8:30 a.m., Nov. 12, 2010----Meghan Wallace, a senior at the University of Delaware, has been selected to serve on the American Association of University Women's 10-member national Student Advisory Council for 2010-11.

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The SAC works with AAUW's national staff on a regular basis, providing ideas and action on how to address some of the serious issues facing college students.

Wallace is majoring in both political science and women's studies and minoring in sexualities and gender studies.

She serves as the president of Students Acting for Gender Equity (SAGE). As a survivor of sexual assault, Wallace said she is passionate about ending sexual violence and volunteers as an advocate for Sexual Offense Support on campus, the 24-hour crisis hotline for victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault that also promotes and organizes peer-to-peer education on those issues.

Additionally, Wallace is an ally for gay and lesbian students at UD and is currently founding a non-partisan student organization on campus called Women in Politics, the first organization of its kind at the University of Delaware.

In the spring of 2010, Wallace received the Mae Carter Scholarship.

Wallace volunteers off campus for the Network to Encourage Women's Support for Women (NEWS4Women) and also volunteered for two political campaigns this past election cycle.

On Nov. 3, the University of Delaware hosted the second annual “Linking Women Leaders of UD and DE,” a collaborative effort between NEWS4Women, the Office of Equity and Inclusion, and SAGE. The event is a newly organized annual program that Wallace helped to establish last year, and it works to allow female student leaders on campus the opportunity to network with professional female leaders from the community in order to forge mentoring relationships beneficial to UD's young women leaders.

“I have devoted a lot of my time to working to advance women's equity, involvement and leadership on our campus and I have every intention of continuing this work beyond my current campus community. I have found a passion in working for women's rights, which unfortunately, many would perhaps be shocked to find, are still a serious issue,” Wallace said, adding, “I am honored to serve on the Student Advisory Council for the AAUW and hope that the experience will allow me to bring AAUW's mission of advancing equity for women and girls, to the University of Delaware campus.”

“We cover a lot of ground, from talking about ways to fight sex discrimination on campus to raising awareness about the importance of pay equality,” said Kate Farrar, AAUW director of leadership programs. “Our Student Advisory Council members are proven leaders, representing schools from across the nation. AAUW looks to these exemplary women to ensure that our organization is addressing the needs of students and to serve as AAUW ambassadors on their campuses.”

At the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders to be held in June in the Washington, D.C., area, SAC members will lead programs, introduce speakers, encourage networking among attendees, and ensure that the conference runs smoothly.

Presented by AAUW and NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, the conference features an annual Women of Distinction program, which pays tribute to women leaders who have made extraordinary accomplishments in their professions or their communities. Past awardees have included playwright, performer, and activist Eve Ensler; Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.); and Olympic medalist Dominique Dawes.

About AAUW

AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. Since 1881, AAUW has been one of the nation's leading voices promoting education and equity for women and girls. AAUW has a nationwide network of more than 100,000 members and donors, 1,000 branches, and 500 college/university institutional partners. Since AAUW's founding 129 years ago, members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day -- educational, social, economic, and political. AAUW's commitment to educational equity is reflected in its public policy advocacy, community programs, leadership development, conventions and conferences, national partnerships, and international connections.