2022-23 Annual Report
Our Mission
The Susan B. Anthony Center works to bring awareness to and advocate for social justice and equality. We work in collaboration with the University community and partner with a wide range of local, national, and international organizations to fulfill our goal of translating research into policy. We conduct this work in the spirit of Susan B. Anthony, who fought tirelessly throughout her life for the betterment of disenfranchised populations.
Welcome
The 2022–23 academic year was a busy one for the Center. We reenergized our annual Meliora Weekend event, the Stanton Anthony Conversations, after a hiatus from the Covid-19 Pandemic. The event was titled, Gun Violence: How Policy & Health Connect, and focused on the impact of gun violence and prevention efforts. We also reinstated our
awareness campaign of National Equal Pay Day, which symbolizes how far into the year the average woman must work to earn what the average man earned in the previous year. We set up various tables around the University on the day for staff to learn about this important issue. This event was also on hiatus due to the pandemic and we were so glad to host these events again this year.
Our main focus is on improving social justice and human rights through connecting evidence-based research with changemakers—lawyers, judges, legislators, physicians, social workers, and educators—who can put best practices into action. Toward that end, our motto is “Translating research into policy.”
We cannot do this without our partners. To aid in our work, Dr. Cerulli, through her 2020–21 fellowship with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Washington, DC, collaborated with national health and health policy leaders and continued this work in the final year of her fellowship. The primary goal of this year’s efforts was to explore the use of evidence-based instruments in family court as judges, attorneys, and court staff work to adjudicate cases that involve child abuse and neglect.
Additionally, the Center continued its partnership, now in its fifth year, with Mt. Hope Family Center and the University of Minnesota on the TRANSFORM Center, a multimillion-dollar grant NICHD awarded to the University of Rochester. TRANSFORM focuses on disseminating cutting-edge, evidence-based research on best practices in child maltreatment response and prevention for parents, advocates, researchers, legal professionals, and the public nationwide. TRANSFORM continues to expand its reach through webinars, fact sheets, social media, and a website. Check out the TRANSFORM podcast series, Promoting Resilience.
Feel free to email us at sbac@ur.rochester.edu if you have any questions, want to offer feedback, or just want to say hello.
With peace and hope for change to make the world ever better,
The Susan B. Anthony Center Staff
Meet the Team
Administrative Team
Catherine Cerulli, JD, PhD (she/her/hers), Director
John Cullen, PhD (he/him/his), Associate Director
Kirsten Buscetto, MS ’17W (she/her/hers), Assistant Director
Student Team
Kelley Foley ’22 (she/her/hers)
Elise Rio ‘22 (she/her/hers)
Rashi Dhilla ‘23W (she/her/hers)
Jay Foss ’23 (he/him/his)
Emily Greenzang ’24 (she/her/hers)
Adrian Calderon ’24 (he/him/his)
Siddharth Narsipur ’26 (he/him/his)
Events and Programs
Stanton/Anthony Conversations – Community Conversations on Gun Violence: How Policy & Health Connect
The Susan B. Anthony Center held our annual Stanton/Anthony Conversations during Meliora Weekend. The event featured a keynote presentation followed by a panel discussion. Speakers included a gun control expert, a researcher who studies the impact of gun violence, a policy maker on gun violence prevention, a community member from an anti-gun violence coalition, and a supporter of the second amendment. The presentation was followed by a reception.
Speakers
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn, Virtual)
Todd Baxter, Monroe County Sheriff
Panelists
Irshad Altheimer, PhD, Professor and Director of CPSI, RIT
Wanda Ridgeway, Executive Director, Rise Up Rochester
Mike Scharf, MD, Rochester Youth Violence Partnership
Read more.
Equal Pay Day
National Equal Pay Day symbolizes how far into the year the average woman must work to earn what the average man earned in the previous year. In 2023, Equal Pay Day was marked on March 14th. We had various table locations around the University to spread awareness of this important issue and gave staff an opportunity to show their support by getting a “EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK” button or sticker.
