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Women's Caucus
Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Caucus?

ESF Women's Caucus was formed by a small group of ESF employees who wanted the opportunity to work, socialize and network with colleagues, and to learn from one another. The first meeting convened November 17, 1994 as a faculty/staff brown-bag lunch discussion, and one of the first orders of business was the decision to include students as well.

This particular Caucus is non-partisan. It aims to raise consciousness about "women's" concerns, to work for change to improve the climate for minoritized individuals at ESF, to foster community, and to serve as a respectful forum for diverse ideas.

In general, the Women's Caucus is non-hierarchical. There are no officers and decisions are often made by consensus. There is a Program Coordinator (Heather Engelman, 5-10% FTE), guided by an active steering committee comprised of faculty and staff across the tenure/continuing appointment spectrum. Others are accessible for fresh insight through a periodically convened Advisory Committee.

Membership is open to full- and part-time students, staff and faculty, current and past. In addition, please not that we use the term “women” for brevity, and not to gatekeep identity.   We unequivocally welcome cis- and trans- women, inclusive of all gender-oppressed individuals.

Our Goals

  • To increase  recruitment and retention of women (and other minoritized) students and faculty at ESF
  • To sponsor activities that benefit those underrepresented in STE(A)M
  • To improve service for all ESF families

What We Do

We advocate for

  • high quality and consistent mentoring and equitable evaluation
  • safe, respectful, inclusive and collaborative work spaces
  • family friendly policies for all that work and study at ESF

History (Her story?)

ESF began as an all male college in 1911; there were few women students during the early decades. There was only one woman enrolled, for only one academic year (Hazel Clere, general forestry curriculum, 1915-16) until 1938, when another began (but did not complete) a graduate program. It was not until the late 1940s that the first 3 women graduated: Ruth Worret (Landscape Architecture) and Barbara Jane Hennessey (Pulp and Paper) were the very first women graduates in 1947; Mildred Kocic (Pulp and Paper) followed in 1948. Records on further marginalized gender identities are quite slim. We do not know who might have checked a binary gender box that didn't fully match their identity. We do know that:

"By 1969, women numbered only 73 out of 1300 enrolled...as the College's work expanded in research fields such as biology, biochemistry and paper fiber technology, so did its appeal to a wider student base. Job opportunities in related industries also began to expand for women by the late 1960s. In 1967, the first female completed the timberland management curriculum, and the phrase 'lumberjills' appeared in the press. Traditions were beginning to fall, but it would take a few more years for true gender equality to spread throughout the college.

"The early 1970s saw the first female trustees appointed to the board [very first was alumna Barbara Hennessey, 1972].  The first woman [Hilda Webb] graduated from the Ranger School in 1974. ... A woman's [Woodman] team was begun in 1973 and won an international competition in 1975. And by 1974, an affirmative action program was underway at ESF to increase minority recruitment. In 2011, 40% of the 2,200 enrolled students are female." (Transcribed 12 Sept 2011 from Centennial signage posted in Moon Library). Also of note, it wasn't until 1986 until a woman chaired Faculty Governance (Betsy Elkins) or GSA (Ann Moore).

Even through the early 1990s, there were few women professors:

