The Dr. I. Joan Lorch Award for Women & Gender Studies honors a person who has made a significant contribution to women and who exemplifies the pursuit of liberation and justice regarding sex, gender, and sexuality.
Click here for the 2017 Nomination Form.
2019 Winners:
- Community Award - Betty Jean Grant, retired Erie County Legislator
- Colleague Award - Dr. Jennifer Desiderio, English Faculty
- Student Award - Maggie Treichler, '19, and Joy Riso, '18, MBA '19
Show '92 - '99 Lorch Award winners
Faculty – I. Joan Lorch, Ph.D., Department of Biology, Founder of Women’s Studies Program
1992
- Speaker – Barbara Bunker, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, SUNY at Buffalo
- Administrator – Lillian Levy, Vice President/Assistant to the President
- Student – Jennifer Graf, ‘94
1993
- Speaker – Paula S. Rothenberg, Director of New Jersey’s Statewide Curriculum
- Faculty - Jeff McConnell, Ph.D., Department of Computer Science
1994
- Speaker – Rev. James Hennesy, S.J.
- Administrator - Patricia Mc Glynn, Associate Reference Librarian
- Student – Leslie Lanning, ‘94
1995
- Speaker – Lorna C. Hill, Founder, Acting Executive Director, Ujima Theatre Company
- Faculty- Coral R. Snodgrass, Ph.D., Department of Management/Marketing
- Student – Tina M.Bacon, ‘95
1996
- Speaker -Sister Mary Thompson, Sisters of St. Mary
- Faculty – Patricia A. Rissmeyer, Ph.D. Dean of Student Affairs
- Student – Anne Marie Bauer, ‘97
1997
- Speaker – Natalie Zemon Davis, Professor of History, Emerita, Princeton University
- Faculty – Nancy Rosenbloom, Ph. D, Department of History
- Student –Michelle M. Henn,’97
1998
- Faculty – Rita A. Capezzi, Ph.D., Department of English
- Staff – Anne Clifford, Public Services Librarian
- Student – Yolanda R. Beaton, ‘98
1999
- Faculty - Patricia B. Van Verth, Ph.D
- Staff - Marcia M. Riederer
- Student – Cynthia A. Short. ‘99
Show '00 - '09 Lorch Award winners
2000
- Speaker – Florence Howe, Founder and editor of The Feminist Press at The City University of New York
- Faculty – Patricia Christian, Ph.D., Department of Sociology & Anthropology
- Administrator – Mary Lu Littlefield, Dir. Design and Publication Services
- Student – Christine Barry,’00
2001
- Speakers- Patricia Shelly, Assoc. Dir. of Institute for Research and Education and, Rev. Sarah Buston-Smith, Associate Pastor, Trinity Episcopal Church
- Faculty – Patricia Hutton, Ph.D., Department of Economics and Finance
- Staff – Rosemary Sortino, Secretary for the Vice President of Student Affairs
- Student – Katie Dettman ’01, and Laura Finucane, ‘01
2002
- Faculty – Margaret McCarthy, Ph. D., Department of Teacher Education
- Administrator – Barbara Porter, Ph.D. Assoc. Dir., Career Center
- Student – Tracy Di Biasio, ’02
2003
- Speaker- Tanya Perrin Johnson, CEO of the YWCA of WNY
- Faculty –RoseMarie Castner, Dir., Mathematics Tutoring Center; Coordinator, Academic Affairs Special Events
- Administrator – Maureen Millane-Rusk, Asst. Dean, External Business Programs
- Staff – Mary Pat Leahy, Secretary to Vice President of Academic Affairs
- Student – Sarah Signorino, ’04
2004
- Speaker - Margaret Sullivan, Editor-in-Chief, Buffalo News
- Faculty- Melissa Wanzer, Ph.D., Department of Communication Studies
- Administrator – Ellen Conley, Ph.D. Vice President for Academic Affairs
- Staff – Kathleen Devine, Secretary, Dean of Students,
- Student – Jenel Stevens, ’04
2005
- Speaker- Donna Fernandez, Ph. D. CEO, Buffalo & Erie County Zoological Gardens
- Faculty – E. Christine Moll, Ph. D., Department of Counseling & Human Services
- Administrator – Sr. Patricia Brady, SSMN, Associate Campus Minister & Dir. of Service Learning
- Staff- Barbara Wozniak, Secretary, Student Retention
- Student- Katherine Bidell, ‘05
2006
- Speakers – Sister Susan Bowles, VOICE-Buffalo and Bernadette Franklin, president, Seneca Rezolutions Construction Management Co.
