Annandale Lyceum Event: A Brief History of Women’s Education, Today at 1

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Annandale Campus Lyceum Committee will welcome Dr. Jennifer Winters on Thursday, March 28, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. to discuss a brief history of women’s education. The event will be held on NOVA’s Annandale Campus (CA-302). 

Today, women make up the majority of students in higher education, but that was not always the case. Only a few centuries ago, education for women was limited to those from wealthy and elite households, and their learning focused largely on their future responsibilities as wives and mothers. It was not until the 19th century that women matriculated at institutions of higher education, opening doors to professional careers and encouraging discourse on a woman’s place in society.

In Dr. Winters’ presentation, she will explore historical conceptions and rationales that restricted women from educational opportunities; how women overcame those restrictions; and how education has been used as a tool to achieve political, social and economic equality.

Dr. Winters received her Bachelor of Arts in history and religion/philosophy from James Madison University. She also earned a Master of Letters in reformation studies and a Ph.D. in history from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Dr. Winters’ current research interests are in the fields of book history and the history of education in early modern Britain. Her papers and presentations include “Piracy and Print in Elizabethan England: John Wolfe, Roger Ward and the Struggle Against Privilege”; “Female Book Ownership in Provincial England, 1580–1640”; and “Women’s Education and Literacy in Colonial America.” Dr. Winters is currently working on an examination of school books and grammar schools in 17th-century Britain. Since 2013, she has worked on NOVA’s Annandale Campus, where she has taught western, world and women’s history.

For more information about this and other Lyceum events, please click here. If you require accommodations to participate in this event, please send your request in advance to Manori Nadesalingam at MNadesalingam@nvcc.edu.

Please make sure to arrive at the event at least 15 minutes early so you can view the STEM Scientist exhibit organized by Annandale’s Women in STEM club. The exhibit will be located in the hallway leading to CA-302.

Submitted by:
Manori Nadesalingam, AN-Physics, MNadesalingam@nvcc.edu