We also created a poster display and hung it in Wilson Commons near Starbucks for campus members to learn about the topic during that week. The event was in collaboration with the University’s Institutional Office of Equity and Inclusion and the URMC Office of Equity and Inclusion.
Read more.
International Women’s Day
To celebrate International Women’s Day, held annually on March 8, the Center hosted a special screening of the award-winning documentary, Left on Pearl at the Little Theatre. Directed by Susie Rivo, the film documents the riveting story about a highly significant but little-known event in the history of the women’s liberation movement, the 1971 takeover and occupation of a Harvard University-owned building by hundreds of Boston area women. This brave action led to the establishment of the longest, continuously operating women’s center in the U.S.
Read more.
Annual Susan B. Anthony Legacy and Leadership Awards
The Susan B. Anthony Legacy Awards are a more than 75 year plus tradition honoring exceptional women in the University of Rochester community. We present the awards annually at the Legacy Awards Ceremony, which we held on April 1st, 2023.
We selected six exceptional undergraduate women for the University Undergraduate Women’s Leadership Awards in four categories: the Fannie Bigelow Prize, the Jane R. Plitt Award, the Sue S. Stewart Award, and the Susan B. Anthony Scholarship. Additionally, we selected two leaders for the Susan B. Anthony Center Professional Women’s Leadership Awards: the Susan B. Anthony Lifetime Achievement Award and the Susan B. Anthony Community Champion Award.
This year, Carolyn Richards and Juliana Smith were awarded the Fannie Bigelow Prize, Priya Mandava was awarded the Jane R. Plitt Award, Taylor Scoggin was awarded the Sue S. Stewart Award, and Hana Genana and Quynh Anh Pham were awarded the Susan B. Anthony Scholarship.
Read more about the award descriptions and winner’s biographies.
Student Engagement
Student Advisory Board
To increase student input and involvement in our work of bringing awareness to, and advocating for, social justice and equity, we established the Student Advisory Board (SAB) for undergraduates in spring 2015. The SBAC board helps align SBAC programming with students’ local, national, and international advocacy efforts.
Board members focus on important issues, including but not limited to, feminism, gender based violence prevention, leadership, empowerment, LGBTQ+ issues and allyship, and providing a voice to marginalized groups on and off campus. Kirsten Buscetto advises the board, and this year’s advisory board comprised 8 students from various disciplines and degree programs.
Committee members
• plan and implement social justice awareness events for the student body and the University community
• advise the center on student engagement ideas and social justice issues of interest
• promote events and initiatives
• work with University departments and student groups on co-sponsorships that bring awareness to social justice and
equity
• provide input on center events and initiatives
This year’s members included Aditya Gunturi, Haley Orciuoli, LuYi Han, Maria Fernando Lizarazo, Maria Fernando Aversano, Melisa Koeroglu, Samia Afrin, and Zhan Shu.
The advisory board worked on an event for Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April and screened the movie ‘The Hunting Ground’ to increase awareness of the issue. They also handed out information on campus resources such as the Title IX office and the University Counseling Center.
Susan B. Anthony Center Ambassadors
Under the leadership of Kirsten Buscetto, the Susan B. Anthony Center (SBAC) Ambassadors program works to connect University students to the Rochester community through volunteer work at local nonprofit service organizations. SBAC Ambassadors help agencies with volunteer needs at one-day events or on short-term projects such as fundraising walks and dinners and inventory organization. By supporting agencies in this capacity, students help organizations by providing extra support to enable them to fulfill their goals, such as programming, raising funds, and serving clients.
The program
• enables students to volunteer at prearranged times convenient to their schedules
• simplifies connections to agencies by prearranging dates and handling correspondence
• provides transportation
• fosters relationships between University of Rochester students and the community as well as peer-to-peer relationships between students
• builds engagement and networking skills
On average, there are three volunteer dates scheduled each semester on Saturdays that range from two- to four- hour time commitments.
The program began in spring semester 2018, and students have currently volunteered with 22 local nonprofits. To date, 172 students have volunteered over nine semesters with an average of eight volunteers participating each date. Any students interested in social justice, community building, and social service careers are highly encouraged to join this short-term commitment and fulfilling program.
