Arkansas Tech University faculty members, staff members and a student were among the award winners and those elected to executive board positions during the 2025 conference of the Arkansas Council for Women in Higher Education (ACWHE) on Thursday, March 6.
Dr. Dana Tribble received the ACWHE Leadership Excellence award, Stephanie Swatzel was presented with the ACWHE Stand Out Staff recognition and Dr. Jeanine Myers earned the ACWHE Significant Scholarship in Women’s Leadership in Higher Education commendation.
Dr. Aubrey Holt (president), Tribble, (first vice president), Myers (treasurer), Krystal Shipp (membership coordinator), Lynnlee Mitchell (graduate student representative) and Natasha Branch (central regional representative) are ATU’s ACWHE executive board representatives for the next year.
The theme of this year’s ACWHE conference was “Women Leading with Purpose: Navigating Change in Higher Education.”
Seventy-five individuals representing six campuses (ATU, Arkansas State University, University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, Harding University and University of the Ozarks) attended the conference.
Amy Pennington, ATU associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students, welcomed the group on behalf of the ATU Division of Student Affairs, which co-sponsored the conference and aided in hosting it on the ATU campus in Russellville.
Sarah Spreitzer provided the keynote address. Spreitzer is vice president and chief of staff for government relations at the American Council on Education.
“The ‘Women Leading with Purpose: Navigating Change in Higher Education’ conference was a powerful gathering of women committed to driving progress in higher education,” said Tribble, who completed her year as president of the organization with the conference. “Through insightful discussions, shared experiences and meaningful connections, we reinforced the importance of resilience, innovation and leadership. As we move forward, we carry with us the inspiration and strategies needed to continue shaping the future with purpose and confidence.”
Members of the ATU community who wish to receive regular updates from ACWHE may do so at https://acwhe.org/how-to-become-a-member.
Registration is free for ATU faculty, staff and graduate students who register with their ATU e-mail addresses due to ATU holding an institutional membership in ACWHE.
Learn more about ACWHE at https://acwhe.org.
