Advancing gender equity for women and girls through research, education and advocacy

American Association of University Women - Austin, TX Branch

FY 26-27 Vol. 1 September 2026 Newsletter

WELCOME to our 2026-2027 program year. We've missed our regular group meetings and activities over the past summer months and look forward to the wonderful plans and programs coming our way this year. Our first branch meeting will take place on Saturday, September 19th at Balcones Country Club and will feature Mark Strama (see details below). Here is a link to the evite to RSVP and specify your meal choice if you have not yet done so. See you soon!

Messages from our Co-Presidents

Sarah Averill & Shirlene Justice

From Sarah: As we approach the beginning of a new program year, it’s worth taking a moment to think about the who, when, where, what, and why of AAUW’s founding. After all, if we don’t know our history, we won’t really understand what all we've achieved, and, more importantly, we won’t recognize when those accomplishments are being eroded. For a brief history Read Here.

Moving into our branch’s 2026-2027 year, we are faced with recent government actions that have undermined or decimated programs of value to our goals: Title IX, the Department of Education, and Roe v. Wade. Added to this are the rising costs across all sectors of the economy that force women to make tough choices about careers, healthcare, and childcare. Although it's daunting, we collectively can be the antidote to these threats and attitudes. Shirlene and I are looking forward to a great year as we also do our best to remember where we’ve come from, what we’ve lost, and what we’ve achieved. [A first-hand account of the founding of AAUW written by Marion Talbot in 1931 can be accessed at: https://libsysdigi.library.uiuc.edu/OCA/Books2009-07/historyofamerica00talb/historyofamerica00talb.pdf)]

From Shirlene: And we are off! The 2026-27 program year officially begins in September and kicks off a year of interesting topics, action opportunities, making new friends, and having lots of fun. The programs committee, led by Kathy Stewart and Berta Lloyd, have put together a great calendar, beginning with a talk by former State Representative and current Director of the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at the University of Texas at Austin, Mark Strama.

I hope you are all ready to participate with energy and purpose. Special thanks to the summer social planning team, including membership chairs Lynn Gambrill and Paula Coopwood, interest group chair Pat Beal, and all the committee chairs and interest group leaders who greeted guests and signed up new members.

Throughout our history we have been dedicated to public service. This year, we plan to coordinate our efforts more effectively. The policy team, chaired by Mary Ellen Scribner, is planning an action-packed agenda with many opportunities for engagement.

This year, our advocacy and volunteer efforts will focus on public education from Pre-K through 12+ (Mary Ellen); elections and voting (Jackie Hardee); and women’s health and economic issues (Suki Steinhauser).

Anita Knight, our new community service coordinator, will oversee a branch-wide service project that aligns with our mission and goals. Let Anita know if you have project ideas and/or wish to participate.

Alicia Kae Miller, our new social media coordinator, will regularly post branch news on Facebook and Instagram. You can read about how to submit items to be posted later on in this newsletter.

Active membership in one of our unique interest groups is the best way to get to know other members, build relationships, and get engaged in our work. To join, simply contact Pat Beal or the group leader listed in the newsletter.

Each year, branch leaders put together a planning document that guides our work. The strategies listed are based on comments we receive from you and AAUW State and National's expectations. Please go to this link and read the Strategic Areas of Focus and 2026-27 Goals. Understanding our purpose will help you support our work better.

Summer will end and before we know it, the weather will cool and we will be happily participating in important and interesting activities. Get ready for a big year!

Meet Mark Strama

We are very fortunate that Mark Strama has agreed to be with us for our September program. Professor, Philosopher, 5-term Texas Representative, and Civic Engagement Activist are all terms that describe this dynamic and engaging speaker. Mark currently directs the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at UT Austin and is a Professor of Practice in the Moody College of Communication.

But it didn’t start there.

Before joining the UT faculty in 2023, Mark spent ten years at Google Fiber working to upgrade the speed and quality of internet service in the US. This followed his time in the Texas legislature, where he focused on renewable energy, public education, and electoral reform. Mark received Honorable Mentions on Texas Monthly's Ten Best Legislators list in three of his five sessions in the House.

