4 p.m., June 2, 2010----Deborah Bieler, assistant professor of English, received the E. Arthur Trabant Award for Women's Equity at a luncheon on May 24.

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The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) established the award in recognition of President Emeritus E. Arthur Trabant's support for women's equity at the University of Delaware. The E. Arthur Trabant Award for Women's Equity is given annually to any individual, department, administrative unit, or committee who has contributed to equity for women at the University.

Karen Rosenberg, chairperson of the Department of Anthropology and chairperson of CSW, welcomed the participants to the luncheon, recognized the recipients of past awards in the room, and highlighted some of the accomplishments that made Beiler's nomination stand out.

Rosenberg pointed out that Bieler, as evident in the numerous letters of support, has had a major impact on the growth, development, and status of women in her short time as faculty at UD.

Bieler's recognized achievements mentoring women in the English department, creating the “Dr. Mom” network for faculty who are mothers to young children, establishing the New English Teachers for Social Justice (NETS) project, and promoting social justice through education and activism led CSW to unanimously select her as this year's recipient.

UD President Patrick Harker presented the award to Bieler, thanking her for all she's done to secure women's equity at UD and recognizing her as an academic, an educator, an activist, a working wife and mother of young twins. Harker said, “I think her students and colleagues benefit not from the passion and talent she brings to each of these roles, but to all of them together.”

Harker also recognized President Emeritus Trabant, saying that equity and inclusion are, and have been, bedrock values at UD and that we are indebted to Trabant for his understanding of and work toward that.

Bieler thanked all of her supporters, from her parents and husband, to her faculty mentors and her colleagues and students. She remarked about how many of the projects highlighted in her nomination began and reflected on the lessons she has learned along the way.

Bieler earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Delaware, and received her doctorate in teaching, learning, and curriculum from the University of Pennsylvania in 2004. She joined the UD faculty in 2005.