Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Virinder Moudgil presents the 2006 Googasian Award to Kathleen Moore, associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences and professor in the Department of Chemistry.

By Rebecca Wyatt, OU Web Writer

The accomplishments of Kathleen Moore, associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences and professor in the Department of Chemistry, were recognized March 23 as she became the 14^th recipient of the Phyllis Law Googasian Award.

The Googasian Award is presented by the Oakland University chapter of the American Council on Education Network for Women Leaders to a woman who demonstrates extraordinary service to the university community and commitment to the positive growth, development and advancement of women at OU. The award is in honor of Phyllis Law Googasian, trustee emerita, for her commitment to OU and her dedication to the advancement of women.

Moore received a lot of support as she worked her way through her education and into her career in an area that wasn’t dominated by women. She noted a professor who supported her during her undergraduate studies at the University of Detroit and after that, when she got married, she received support from her husband.

“I got one of the few men who bought into the 50-50 idea of marriage,” she said.

Moore joined OU in 1980 as an assistant professor of chemistry and was the only woman in her department when she started. She worked her way up the ranks and in 1995 became the first woman to obtain full professor status in the department.

After she came to OU and become comfortable with teaching, she got involved with service activities and mentoring. Moore has worked with a number of undergraduate and graduate students in the classroom and in the lab on research. She has been involved in developing the Meeting of Minds research event and has worked to secure the Merck/AAAS Undergraduate Science Research Program, mentoring 17 undergraduate researchers, 13 of which were female. And in 2004, she became an associate dean within the College of Arts and Sciences.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have a lot of luck in my life,” Moore said.

Moore emphasized the need for more awards like this on campus that encourage strong leadership and contributions by the faculty.

The keynote address was given by Carol Hollenshead, director of the Center for Education of Women at the University of Michigan. Hollenshead urged all of the attendees to become educated on the issue behind the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI), which is on the ballot for the November elections.