Nominations Sought for Women of Achievement, Young Women’s Social Justice Awards

Nominations are invited for the Maryann Hartman Awards for Maine Women of Achievement and the Maryann Hartman Young Women’s Social Justice Award.

Each year since 1986, the Maryann Hartman Awards Ceremony has celebrated significant contributions of Maine women in a variety of fields.

The awards are named after Maryann Hartman, a University of Maine associate professor of speech communication from 1969 to 1980 and a pioneer in the field of oral interpretation. Her work included comparisons of language patterns of Maine women and men born before 1900; oral autobiographies of Maine women born before 1900; and the use of oral interpretation to influence public policy. Hartman died of cancer in 1980.

“The Maryann Hartman Awards are a highlight of our year,” says Mazie Hough, director of the University of Maine Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program, which organizes the awards.

“It is always inspiring to see the wide variety of accomplishments of women who have committed themselves to making Maine what it should be.”

The Maryann Hartman Awards for Maine Women of Achievement is presented to three distinguished Maine women who have demonstrated strong leadership and role modeling in their respective fields and who reflect and honor Hartman’s commitment to women and community. Previous winners include Margaret Chase Smith, Olympia Snowe, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Dora Anne Mills, Shenna Bellows, Tabitha King and Jennifer Finney Boylan.

The Maryann Hartman Young Women’s Social Justice Award recognizes a young woman 12–18 years old who has shown dedication to justice and to social change by actively promoting equality, encouraging diversity and tolerance, and improving her community. Previous recipients include Nicole Maines, Erin Williams, JoAnn Bourque, Sarah Eaton and Lindsay Richardson.

The 30th annual awards ceremony will be held in March 2016. The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, Aug. 28, 2015. To request nomination forms, call 207.581.1228 or visit umaine.edu/womensgenderandsexualitystudies/maryann-hartman-award. For information on phone nominations, call Liz Franck or Hough at 207.581.1228.

Completed nomination forms may be sent to MaryannHartmanAwards@umit.maine.edu; Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program, Attention Maryann Hartman Awards Committee, University of Maine, 5728 Fernald Hall, Room 101, Orono, ME 04469-5728; or faxed to 207.581.1218.