Drs. Dorothy Dobbins and Priscilla Wyrick have been selected to be honored at the eighth annual “Notable Women of ETSU” celebration Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 5 p.m. in the D.P. Culp University Center ballroom.”The ‘Notable Women’ event offers the extraordinary opportunity for two women academicians at ETSU to share their knowledge, research and life experiences with the campus and community,” said Dr. Amber Kinser, director of the ETSU Women’s Studies Program, which sponsors the event.

The free public program will be preceded by a 4:30 p.m. reception.

Dobbins is associate vice president for Cultural Diversity in the Division of Health Sciences and assistant professor in the Department of Social Work. She was the founding director of the Office of Student Support Services in the James H. Quillen College of Medicine, and in 2001, she was selected to establish Health Sciences’ Office of Cultural Affairs.

Student diversity has always been a significant focus of her personal and professional goals.

Among her many accomplishments has been securing the first federal funding at ETSU for the Ronald McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, which encourages and facilitates doctoral studies for students from low-income or first-generation college student backgrounds or minority students.

It provides research experiences for participants, as well as enrichment activities, academic and career counseling, and participation in professional conferences.

“It is definitely an honor even to be nominated, and quite a surprise and privilege to actually be selected,” Dobbins said.

“It serves as motivation for me to continue to be a resource for young people, especially women and students of color.”

Wyrick, chair of the Department of Microbiology in the Quillen College of Medicine, was the first female doctoral student in the Department of Microbiology at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

In the last nine years at ETSU’s College of Medicine, she has garnered more than $5 million in funding.

Over the course of her career, Wyrick has published 89 peer-reviewed manuscripts, eight book chapters and two books. Most notably, she is internationally recognized as a strong advocate for improving women’s reproductive health through the detection, treatment and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.

“Previous winners of the ETSU ‘Notable Women’ awards are quite distinguished, nationally recognized for their academic contributions, and appreciated for their service to ETSU,” Wyrick said. “I am honored to be chosen as a member of this group.”

Women’s Studies established “Notable Women of ETSU” in 2001 to recognize and make known the accomplishments of academic women on campus. Each year, the program calls for nominations, from which two honorees are selected by the Women’s Studies Steering Committee.

“The ‘Notable Women’ program is an important reminder of just how far women in our society have come and the obstacles that are still out there,” Dobbins said. “But more importantly, it is a reminder that one person can and should strive to make a difference in the state of our world.”

For more information or special assistance for those with disabilities, contact Women’s Studies at (423) 439-4125 or womenstudies@etsu.edu.

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