His commitment to political engagement preceded his run for office. During the 1996 election cycle, Mark was Director of Programs at Rock the Vote, a non-partisan organization working with MTV and the music industry to engage young people in the political process. He also worked for former Texas Governor Ann Richards and Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis and served as a member of the Texas Ethics Commission.

Mark’s degrees in philosophy and political science from Brown University are evidenced in his career path. On a personal level, he is married to Crystal Cotti, a former Austin City Hall reporter with whom he shares "three industrious daughters and one very lazy dog."

Please join us for this enlightening and engaging program!!

Reports From Our 2025-2026 Fellowship and Scholarship Recipients

Each year, we ask our fellowship recipients to provide us with updates on their projects and activities during the year. In April 2025 the branch awarded three fellowships for the 2025-2026 academic year in the amount of $4,200 each. One of the award requirements is to submit a report about how it was used. All three recipients expressed gratitude for the financial support.

Vicki Deng, a Ph.D. candidate in Molecular Bioscience, reported that the fellowship played a meaningful role in supporting her professional development. She was able to attend the annual meeting of the Phycological Society of America and present her algal research to the scientists there. She received an award for the best talk at the conference. She was able to connect directly with experts in algal research and open the door to potential collaboration.

Paula Lezama, a candidate in the Latin American Studies department, successfully defended her dissertation “Conocencia: Women’s Invisibilized Lifeways, Ancestral Knowledge and Value Creation in the Black Pacific.” She completed her fieldwork and is publishing several articles on her work. She helped to complete a comprehensive database of immigration laws and legislation in the United States as part of a research project. She is currently applying for postdoctoral or assistant professor positions so she can continue her work on race, Afro-Latin American communities and LatinX populations in the United States.

Carolyn Watkins, a doctoral candidate in the Chemical Engineering department, is working on “Engineering Sequence-defined Peptomers for Targeted Chemotherapeutic Codelivery.”

She reports that the fellowship support helped her manage the challenging year of dissertation writing, research completion, and preparation for her dissertation defense. She defended her work on June 9th and writes that she could not have navigated the year as smoothly without the support provided through the AAUW fellowship. Professionally, the fellowship enabled her to travel to the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Conference in New Orleans this past October. Attending SWE gave her the opportunity to network extensively with representatives from industry and to make meaningful professional connections as she begins the job search process. Those conversations and connections have already facilitated interviews and opened doors. It was incredibly valuable as she transitions into industry.

Thanks to the legacy of long-time Austin Branch member Frances Malmberg, we are part of the AAUW Malmberg Endowed Scholarship offered annually to assist students who are 25 years old (or older) and enrolled at Austin Community College (ACC). For 2025-2026, the scholarship recipient was Mairamu Hamidu (above). This report from Mairamu was shared by ACC staff.

American Association of University Women (Austin)

Frances Malmberg Endowed Scholarship, 2025-2026

Mairamu says: I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude for awarding me this scholarship. I am truly honored to be selected as a recipient, and I deeply appreciate your generosity and support. As a student pursuing a degree in cybersecurity and a proud mother of three young children, this scholarship has a significant impact on my life. Balancing school, work, and motherhood is both rewarding and challenging, and your contribution helps ease the financial stress that comes with pursuing higher education.

I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity and am deeply motivated to build a strong future for myself and my family. I have one year experience in information technology, and I am passionate about using my skills to make a positive impact in the cybersecurity field. My long-term career goal is to become a Cloud Security Engineer, where I can help organizations strengthen their security posture and protect critical information systems.

Proposed Branch Budget 2026-2027

Our 2026-2027 budget is awaiting your review. We will vote on it at our branch meeting on September 19, 2026. Thanks for your commitment to AAUW Austin.

Public Policy Information & Alerts

AAUW Austin Public Policy

Advocacy Alert August 2026

Mary Ellen Scribner, Chair

At this time last year, public trust in the government was at historic lows. Polling indicated that only 1/3 of Americans trusted government to do what was right. Blatant corruption and waste were cited, and people were frightened and frustrated by intense partisanship and lack of civility in their daily lives.

Currently, it feels as if people are perhaps fed up with daily events, bringing a recent increase in civic participation, pro-democracy organizations, and intensification of advocacy organizing and activity. Maybe we are beginning to believe that our political culture can change, that we can play a significant role in making that happen.