This year we held six volunteer opportunities for students:
Equicenter, Inc
Saturday, September 17, 2022
Helped with landscaping needs on the Center’s farm.
Brightstar Community
Saturday, October 29, 2022
Worked to ready an emergency shelter that was opening the following week. Tasks included painting, yard cleanup, cleaning, and furniture moving.
Rochester Cancer Support Community
Saturday, November 5, 2022
Raked leaves and general clean up outside for the facility.
Habitat for Humanity
Saturday, February 18, 2023
Helped with construction work for people needing shelter and homes.
Project Haven
Saturday, March 18, 2023
Worked to ready a community home by painting and helping with other basic clean-up work.
Equicenter, Inc
Saturday, April 22, 2023
Involved in cleaning and landscaping on farm.
Academic Work
Invited Presentations
Center for Leading Innovation & Collaboration
Cohorts for Change Anti-Racism Workshop, “Undoing the Historical Legacy of Racism in Research.”
University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
UP Your Game NOW: Responding to Bias and Microaggressions in the Workplace
Teaching
Transgender and LGB Patients: Addressing Disparities and Health Care Needs
Dr. Cullen educates UR Medicine employees on transgender and LGB patient disparities and health care needs. To date, more than 5,000 employees have completed the training, and, in an effort to reach a greater audience, he worked with Human Resources Learning and Development to update an online training module he helped develop in 2020, which is now available in MyPath.
Anti-Racism and Unconscious Bias Training
Dr. Cullen continues to educate University of Rochester faculty, staff, and trainees on the impact of unconscious bias and updated his training to include additional content on the different levels of racism and how those impact our environment. Over the past year, he has delivered 12 presentations. Audiences include Advancement and Alumni Relations, UR Future Faculty, Pediatric ICU nurses, and the UR Medicine Geriatric Group.
Transgender and Gender Diverse Employees
Dr. Cullen is the main contact at the University for transgender and gender diverse employees affirming their gender in the workplace or dealing with workplace discrimination issues. Over the past year, he assisted multiple employees with gender affirmation in the workplace, which included working with HR and providing additional education with work teams and in collaboration with Human Resources–created “A Guide for Workplace Advocates for Supporting Employee Gender Affirmation.”
Theatre of the Oppressed
Building on his Theatre of the Oppressed training, Dr. Cullen adapted these workshops to reach and engage a broader audience. Initially created to help UR Medicine employees address patient bias, these trainings are now used to help individuals address multiple types of bias and discrimination. These in-person workshops, paused at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, were reintroduced with additional safety measures in the summer of 2021. Audiences have included the URMC Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program, URMC School of Nursing Leadership students, University Health Services and Counselling Center staff, Advancement and Alumni Relations, and URMC Urology Clinic Staff.
Collaborations
Dr. Cerulli was proud to collaborate with preliminary investigator Dr. Ash from Brown University and her national team to understand the impact of electronic health records on patient provider interactions for Transgender patients. Also, the team delved into records to explore the difference between transgender and cis gender patients’ experiences with violence across the lifespan. This work will be presented further through the TRANSFORM podcast (see below) as well as several peer-reviewed articles and policy positions.
Transform Research Center
Every year, millions of children in the United States suffer child abuse and neglect (USDHHS, 2017). Our CAPSTONE Center for Multidisciplinary Research in Child Abuse and Neglect (P50) Project is a national resource center for conducting innovative research; disseminating emerging discoveries; and training investigators, clinicians, and
professionals committed to preventing and treating child maltreatment.
The TRANSFORM Center (Translational Research that Adapts New Science FOR Maltreatment Prevention) builds on current state-of-the-art research methodologies and clinical practices to foster the next generation of professionals committed to addressing the personal and societal burden associated with child abuse and neglect.
A multisite center, TRANSFORM expands upon the strengths of Mt. Hope Family Center at the University of Rochester and the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota. The Susan B. Anthony Center supports the work of the TRANSFORM dissemination core, helping to transmit discoveries in genetics, neuroscience, neurobiology, prevention and intervention science, child welfare, and court systems to bring evidence-based research to child welfare advocates, medical and legal professionals, educators, and the general public. This year we were in the last year of the five-year grant.
