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Donna Shavlik:  Respected Leader of Women

Donna Shavlik, left, with Donna Burns Phillips, Director of the Office of Women in Higher Education

The Donna Shavlik Award was established by the American Council on Education (ACE) to honor the long and outstanding service of Donna Shavlik as the director of the Office of Women in Higher Education (OWHE). Donna worked to advance women's roles in higher education and is a respected leader in this field that the aforementioned Donna Shavlik Award is now given annually to an individual who has demonstrated sustained commitment to advancing women in higher education. For twenty-four years Donna was on the staff at ACE/OWHE, where she served as Director for fifteen years. She was a Senior Fellow with ACE for several years following her employment. During this time, she worked with the Division of Institutional and International Initiatives on the ACE Kellogg Projects on Institutional Transformation, as well as the OWHE on the Women College and University International Women Presidents' Summit.

Past OWHE Directors photo with current Director Donna Burns Phillips
Front Row: Judith Touchton, Gladys Brown, Claire Van Ummersen
Back Row: Donna Burns Phillips, Donna Shavlik

During her tenure at OWHE, Donna coordinated efforts among higher education associations relative to women's equity and leadership, identifying special issues affecting the advancement of women in the academy, consulting with institutions on equity and promotion matters, writing about Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972, making presentations on women in administration, and creating strategies to address these issues.

Donna you are an extraordinary woman and we applaud you for the exemplary achievements you accomplished for women in higher education and for promoting equity and leadership opportunities for women.

—Thank you from the staff of ACE's Office of Women in Higher Education
   Donna Burns Phillips, Director
   Gloria Thomas, Associate Director
   Debra Louallen-Cole, Program Associate
   Siobhan DeLoatch, Program Coordinator
   Connie Banks, Administrative Assistant