldstein Auditorium in the Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center.

The program will showcase the talents and accomplishments of SU female students, faculty and staff, and illustrate how women leaders can contribute on a local, national and global level. This year, five student leaders and one faculty/staff member will be recognized. Award nominees must be current Syracuse University or SUNY College of Environmental Studies and Forestry undergraduate female students, faculty or staff members, and must have been enrolled or employed at SU or SUNY-ESF for at least one semester prior to March 7. Full details of the nomination and award processes are available online at http://studentlife.syr.edu.

Swoopes, a forward for the Houston Comets, was named WNBA most valuable player, earned a place on the All-WNBA First Team and was selected for the All-Defensive First Team, all in 2005. Often referred to as “the female Michael Jordan,” she has won three Olympic gold medals and was the first women’s basketball player to have a Nike shoe named after her: the “Air Swoopes.” In 2005, she became one of the most high-profile team sport athletes to come out publicly, when she announced that she was a lesbian in ESPN: The Magazine.

“Whether in the world of sports, in the classroom, or in the community, Syracuse University is becoming increasingly known as a place that produces people with a powerful commitment to thoughtful, impactful leadership,” says Senior Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs Barry L. Wells. “Sheryl Swoopes is a good person to address the female leaders on our campus because she is not only a world-class athlete, she is also a leader in the truest sense of the word — setting an example for all women who aspire to engage with society and make a difference.”

The event is sponsored by SU’s Office of Student Life, LGBT Resource Center and Office of Multicultural Affairs. Tickets are free and available at the Schine Box Office. Public parking is available in the University Avenue Garage.

For more information, contact the Office of Student Life at (315) 443-2718.