Efforts to break the intergenerational cycles of child maltreatment can only succeed when innovative science translates into future education and effective interventions for child-serving systems connected through scientifically accurate and accessible information. To learn more about the TRANSFORM Center, see the website and listen to our podcast, Promoting Resilience.
Journal Articles
Alpert, A.B., Mehringer, J.E., Orta, S.J., Redwood, E., Hernandez, T., Rivers, L., Manzano, C.M., Ruddick, R., Adams, S., Cerulli, C., Operario, D., Griggs, J.J. (2022). Experiences of Transgender People Reviewing their Electronic Health Records: Insights to Avoid Harm and Improve Patient-Clinician Relationships, a Qualitative Study. Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL. (In Press)
Alpert A.B., Sayegh S.J., Strawderman, M.S., Cunliffe, S., Cupertino, A.P., Cerulli, C., Griggs, J.J. (2022) Cancer Risk Factors & Cancer in Transgender Versus Cisgender People: Real World Data from a Tertiary Health Care Institution. To be presented at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL. (In Press)
Alpert, A.B., Sayegh, S.J., Strawderman, M.S., Cunliffe, S., Cupertino, A.P., Griggs, J.J., Cerulli, C. (2022) Associations Between Interpersonal Violence and Cancer Risk Factors for Transgender and Cisgender People. To be presented at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL. (In Press)
Shuber, Z., Quinlan, K., Duprey, E.B., Cerulli, C., & Nichols-Hadeed, C. Bridging the Research–Practice Divide in Child Maltreatment Prevention. Family Focus. (In Press).
Yousefi-Nooraie R, Dadgostar P, Roman G., Cullen JP, and Bennett NM. Mapping the Distribution of Health Equity Research and Practice Across a University; A Network Analysis. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science. 2023. 1-22. doi:10.1017/cts.2023.555.
Terrance, T., Sugarwala, L., McIntosh, S., Bisbee-Burrows, M., Castillejo, L., Evans, A., Reed, K. Rogers, K. and Cullen, J.P. “Structural Racism in Healthcare and Research: A Community-Led Model of Curriculum
Development and Implementation.” Journal of Clinical and Translational Science. 2023;7(1), E18. doi:10.1017/cts.2022.499.
Reichelt M, Cullen JP, Mayer-Fried S, Russell HA, Bennett NM and Yousefi-Nooraie R. ‘Addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in rural communities: A case study in engaging trusted messengers to pivot and plan.” Frontiers in Public Health. 2023;11:283. Cullen JP, Russ S, & Russell HA. “Theater for Vaccine Hesitancy-Setting the Stage for Difficult Conversations.” JAMA. 2022;328(11), 1018–1019.
Mayo NL; Cullen JP; Dozier AM; Yousefi-Nooraie R; Russell, HR. “How to Overcome Hesitancy for COVID-19 and Other Vaccines.” The Journal of Family Practice. 2022; 71(6), 239–244.
Visiting Scholars
JANE R. PLITT
Jane R. Plitt serves as a visiting scholar at the University of Rochester through the Susan B. Anthony Center. Plitt, a Cornell labor relations graduate, has spent her life advocating for equal rights. In addition to her professional achievements in Rochester, she played a pivotal role in eliminating segregated men’s-only grills and gender-segregated help-wanted ads as well as integrating the Rochester Jaycees and other service organizations, which led to the acceptance of women as full members of the Rotary, Kiwanis, and Lions clubs.
In 1973, she became the first national executive director of the National Organization for Women (NOW), a civil rights group advocating for women’s rights. She cofounded the Rochester Women’s Network and refamiliarized, through her biographies, the pioneering achievements of the forgotten Martha Matilda Harper, who created modern retail franchising and put poor women into those franchises around the world, launching social entrepreneurship.
Plitt’s book, Martha Matilda Harper: How One Woman Changed the Face of Modern Business was first published by Syracuse University Press in 2000 and republished in paperback in 2019. Since 2000, she has published two children’s books educating youth about Harper, Martha’s Magical Hair and Martha the Hairpreneur.