AAUW, from the national office down to the smallest branch, hopes this more positive outlook will motivate a year of strong advocacy and action focused on our public policy principles and priorities. As noted above in the Presidents' Messages, we have revamped our public policy committee leadership format to increase and better focus our advocacy.

Following the summer social, the policy committee is 20 members strong, and it is never too late to join. We will have monthly general meetings, and the subcommittee chairs will schedule their meetings as needed. “Everybody can do something” is our unofficial motto, so we'll be calling on all members to do their “something” on designated days or for special events. The big picture includes two major advocacy initiatives: **Sept-Nov Focus on getting out the vote for the general election November 3; **January-May The 90th Texas Legislative Session will consume our time and energy. You will be hearing much more about GOTV soon. See August Alert here!

Joyce, Jackie and Cathy registered 14 new voters this past week at Bennu coffee by ACC

NEW BRANCH COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT – What CAN we/you do??

Anita Knight, CSP Coordinator

As you can see in Mary Ellen's column, the Public Policy Committee and Subcommittees have plenty of important advocacy and action items to address. However, there is also another community focus we plan to identify and address in the coming year.

Historically, our Austin Branch has taken on some big projects, from funding the first book mobile to co-founding Chalmers Nursery School (now Mainspring Schools), the Literacy Council (now run by the city), and Expanding Your Horizons (since merged into Girlstart). We have also volunteered with mentoring programs at one or more local schools. Currently, Contemporary Literature participates in the Women's Storybook Project and the Central Book Group contributes books to an underserved AISD school each year.

We are now working to identify something meaningful in which all of us can participate, if able. The “survey” at the summer social only touched on this plan and told us how some of you are already contributing to various non-profits. Food insecurity is an identified pressing need, but we know there are others. Let's talk!

Welcome Members Old and New

Our Summer Social on August 16 was a fun gathering of over 60 members and guests who had the opportunity to see dear friends, sign up for interest group activities, order a yearbook, pay renewal dues, and learn about the Austin Branch plans and goals for the coming year. We added new members Sierra Averill, Catherine Camillone, Clare Law, Mary Reed, and Patricia Tyler with more names coming soon.

RECENT NEW MEMBER INTRODUCTIONS

Katherine (Kate) von Alt

Kate von Alt is a new member of the AAUW Austin Branch and is excited to be part of this organization. Austin is her first AAUW branch after she was introduced to AAUW by a friend who was part of our hiking group. After participating in several hikes and enjoying the camaraderie, she decided to become a member.

Kate earned a BS in Microbiology from SUNY Plattsburgh in 1981 and in 2007 earned a Master of Public Health from Texas A&M University. From an initial career in pharmaceuticals, Kate’s move to Austin led to a 30-year career with the TX Department of Public Health Laboratory, specializing in infectious diseases. She also worked part-time for 27 years in microbiology with Clinical Pathology Laboratories.

As of August 1, Kate is fully retired. She now devotes much of her time to volunteer service with her therapy dog, Tessa, providing comfort and companionship throughout the Austin area. This work is deeply personal, as she and her family experienced the sudden loss of their 15-year-old son, Garrett, in 2008. Honoring his memory by supporting others through grief has become one of her life’s greatest purposes. She has served with a nonprofit dedicated to grief support, and with organizations involved in public health support efforts. In addition to Garrett, who is remembered with great love, Kate’s other twin son, Duncan, lives in Vermont. She was also blessed with 5 additional children when marrying her husband, Stan. Together they have two cherished grandchildren and two beloved dogs, Tessa and Peppa the pug. They are looking forward to traveling more together now.

Welcome Aboard!

Pamela Abee-Taulli

Pamela Abee-Taulli heard about AAUW when a close friend told her about an AAUW book club she was in. That was the hook – and the group’s commitment to community and advocacy were the clinchers.

