Grants to Benefit Women

Funding important and life-changing programs and experiences for our students, and those who lead and mentor them, is at the heart of our work, through the grants we award and programming we offer. Our circle of members, and their collective giving power, make it possible.

The Tall-Wiedefeld Society awarded $20,000 to seven worthy programs in FY 2023.

• $2,000 to the inaugural chapter of the Black Athlete Sister Circle (BASC) at Towson University. BASC supports black female athletes in the following areas: life as a student athlete; campus climate; black female student identity; academic balance and success; developing positive relationships; mentoring; and career development.
• $3,000 to Cultivating Resiliency and Well-being in Future Educators: The Tiger LINC Club (TLC) To address the mental health crisis among young adults, curriculum and training has been developed for six College of Education (COE) students who lead resiliency and mental health support sessions in 16 public high schools. The program is expanding to include support for all COE students. The Tiger LINC Club (TLC) brings students together to build connections and engage them in strategies to manage adversity and strengthen their well-being, impacting over 150 teacher candidates.
• $3,000 to TU - Baltimore County Public Schools Model United Nations The majority-minority program, dominated by women, connects 300 high schoolers from 23 schools, with 40 TU students and professors in role-playing simulations. Transportation, materials, and meals for all participants are provided. The program brings the students together for an accessible and mutually beneficial civic engagement learning program. TU students assist with running every part of the conference program.
• $1,000 to College of Business & Economics MentHER Program, a cross-generational mentoring program designed to empower female business students at Towson University and provide support to high school students. A second-year grant award-winner, and operating in its 15th year, the program builds leadership skills and connects female students with information and mentors while instilling a sense of community engagement.
• $1,000 to support conference attendance for Hill-Lopes Scholars. The Hill-Lopes Scholars Program supports undergraduate women in STEM as they navigate their career paths, gathering professional development and networking skills. A key pillar of the program is career exploration. Funding will support our scholars with opportunities to attend the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) in Philadelphia, PA. GHC is the largest gathering of women in the computer science/tech field.
• $5,000 for Speak Up, Speak Out! (SUSO!): A Week-long Immersive Leadership Communication Experience for Middle School Girls Grant funding will support a week-long day camp for 50 middle school girls (12-13 year-olds), led by TU faculty and Public Communication Center peer mentors with the goal to empower the young women. It will focus on helping them: find their voice, develop respectful communication skills, advocate for themselves and others, and build self-confidence.
• $5,000 to Women in Forensic Science TU’s highly regarded forensic science programs enroll 85% women. Funding will support five seminars that include working female forensic scientists and female victims of violence. The presenters will discuss the role women play in forensic laboratories as Crime Scene Investigators, DNA Analysts, and Firearms Examiners. Community outreach helps students recognize the important roles women play in crime laboratories and opens the door to internships, crime scene ride-alongs and student volunteering at labs.

Grants Committee

Deb Hudson, Co-chair
Michele Renaud '85, Co-chair

M. Sharon Curran '79
Anne Currie '15
Sarah Grebow
Ann Kolakowski '84
Jill Max '91
Vonnie Shields 
Sally Snell '67, Tall-Wiedefeld Society Co-Chair
Season Voelker '03 

Ex Officio 
Donnice Brown '91, '94, Tall-Wiedefeld Society Co-Chair
Melanie Kelleher
Sarah Metzgar
Linda Roush