Vivyan Adair, the Elihu Root Associate Professor of Women's Studies and director of the ACCESS Project at Hamilton College, was honored at the YWCA of the Mohawk Valley Salute to Outstanding Women on April 7. Adair was honored in the education category.
The YWCA award recognizes the contributions women make to bring about social and economic change, promote women's equality, serve as outstanding role models, work on behalf of women's issues and demonstrate exceptional leadership within their professions.
Adair came to Hamilton in 1998 after earning a Ph.D. and master's degree from the University of Washington, Seattle. A child of poverty and single mother, she was able to attend college prior to welfare reform enacted in 1996, legislation, which she says had the effect of discouraging welfare recipients from entering into educational programs, mandating instead that they "work first." Since then Adair has become an advocate for enacting new legislation that will permit low-income parents to attend college. In 2004 she was named the CASE/Carnegie Foundation New York State Teacher of the Year.
Adair is the founder and director of the ACCESS Project, a pilot program that assists disadvantaged parents in their efforts to earn college degrees.
The YWCA award recognizes the contributions women make to bring about social and economic change, promote women's equality, serve as outstanding role models, work on behalf of women's issues and demonstrate exceptional leadership within their professions.
Adair came to Hamilton in 1998 after earning a Ph.D. and master's degree from the University of Washington, Seattle. A child of poverty and single mother, she was able to attend college prior to welfare reform enacted in 1996, legislation, which she says had the effect of discouraging welfare recipients from entering into educational programs, mandating instead that they "work first." Since then Adair has become an advocate for enacting new legislation that will permit low-income parents to attend college. In 2004 she was named the CASE/Carnegie Foundation New York State Teacher of the Year.
Adair is the founder and director of the ACCESS Project, a pilot program that assists disadvantaged parents in their efforts to earn college degrees.