Pamela has a BA in linguistics (1983) and an MA in Asian Studies (1989) from UT Austin, and a PhD in Japanese Literature from Princeton University (1997). From 1998 to 2005, she taught classes at UT, coordinated outreach for UT’s East and South Asian programs, and had two amazing children. In 2008 Pamela pivoted to a second career, returning to UT for an MS in Community & Regional Planning. From 2011 until her retirement in 2026, she worked in environmental planning at the City of Austin.

Now that both Pamela and her husband Russ are retired, they hang out a lot at Barton Springs, enjoy time with their grown children, connect with friends, and travel. Pamela is leveraging her experience in planning, as well as her many years vegetable gardening, to dive into micro-farming for local food security, bringing it all together as head volunteer at the El Buen Samaritano food pantry garden.

Janet Staiger

Janet Staiger was pleased to join our Austin AAUW branch in 2026. She has been a member of the national organization since 1993 when she joined to support women’s issues in academe, but did not know about local branches until invited to join when paying her annual dues this year. Janet completed a BA at Omaha University (now the University of Nebraska at Omaha) in 1968, an MA at Purdue University in 1969, and after working several years completed her PhD between 1977 and 1981 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Subsequently, she taught at the University of Delaware, New York University, and at the University of Texas from 1987 until her retirement as a professor emeritus in 2012.

Her focus has been on the history of the Hollywood film industry, particularly its work practices and scripting procedures, and on the cultural and personal responses to films. She directed 40 dissertations, 46 masters theses, and served on many committees both in scholarship and filmmaking. Janet served as chair of UT’s Center for Women’s and Gender Studies from 2000 until 2004 and was president of UT’s faculty council from 2009-10. She published 6 books and edited 6 more along with 83 chapters and articles. Lately, she has just been enjoying retirement, reading lots of detective fiction for no purpose except pleasure. She and her partner Peter of 57 years and their current cat, Emily, remain committed to an equitable society.

September Interest Group Activities 2026

Please remember that interest group participation requires up-to-date membership in AAUW. Several members are now listed as "lapsed" for the year; if you are among them, please send your $105 dues check to Cynthia Roberts,11508 Trinity Hill Dr, Austin 78753, or go to my.aauw.org to pay online. We don't want to lose you, and hope you will be able to join us in the good times coming this year.

ART TOUR

When: September 2nd First Wednesdays (Some exceptions)

Time: 10 am

Where: Contemporary Austin-Laguna Gloria, 3809 W. 35^th Steet, Austin

Host: Pat Beal

Contact: Vicky Hines vickyhines@gmail.com 925-330-9196

BRIDGE GROUP

When: September 10^th and September 24th - Second and Fourth Thursdays (Bi-Monthly)

Time: 1:00pm – 4:00pm

Where: North Lamar Senior Activity Center 29^th, North Lamar

Contact: Elaine Penn: epenn9915@gmail.com 512-328-3100

CENTRAL BOOK GROUP

When: Monday, September 14th

Time: 10:30 am

Where: La Madeleine, 5493 Brodie Lane, Austin, Tx.

Book: “Valley of Shadows” -Author: Rudy Ruiz

Facilitator: Linda Quintanilla

Contact: Joyce Pulich: joycepulich@sbcglobal.net 512-656-1776

CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE

When: Monday, September 7^th (meets on Zoom)

Time: 7 pm

Where: Zoom

Book: “We the women: the Hidden heroes Who Shaped America” Author: Norah O’Donnell

Facilitator: Jeannette Okur

Contact: maryescribner@gmail.com 512.698.5539

CREATIVE STITCHERY

When: Wednesday, September 16th

Time: 10:00 am

Hostess Elaine Penn

Where: 912 Dartmoor Drive, Austin, Tx

Project: Wool Dryer Balls

Beverly Locklin, bklocklin@outlook.com 512.633.2902

CULTURE AND CUISINE

When: Thursday, September 10th

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Theme: Sustainable Seafood

Hosts: Phyllis Folarin and Terry Whaley

Where: Freda’s Seafood Grille, 10903 Pecan Park Blvd, Austin

Contact: Ann Gibbs agibbs5200@gmail.com, 512.250.1203

HIKING

Delayed start until October due to heat

IT’S FIVE O’CLOCK SOMEWHERE

When: Thursday September 24^th

Time: 4:00 p.m.