  • Renata Marton came to the US--and the College of Forestry at SU (which later became ESF)-- and served as a Research Associate in Pulp and Paper Technology 1957-1959; Assistant Professor 59-61, Associate Professor 1961-68, both in Pulp and Paper Research; and Professor, Paper Science and Engineering, 1968-80. Beginning in 1971, she was also a Senior Research Associate, Empire State Paper Research Institute, continuing both research and advising graduate students until retiring 1990. Dr. Marton passed away in 1992. To learn more about Dr. Marton's work, visit ESFKidsDay.
  • Chun-Juan "June" Wang, who was hired as a non-tenure track Research Associate, Environmental and Forest Biology, in 1959. She advanced through various grades to become one of ESF's first women Professors in 1972 and earn the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1990. She "retired" in 1998, but maintained an active research program into the 2010s.
  • Mildred Faust served as adjunct professor from 1970-1988. Dr. Faust was the first woman biologist to receive tenure at Syracuse University where she taught botany, ecology, and palynology from 1926-1965. The Mildred E. Faust Herbarium, her lifelong collection of plant specimens, is among the specimens housed in Illick Hall. As a renowned botanist and authority on the flora of New York State and Onondaga County. The Mildred Faust Trail (Clark Reservation) and the MIldred Faust Wildflower Garden at Baltimore Woods Nature Center are named in her honor.
  • Deborah Hill, School of Forestry 1979. Dr. Hill wasn't at ESF long. She has since been a Fulbright Scholar, and is now Extension Faculty Emeritus, University of Kentucky Forestry.
  • Prof Kathy Stribley joined the School of Landscape Architecture in 1981, and retired as Professor at the end of 2010
  • Maggie Shannon, Department of Forestry, 1986-92
  • Cheryl Doble joined LA in 1987; she retired as an Associate Professor in 2011
  • Prof Sally Webster taught computing classes as part of the Faculty of Environmental Studies from 1990-2000. She retired as an Associate Professor.
  • In 1993, Dr. Brenda Nordenstam (until 2009) and Dr. Sue Senecah (retired, 2010) joined Environmental Studies; Dr. Robin Kimmerer EFB  ( Distinguished Teaching Professor, 2010; MacArthur Fellow, 2022;  National Humanities Medal, 2023; Graduate of Distinction-Lifetime Achievement, and one of Time's 100 most influential people, both in 2025).
  • In 1994, Dr. Parto (Partow) Pakdel joined Paper Science Engineering (until 1996; she's now with SINTEF, in Oslow, researching thin film and membrane technology) and Drs. Ruth Yanai and Valerie Luzadis joined the Faculty of Forestry.
    • Luzadis and Yanai eventually became full Professors in the renamed Department of Forest and Natural Resources Management, which has since been renamed SRM.
    • Luzadis went on to chair the Department of Environmental Studies (interim in 2010; on a substantive basis 2011-2015), and to serve as Interim Provost and Executive VP (2015-2017), Senior Advisor to the President (2017-2018),  Interim Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (2022-2024), and Interim Assistant to the Provost for Academic Initiatives, overseeing Open Academy and International Education (2025-).
    • Yanai directed the Graduate Program in Environmental Science 2011-2015, but remained in FNRM (then SRM).  
  • ESF welcomed its first female department head in 2008--Susan Anagnost, in the since dissolved Department of Sustainable Construction Management and Engineering. Dr. Anagnost was promoted from within the campus community. After SCME's dissolution (2015), she joined the Department of Paper and Bioprocess Engineering until its restructuring in 2020, when she and another SCME colleague moved to SRM. Dr. Anagnost also directs the NC Center for Ultrastructure Studies, and took over direction of the Tropical Timber Information Center in 2020.  Though retired from teaching in 2022, she continues part-time directing both Centers and in research.
  • There were women faculty in every academic department in 2008.
  • In September 2020, Drs. Melissa Fierke (EFB), Mariann Johnston (SRM-Ranger School), and Huiting Mao (Chemistry) promotions to Professor pushed ESF Women in that title into double digits! They followed in the footsteps of: Dr. Chun Wang (EFB, promoted in 1972; retired,1998); Prof. Kathleen Stribley (LA, 2012; retired, 2004), Dr. Robin Kimmerer (EFB, 2004; Distinguished Teaching Professor, 2010); Dr. Ruth Yanai (FNRM, now SRM, 2007; Distinguished Professor, 2022); Dr. Valerie Luzadis (ES, 2010; FNRM at the time of promotion); Dr. Karin Limburg (EFB, 2011; Distinguished Professor, 2020); Dr. Sue Anagnost (SRM, Prof 2013; Anagnost was in SCME at time of her promotion); Dr. Lindi Quackenbush (ERE, 2018); Dr. Teresa Selfa (ES, 2018); and Dr. Jacqui Frair (EFB, 2019).  On the flipside, with Dr. Anagnost’s move and Dr. Biljana Bujanovic’s retirement that same semester, the newly renamed Chemical Engineering department dropped to 0 women in any faculty title.  
  • In 2021,  women chaired  ~⅓ of ESF’s academic departments: Environmental Biology (Dr. Melissa Fierke), ESF Environmental Resources Engineering (Dr. Lindi Quackenbush), and Environmental Studies (Dr. Benette Whitmore) and directed both Open Academy (Tondelaya George) and the SUNY-ESF Ranger School (Dr. Mariann Garrison-Johnston). And, of course, this academic year also marked the first with College President Joanie Mahoney.
  •  2023 was notable for sheer number of women that retired, shifting the gender balance in four departments:   SRM, Diane Kiernan and Diane Kuehn; LA, Robin Hoffman and Maren King; The Graduate Office, Kim Armani  and Laura Payne; and Office of Research Programs, Anne Riehlman-Knapp.
  • In January 2025, women chair Environmental Studies (Dr. Theresa Selfa), Landscape Architecture (Dr. Margaret Bryant), and Chemistry (Dr. Lee Newman), and comprise most of the Executive Cabinet:  Joanie Mahoney, President; Dr. Lindi Quackenbush, Interim Chief Academic Officer, Provost & Vice President of Research; Kitty McCarthy, Executive Officer for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs; Brenda Greenfield, Chief Advancement Officer and Executive Director, ESF College Foundation; Kelly Berger, Chief Campus Counsel; and Ragan Squier, Executive Director for Administration.

