New York Newsday

January 10, 2007

Shalala to offer inspirational words at women's symposium

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) _ Former Clinton cabinet member Donna Shalala will speak at a symposium in March on women in science and academia at Upstate Medical University, school officials announced Wednesday.

Shalala was the nation's longest serving secretary of health and human services, directing the nation's health policy from 1993-2000. She received her doctorate from Syracuse University in 1970 and later taught at its Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. She is currently president of the University of Miami.

Shalala will be joined March 13 by several local college and university presidents, including Onondaga Community College President Debbie Sydow, State University College at Oswego President Deborah Stanley, Syracuse Chancellor Nancy Cantor, State University at Binghamton President Lois DeFleur and Colgate University President Rebecca Chopp.

Shalala recently chaired a committee that released a report in September titled "Beyond Bias and Barriers: The National Academy of Sciences Report on Women in Academic Science and Engineering."

The university's new president, David R. Smith, declined an inauguration celebration and instead used the approximately $100,000 planned for the event to fund the March symposium and some student scholarships.