HELEN WILEY
Helen Wiley is researching the life of Hester C. Jeffrey, an African American woman who moved to Rochester in 1891 and who was active both locally and nationally in women’s clubs, suffrage associations, African American political associations, charity work, and church activities. Over the last five years as a visiting scholar, Wiley has focused her research on Jeffrey’s associations and work in Rochester from 1891 to 1916.
The Rare Book and Manuscript Collections of the University of Rochester contain a treasure trove of primary materials from this period that help document Jeffrey’s activities in a variety of local organizations. The materials in these collections draw a picture of an African American woman who worked side by side with Susan B. and Mary Anthony and other (mostly white) women of Rochester to support women’s suffrage in the Political Equality Club and the New York State Woman Suffrage Association.
In addition, Jeffrey helped bring leading African American orators of the day, such as Ida B. Wells- Barnett, Mary Church Terrell, Charles Douglass, Coralie Franklin Cook, and Victoria Earle Matthews, to speak at public gatherings in Rochester; organized and led local clubs of African American women and girls; and participated actively in the congregations of both First Unitarian Church and AME Zion Church.
Other Initiatives and News
JUDICIAL OBSERVATION PROJECT
Dr. Cullen was one of 14 trained observers on a pilot version of the Judicial Observation Project created and implemented by the United Christian Leadership Ministry of Western N.Y., Inc., and the Seventh Judicial District of N.Y. Courts. This program is designed to detect and address implicit bias and systemic racism in New York State courts.
Pre-Law Handbook
Designed for undergraduates who are passionate about law and legal studies or who intend to pursue a legal career in their post-college life, the handbook organizes information about a variety of resources, both on and off campus, to support the experience of prelaw students. You can access the guide here.
Trans At Rochester
A Handbook for Transgender Students Navigating Social, Administrative, and Medical Gender Transition at the University of Rochester. You can access the guide here.
Handbook for Underrepresented Ethnicities (HUE)
A resource to improve the experiences of individuals from historically underrepresented ethnicities (Black, African American, Latinx, Hispanic, and Native American) while attending the University of Rochester. You can access the guide here.
Sponsorships & Grants
Campus Sponsorships
The Susan B. Anthony Center sponsors campus events and initiatives that relate to social justice and the discipline of women’s leadership for students, staff, and faculty.
Institutional Office of Equity and Inclusion | Women’s History Month event featuring speaker Masih Alinejad.
Paul J. Burgett Intercultural Center | Chloe Corcoran National Coming Out Day Event.
Paul J. Burgett Intercultural Center | Todd Union LGBTQ Movement Event during Meliora Weekend 2022.
Office of Equity and Inclusion | Sponsored staff person to attend the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York 2023 Convention in Hershey, PA.
Susan B. Anthony Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies | Graduate Writing Collective.
Community Sponsorships
The Susan B. Anthony Center sponsors community events and initiatives that relate to social justice and the discipline of women’s leadership in the community.
Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys (GRAWA) | GRACE LSAT Scholarship to support increased diversity in the legal profession.
National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House | Purchased table for the Susan B. Anthony Birthday Celebration.
Susan A. Cowell LGBTQ Scholarship Fund.
Women’s Institute for Leadership and Learning | Overnight conference built for Girl Scouts to continue their learning process of civic engagement and the history and status of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).
YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County | 2022 Activists and Allies Empowering Women Luncheon.
Grants
The Susan B. Anthony Center funds projects, research, and conference expenses that relate to social justice and the discipline of women’s leadership for students, staff, and faculty.
Phoebe Huang, Graduate Student | Traveled to the University of Cape Town, South Africa to study infectious disease medicine.
Ezgi Kibris, Graduate Student | Presented paper, The Role of Female Judges in the European Court of Human Rights, at the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) Annual Conference in Chicago, IL.
KG Norris, Graduate Student | Traveled to the University of Cape Town, South Africa to study infectious disease medicine.
IN THE NEWS
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Written by Kirsten Buscetto
Designed by Siddharth Narsipur