Sincere thanks to former College Archivist Emerita Flora Nyland,  former Directors of Human Resources Marcia Barber and Tim Blehar, Heather Engelman, and Dr. Melissa Fierke for compiling names and dates.

Bathroom Signs

Every women's and Gender Inclusive (aka all-gender or unisex) bathroom on the main campus (except in Centen) should have an acrylic holder by the sinks, paper towel dispensers or the door specifically for announcing Women's Caucus events. Each holder should also have a little label that directs you to this website (if either the holder, or its label is missing, please let Heather know)

As the saying goes, “necessity is the mother of invention. The foremothers of the ESF Women's Caucus realized that quite a few staff and grad students spend the bulk of the day, every day, in their individual offices or labs, unless they, like their undergrads, were rushing between classes and meetings. Something would need to be on every bulletin board on campus for every woman to have an opportunity to see one (assuming it hasn't already been covered by some other flier). However, it was a safe bet that each of these individuals would visit a lavatory sooner or later. So, by placing more strategically, they could reach the target audience with only a handful of fliers.

Fliers were taped to walls, and then affixed to stall doors with magnets, until we came to an agreement in 2003 with Connie Webb, former VP of Administration and Director of Physical Plant. To prevent the tape residue and water splashed fliers that really weren't fair to those that try hard to keep those areas clean, we purchased 20 holders (1 for each restroom) which she arranged to be installed. Additional holders have been added as more bathrooms (and lactation rooms) came on line through renovations or conversion to women's or all-gender restrooms.  Fliers stay up, and stay looking nice, much longer now, so we can announce multiple events on single fliers, saving us more time and paper. In a world with push notifications for everything and information overload via every device, simple signs seem to be effective reminders.

We respectfully ask that if you see something of interest, you jot it down (or take a picture of it) rather than taking the flier.

If you have an upcoming event or an ongoing program that are consistent with the mission, please contact Heather about sharing space on the fliers. If there are not upcoming (including recurring) events, others are welcome to use the holders.

