Grants to Benefit Women

Funding important and life-changing programs and experiences for our students, and those who lead and mentor them, is at the heart of our work, through the grants we award and programming we offer. Our circle of members, and their collective giving power, make it possible.

The Tall-Wiedefeld Society awarded $20,000 to six worthy programs in FY 2025.

• $5,000 to Women in the Trades. Better preparing female employees to obtain, and succeed in, supervisory roles within Facilities Management through leadership skills development, will create a pathway for women to move into roles of increased responsibility and salary equality. With funding, this program will support a skilled, TU-trained workforce that meets the growing demands of the Facilities Management Department. As the program develops, the immediate availability of skilled trades workers will improve campus operations and make TU a recognized leader in workforce development, serving as a model for other institutions. Through these efforts, Towson University will enhance its reputation, support student success, and contribute to the economic development of the broader community.
• $5,000 to The Robotics Summer Camp. This one-week summer camp will engage 16 diverse elementary students from underrepresented backgrounds-- at least 50% females-- in robotics experiences to build skills in creative problem-solving and storytelling. In addition, four TU students will be trained as camp facilitators, delivering an authentic experience in robotics education design and instruction. This project promotes equity by broadening access to robotics education and enhancing TU students’ skills, interest, and confidence in teaching robotics. The camp’s showcase event will invite families and community members to TU, further building upon TU’s community connections. contributing knowledge about effectiveness and equity in robotics education.
• $4,000 to Women in Forensic Science. This award is an extension of last year’s TWS grant to the Women in Forensic Science program which offered seminars on the use of the FBI’s National DNA database to help identify unknown criminal suspects; Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy to identify unknown human remains, missing persons and suspects in unsolved crimes; and the use of drone and 3D planning technology at crime scenes. The approximately 200 student seminar attendees know the importance of forensic science and the realize that many of the top forensic scientists are women. This inspires our students to pursue internships at crime laboratories, participate in crime scene ride-alongs, develop and present research projects at professional forensic science meetings and establish and maintain contact with female forensic professionals for job opportunities upon graduation.
• $3,000 The Equal Pay Symposium. A symposium-style event on Equal Pay Day, March 12, 2025, will highlight wage disparity and discrimination faced by women and minority groups. Equal Pay Day symbolizes the extra time women must work to match the previous year’s earnings of men. With the wage gap widening in 2023, raising awareness is essential for the career readiness of TU (Towson University) students. This collaborative event is supported by the OIIE (the Office of Institution Inclusion & Equity), CSD (Center for Student Diversity), the Hill-Lopes Scholars Program, MentHer, the Dr. Nancy Grasmick Institute, and the Career Center.
• $2,000 to Model UN. This conference was founded to help address inequities in access by providing a year-long global civic engagement learning opportunity for Maryland students regardless of their families’ socio-economic circumstances. A majority-minority program dominated by women at both levels, connects participants from 23 schools/year in Baltimore, Anne Arundel, and Charles Counties and Baltimore City with TU students and professors in role-playing simulations and provides transportation, materials, and meals. 300 high schoolers and 40-45 TU students work together in this global civic engagement learning program. TU students, from any major, assist with running every part of the conference. TU students undergo training, practices, and evaluation to prepare for their work with high schoolers, like running workshops.
• $1,000 to The Transformational Book Club. A series of six banned and challenged book-centered events to be held during 2025 and 2026. Three events will be story times, held in Towson’s Center for Student Diversity (CSD), and aimed at LGBTQIA+ preschool and elementary students, their families, and allies. Each will include a read aloud of a banned picture book selected by a librarian, a craft or activity connected to the book and designed by staff from across TU’s campus, snacks, and an opportunity for families to connect. The other three events will be banned book discussions for local LGBTQIA+ teens, their families, and allies, led by TU LGBTQIA+ students. All events will include information about TU’s support for gender inclusivity. Establishing mentoring relationships among LGBTQIA+ TU students and local students further positions TU as a supportive resource for gender expansive community members.

Grants Committee

Michele Renaud '85, Chair

Elaine Anderson
Dorothy Anderson
M. Sharon Curran '79
Anne Currie '15
Sarah Grebow
Jill Max '91
Vonnie Shields 
Sally Snell '67, Tall-Wiedefeld Society Co-Chair

Ex Officio 
Donnice Brown '91, '94, Tall-Wiedefeld Society Co-Chair
Melanie Kelleher
Sarah Metzgar
Linda Roush