The Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Leadership Award is annually presented to an undergraduate or graduate student who demonstrates leadership in activities that contribute to the achievements, interests, and goals of women or that promote gender equity.

PLEASE NOTE: Members of the selection committee will verify nominee’s GPA and disciplinary record.

The Mentoring Award is annually presented to an individual of the Vanderbilt community who has helped to support women on campus through professional and intellectual development.

The Mary Jane Werthan Award is presented annually to an individual who has contributed significantly to the advancement of women at Vanderbilt University. The award honors three qualities characteristic of the first recipient for whom it is named: vision, persistence, and extraordinary skill in interpersonal and institutional relations. It recognizes the debt that women at Vanderbilt University owe to those individuals who have had the vision to see how things ought to be, the courage to persist in their hopes over time, and the skills necessary to bring new attitudes and practices into being. The Mary Jane Werthan Award offers tribute to the humor, intelligence, and graceful determination of those individuals whose work has enhanced our entire community.

Congratulations to our previous award winners!

2024
Anjola-Oluwa Ajayi, Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Leadership Award
Shaniya Jarrett, Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Leadership Award
Autumn Kujawa, Mentoring Award
Anna Thomas, Mentoring Award
Lily Claiborne, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2023
Samantha Schaffner, Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Leadership Award
Jonathan Gilligan, Mentoring Award
Joanne Golann, Mentoring Award
Christina West, Mentoring Award
Katie Crawford, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2022
Liza Moskowitz, Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Leadership Award
George M. Hornberger, Mentoring Award
Marie H. Martin, Mentoring Award
Elizabeth Zechmeister, Mentoring Award
Nicole M. Joseph, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2021
Madison Hitchcock, Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Leadership Award
Stacey Floyd-Thomas, Mentoring Award
Sharon Shields, Mentoring Award
Ally Sullivan, Mentoring Award
Susan R. Wente, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2020
Hannah Martins Miller, Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Leadership Award
Nicole Creanza, Mentoring Award
Vivien Fryd, Mentoring Award
Dara Dixon, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2019
Jessamyn Perlmutter, Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Leadership Award
Cindy Kam, Mentoring Award
Renã Robinson, Mentoring Award
Nancy Cox, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2018
Sara Starr, Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Leadership Award
Katherine Snyder, Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Leadership Award
Laura Carpenter, Mentoring Award
Mona Frederick, Mentoring Award
Angela Wilson-Liverman, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2017
Erin Logan, Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Leadership Award
Ghina Nakad, Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Leadership Award
Janis May, Mentoring Award
Marie Griffin, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2016
Brielle Harbin, Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Leadership Award
Stephanie Spottswood, Mentoring Award
Tiffiny Tung, Mentoring Award
Karen Campbell, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2015
Kait Spear, Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Leadership Award (Formerly known as Muliebrity Prize)
Tara C. Keil, Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Leadership Award (Formerly known as Muliebrity Prize)
Vanessa Beasley, Mentoring Award
Cara Tuttle Bell, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2014
Megan van der Torn, Muliebrity Prize
Jiyeon Jen Lim, Muliebrity Prize
Bonnie Dow, Mentoring Award
Catherine Loss, Mentoring Award
Senta Victoria Greene, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2013
Briana Perry, Muliebrity Prize
Jessica Gibbons Benton, Muliebrity Prize
Pat Tellinghuisen, Mentoring Award
Joni Hersch, Mentoring Award
Francille Bergquist, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2012
Kyndall Clark, Muliebrity Prize
Christine Eischen, Mentoring Award
Kelly Oliver, Mentoring Award
Charlotte Pierce-Baker, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2011
Michelle Eckland, Muliebrity Prize
Sarah Tyson, Muliebrity Prize
Craig Anne Heflinger, Mentoring Award
Jason Goodrich, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2010
Eno Sekyere, Muliebrity Prize
Dana Nelson, Mentoring Award
Jana Lauderdale, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2009
Jennifer D. Risper, Muliebrity Prize
Elizabeth A. Claydon, Muliebrity Prize
Francille Bergquist, Mentoring Award
Sandy Stahl, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2008

Bryan Robert Adams, Muliebrity Prize
Ashley Nichole Walker, Muliebrity Prize
Dana Nelson, Mentoring Award
Virginia Shepherd, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2007

Emily Champion Baunach, Muliebrity Prize
Reagan Bush, Muliebrity Prize
Brooke Ackerly, Mentoring Award
Sharon Shields, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2006

Kayti Protos, Muliebrity Prize
Rebecca Spires, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2005

Katharyn Christian, Muliebrity Prize
Gayle Parrott, Mentoring Award
Barbara Clinton, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2004

Jessica Leigh Bearden, Muliebrity Prize
Jessica Natalie Heaven, Muliebrity Prize
Alison Piepmeier, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2003

Arielle Rebecca Helmick, Muliebrity Prize
Alison Piepmeier, Mentoring Award
Ronnie Steinberg, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2002

Jennifer Leigh Howard, Muliebrity Prize
Allison Pingree, Mentoring Award
Gay House Welch, Mary Jane Werthan Award

2001

C’reda Jea’nee Weeden, Muliebrity Prize
Darlene Panvini, Mentoring Award

2000

Vanessa Renee Bowles, Muliebrity Prize
Nashville Women’s Breakfast Club, Mentoring Award

1999

Margaret Larson, Muliebrity Prize
Nancy Walker, Mentoring Award
Peggy Thoits, Mentoring Award
Jan Rosemergy, Mary Jane Werthan Award

1998

Bronwen Blass, Muliebrity Prize
Karen Campbell, Mentoring Award
Nancy A. Ransom, Mary Jane Werthan Award

1997

Ann Tseng, Muliebrity Prize
Lauren Brisky, Mentoring Award
Ann Kaiser, Mentoring Award
Gary F. Jensen, Mary Jane Werthan Award

1996

Shanna Cohn, Muliebrity Prize
Cecelia Tichi, Mentoring Award
Patricia A. Pierce, Mary Jane Werthan Award

1995

Nancy A. Walker, Mary Jane Werthan Award

1994

Dale A. Johnson, Mary Jane Werthan Award

1993

Antonina Filonov Gove, Mary Jane Werthan Award

1992

Susan Ford Wiltshire, Mary Jane Werthan Award

1991

Miriam McGaw Cowden, Mary Jane Werthan Award

1990

William A. Jenkins, Mary Jane Werthan Award

1989

Marilyn Craig, Mary Jane Werthan Award

1988

Mary Jane Werthan, Mary Jane Werthan Award