- Faculty – H. Jeannette Willert, Chair, Undergraduate Education Department
- Administrator – Lily A. Adams-Dudley, Director. C.O.P.E. and Talent Search
- Staff – Diane M. Wolfe, Secretary, Career Center
- Staff – Suzanne H. D’Arcangelo, Officer, Public Safety
- Student – Grace Dubrick ’06
2007
- Speaker – Lisa Bloch Rodwin, Esqs. Chief, Erie County District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Bureau
- Faculty –Jane E. Fisher, Ph.D., Department of English,
- Administrator – Susan A. Fisher, Campus Ministry
- Staff – Veronica Serwacki, Secretary, Dean of Arts & Sciences
- Student -Shirley Sackey, ’07
2008
- Speaker – Jodi Johnston ‘95, MS’99, Anchor, Channel 2 WGRZ Television
- Faculty - Tanya Loughead, Ph.D., Department of Philosophy
- Administrator - Melissa Rath Sanderson, Ex. Dir. Women’s Business Center
- Staff – Deborah E. Abrahamson, Admissions Associate, Office of Admissions,
- Student – Sheri Labinski,’08
2009
- Speaker – Kathleen Hochul, Erie County Clerk
- Faculty- Johanna Fisher, Ph.D., Department of English;
- Administrator – Anne Marie Dobies, Dir.,Disability Support Services
- Staff – Geraldine Pawelek, Administrative Associate, Department of English
- Student – Tonya Johnson, ’09
Show '10 - Present
2010
- Speaker - Brigid Doherty, WNY Women’s Fund
- Faculty – Rebecca Krawiec, Ph.D., Department of Religious Studies & Theology
- Administrator-Barbara Boehnke, Ph.D.- Associate Director of Collection Services
- Staff- Christine Blum – Administrative Associate, C.O.P.E.
- Student – Emma Fabian,’10
2011
- Speaker – E. Christine Moll, Ph.D., Department of Counseling & Human Services
- Faculty – Kathleen M. Dierenfield, Ph.D, Department of History
- Administrator- Kathleen M. DeLaney, Archivist/Special Collections Librarian,
- Staff – Carolyn Birner, Administrative Associate, Office of Campus Ministry
- Student – Alyssa Bennett, ’12
2012
- Speaker - Christine Ambrosone, PhD, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Researcher, Breast Cancer
- Faculty – Ellen Barnum, Department of Fine Arts,
- Administrator –Luanne Firestone, Associate Campus Minister,
- Staff – Susan Keller Sedia, Administrative Associate, Department of Management
- Student – Margaret Zimmer, ’12,
2013
- Speakers – Jackie and Joan Albarella, playwrights.
- Faculty- Nancy Rourke, Ph.D., Department of Religious Studies & Theology,
- Administrator - Kristine Esch Kasbohm, director Andrew L. Bouwhuis Library
- Staff - Angeline Castronova, Facilities, Housekeeper (ret.)
- Student – Allyson Braun,’13
2014
- Speakers: All Awardees
- Community Award: Constance Eve, Ex. Director Women for Human Rights and Dignity
- Canisius Colleague Award: Richard Reistma, Ph. D., Department of Modern Languages,
- Canisius Student Award (2): Vance Lewis Stinson, ’16 and Jasmina Tacheva, ‘14
2015
- Speakers: All Awardees
- Community Award: Amy Fleischauer, Director of Victim Services, International Institute
- Canisius Colleague Award: Susan Gruttadauria, Student Records and Retention
- Canisius Student Award: Emmalene Carberry, ‘16
2016
- Speakers : All Awardees
- Community Award: The Di Gamma Five 1978 (Darlene M. Nowak, Virginia M. Scahill, Helen Planinsek Brady; Louise LaVere, and Maria Valvo)
- Canisius Colleague Award: Melissa Mosko, Ph. D., Department of Philosophy
- Canisius Student Award: Elizabeth Sawka ‘16
2017
- Community Award - Kristen Gillibrand, U.S. Senator for New York
- Colleaue Award - Dr. Erin Robinson, Sociology Faculty
- Student Award - Christina Estime, '17
2018
- Community Award - Marvin Henchberger, Executive Director Gay and Lesbian Youth Services of Western New York
- Colleague Award - Dr. Sarah Evans, Chemistry and biochemistry Faculty
- Student Award - Grace Lindsay, '18
2019
- Community Award - Betty Jean Grant, retired Erie County Legislator
- Colleague Award - Dr. Jennifer Desiderio, English Faculty
- Student Award - Maggie Treichler, '19, and Joy Riso, '18, MBA '19