ESF had a dearth of female faculty and low percentages of women students while most of our buildings were under construction and built to the codes of those times. Therefore, while the number of women, including transwomen, have increased exponentially, the number of "water closets" available to them have only increased with new construction (Jahn, Gateway, Centennial Hall) or significant renovations (Moon in 90s, Baker more recently). Single-stall women's rooms were carved out of men's rooms in Marshall and Bray ca 90s. Illick and Marshall in particular house academic departments with near gender parity, but very few stalls to accommodate the large numbers of users until their next renovations, and therefore bathroom breaks might take a while to accommodate the whole line, or allow users to visit facilities on other floors or in neighboring buildings. (We supported Academic Governance's Resolution on Bathroom Equity on ESF's main campus and appreciate the conversion of some men's rooms to women's rooms, and redesignation of most single stall facilities to "all gender" ones, as well as ongoing work to add more gender inclusive and accessible facilities). Read more about those redesignation.

A private signholder checklist was revised and periodically updated to include not only the locations of each bathroom, but any "amenities" of those spaces like single stall, assistive doors, changing table (none until 2013 when Gateway was built, with one in the basement family restroom; three more were added in 2023, when Marshall Hall reopened), or a shower. Lactation rooms are also included on this list, not because we intend to refer anyone to those spaces to pump (Never, ever send a mom to a bathroom to nurse!) but because we still use the directory as a checklist as fliers are replaced.  

We  prefer the terms “all gender” and “gender inclusive” to “gender neutral."

Gender is not neutral.  It’s a core part of people’s identity.  “Gender neutral” uniforms and safety gear tend to be mens’ sizes with a “neutral" label, ill fitting smaller bodies pr hands, or larger chests and/or hips.

"Gender Inclusive" or "all gender" actively affirm and support all gender identities, moving beyond just being neutral to creating a welcoming space for everyone 

Potty Parity during Field Labs/Experiences/Trips

Quite a few ESF labs occur out-of-doors. Please build in "bathroom" stops on your routes. Choose areas with adequate thornless and non-poisonous vegetation to allow some modesty screening for participants to relieve themselves;  please note that poison ivy may not be limited to ground cover.   If anatomy and necessary biological function do not allow simply turning one's back, the farther away someone might need to go before finding dense enough safe screening to even begin their business, and the longer it will take to sufficiently dis- and re-robe. Some individuals may also need breaks to change sanitary supplies or express breastmilk, especially if a trip is longer than usual.

Therefore, before the group continues, please confirm that everyone has returned to a central spot. Under heat and/or exertion, additional stops may be warranted as everyone should be drinking more.

Failure to take bathroom or pumping breaks often leads to serious health ramifications (bladder distention or infection; dehydration; engorgement or mastitis; Toxic Shock Syndrome)--and students (or others on the down-side of a power differential) tend to chose these avoidable issues over the embarrassment of repeatedly requesting accommodations.

Advice for those with children or caring for other family members

Balancing work and family is not a “women’s issue”, but a  universal workplace challenge, with potential impact on retention, equity and quality of work life and on student recruitment and graduation rates.  Limiting only to this page means that some individuals in need of that guidance might not find it, and can inadvertently reinforce outdated gender norms.  So, for subscription instructions to the FamilyResources listserv or information about child care, eldercare,  family leaves,  lactation rooms,  requesting an extension to your P&T timeline or a caregiver/research travel grant, or other items that help students and employees study and work while also caring for their families visit the Family Resource page.  

Looking to help your advisees, colleagues, or to questions posed to you by prospective students or employees? Also visit Family Resources.

Family Resources

Potluck Supper

ESF main campus in Syracuse is a quiet small but sometimes it seems like there are miles between different departments. It would be nice to know people in every building and put faces to the names that we have only seen on email signatures. The summaries of these meetings are shared electronically, so that everyone will be able to see the highlights even if they cannot attend the meeting in person. It is also quite nice when we can coordinate ways for those at our remote campuses (especially the Adirondack Ecological Center in Newcomb, NY, and the NYS Ranger School, in Wanakena, NY) to visit or participate electronically.

If you can't/didn't have time to cook or pick something up, bring a few dollars. We will arrange for take-out or delivery from a local restaurant. This practice started in the early years of the Caucus, when several people found themselves huddled around a vending machine looking for potential items at the last minute. They opted to pool their funds and order a pizza. If you know of quick, tasty, inexpensive places that can accommodate some dietary restrictions, please send your recommendations our way!