Where: Urban Rooftop, 411n West Main Street, Round Rock

Host: Vicky Hines

Contact: Shirlene Justice shirlenejustice@gmail.com 512-507-1003

MYSTERY INTEREST GROUP

When: Tuesday, September 22

Time: 11:00 am

Book: “What I read last Summer”

Where: BJ's Brewhouse, The Shops at Arbor Walk, 10515 N. Mopac Expy.

Contact: Pam Wolfe: piwolfe@yahoo.com 512-925-7865

OUT TO LUNCH

When: Tuesday, September 15th

Time: 11:15 AM

Where: County Line on the Lake, 5204 Ranch to Market Rd 2222, Austin

Planner: Milli Stecker

Contact: Elaine Penn: epenn9915@gmail.com 512-970-5051

PAIRS

When: Saturday, September 19th

Time: 5:30 pm

Where: County Line on the Lake, 5204 Ranch to Market Rd 2222, Austin

Contact: Milli Stecker: mstecker@austin.rr.com 512-468-1088

SOUTHWEST BOOK GROUP

When: Monday, September 14th

Time: 10:30 – 12:30 pm

Book: “Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness” Alexandra Fuller p256

Facilitator: Susan James

Host/Where: Debbie Starr 6205 Mesa Grande, Austin

Contact: Brenda Hahne: bwhahne@gmail.com 832.233.4254

WELLNESS

This is an opportunity to learn wellness activities from traditional to the cutting edge for members to experience.

When: September 8th

Time: 10AM, via Zoom

Topics: Biohacking and your wellness regimen

Contact Fai Chan deliaroma8@gmail.com 512-902-1111

WINE TASTERS

When: Sunday, September 20th

Time: 4pm

Theme: Bring Your Favorite Wine

Hosts: Joyce Pulich

Where: 2300 Westway Circle, Austin

Contact: Elaine Penn: epenn9915@gmail.com 512-328-3100

Fundraising News -- Joyce Pulich

Thanks to everyone who bought raffle tickets at the summer social. We made $325 for the national AAUW Greatest Needs Fund. Suki Steinhauser was the lucky winner of the handmade quilt.

Beginning at the September branch meeting we will hold a silent auction for “re-homing” jewelry. Several pieces will be available for bidding with proceeds from this monthly project supporting our Centennial Scholarship at Austin Community College. Once again handmade greeting cards will be available for purchase at the meeting with revenue going to National’s Greatest Needs Fund.

The Change for Change project will continue. Members are encouraged to donate their loose change (currency as well as coins) and bring to any branch meeting. Those contributions will stay with the local branch.

The funds team is planning a silent auction to be held during the Winter Social December 6th. We welcome your donations of art, wine, books, stitchery projects, household items, etc. We had a wonderful selection at last year’s social. Please contact Brenda bwhahne@gmail.com or Joyce at joycepulich@sbcglobal.net with a description of the item you will offer.

If you want to join our fundraising team, let Brenda or Joyce know. We meet monthly – usually on zoom. New ideas are welcome, whether you’re on or off the the team.

Social Media Process

This year, our branch will boost our social media presence on Facebook and Instagram. Alicia Kae Miller, our social media coordinator, will post items about 2x per week. She will generally not create content but will post information sent to her. When sending her a posting request, please include a very short narrative and a graphic, if available. If sending photos from an event or interest group, please include the names of those pictured.

Our primary goals are to attract potential new members and to engage current members in branch activities. The sample items below will help us increase visibility within the community, excite our members, and generate publicity for our branch:

· Calls to action and policy updates

· News from National and other allied organizations (if relevant)

· Event and meeting announcements and invitations

· Photos and meeting recaps (with names of those pictured)

· Photos and brief descriptions of interest group activities

· Member news (recognitions, deaths)

We are not all on social media, but we can each help share information about our branch with the public and each other. Let’s all pitch in to increase our branch's visibility by "liking" our branch posts on Facebook and Instagram, by sharing posts with our Facebook and Instagram friends, and by sending our photos/stories about branch activities to Alicia for posting.

Please email Alicia with your requested posts at alicia@empathyuprise.com. To follow us on Facebook and Instagram, please scan the QR codes above.

See you on September 19th