Dr. Yvette Pearson Named Woman of the Year by ODU Women’s Caucus

Yvette Pearson

By Elizabeth Proffitt

Yvette Pearson, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chair of Philosophy and Religious Studies, was awarded with the 2018 Woman of the Year Award by the Old Dominion University Women's Caucus.

Old Dominion University Women's Caucus, formed in 1974, works to improve circumstances for women across the university through their advocacy for campus policies and programs that address the needs of women, informative workshops, affirmative action efforts and mentoring opportunities.

Pearson began her time with the ODU Women's Caucus as a member of the board when she was the interim chair of the Women's Studies Department in 2012. She eventually became the Caucus' president in 2015-2016.

Pearson expressed her gratitude as well as her excitement about being recognized for the work she is so passionate about. "You see on the call for nominations a list of people who have gotten the award before and you're like 'Wow, that's an incredible person, that's an incredible person,' so it was a very humbling thing to receive the award. At the same time, I also felt really honored to have done some good things and really helped people in visible, tangible ways," Pearson said.

Colleagues who wrote letters of support for Dr. Pearson's nomination mentioned her long list of contributions to the advancement of women at ODU in numerous ways through her work with the Caucus, as Chair of Philosophy and Religious Studies, as Interim Chair of Women's Studies, and as a mentor to women across campus.

Jennifer Fish, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of Women's Studies, wrote a letter in support of Pearson's nomination, "Yvette is the embodiment of feminist principles of support, reciprocity, and social justice. She draws from these commitments in her direct contact with so many women leaders, students, and colleagues on campus. Yvette is so often the behind-the-scenes facilitator, language crafter, and resource connector that allows our visions to become concrete," Fish said.

For the most part, a lot of Pearson's work is behind the scenes, so this award also provided visibility that she is not typically used to. "It gave me a moment to take stock and realize the importance of contributions that I've made and that I should feel proud about helping people and making ODU a better place, more family friendly and more woman friendly," Pearson said.

Mona Danner, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of Sociology and Criminal Justice who also wrote a letter in support of Pearson's nomination, praised her ability to connect and uplift the other women in her life.

"She mentors women, both in and outside of her department. She has been a particularly kind and helpful mentor to me as I assumed the role of Chair of my department this past year. Indeed, I shudder to think what my Chair life would have been like without Yvette's knowledge, insight, and support," Danner said.

Pearson's composed and compassionate approach to situations fosters the supportive spirit she hopes to impart on everyone she meets, "She carries a calming, focused, and grounded clarity that makes any unexpected moment not only manageable, yet ethically centered and a source of growth," Fish said.

Pearson's drive to connect and support women and women's issues is not solely campus wide, "At the national level, Yvette has contributed extensively to a dialogue that would widen the scope and reach of Philosophy in ways that make it more accessible to women and underrepresented student groups," Fish said.

She believes that making a better more equitable and supportive working environment for women will have a ripple effect in the workplace that could set the tone for the future.

While ODU compares favorably to other institutions, on a broad scale Pearson acknowledges that there is still work to be done concerning salary equity. "It contributes to an overall environment where everybody is better off, because, you know at least 50% of the workforce is female, and there's just something odd about half of the workforce not being properly paid or being paid less than their male counterparts," Pearson said.

She asserts, "It creates an environment where we're treating people as whole persons. It does seem to me to make everyone's life better; of course it's the "Women's Caucus" but women are connected in vital ways to all of us," Pearson said.