NDSU's women and gender studies program is set to host the 19th annual Red River Women's Studies Conference on Friday, Oct. 23. This will be the first time the conference is held virtually.

The conference’s theme is “Imperfect History.” It will explore the Suffrage Movement, the right to vote and the challenges to the vote that exist today.

The online conference is scheduled to include a full day of programming, starting at 8:30 a.m. and running to 5 p.m.

Keynote speakers are former U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, who will present "100 Years of Progress? Let's Do Better Next Century,” and Heather Keeler, who serves on the Fargo Native American Commission and the Moorhead Human Rights Commission and is running for election to the Minnesota House of Representatives, District 4A. Keeler’s talk is titled "Representation in Leadership: Growing Up to Be the Role Model I Needed as a Little Girl."

Attendees will have access to a virtual lounge that enables them to network as well as immediate technical assistance. For those unable to attend the sessions live, 75 percent of the panels will be recorded and posted to the conference site for registrants to view at their leisure.

“The pandemic required us to pivot in how we’ve typically planned the conference, but doing so also created new opportunities,” said Ashley Baggett, women and gender studies director and associate professor of history. “We have seen an impressive response from our NDSU community and from scholars in gender-related topics as far as Texas. More than 170 people have registered so far, and the conference is still a few days away. That is very encouraging and exciting.”

This fall marks the 15th anniversary of NDSU's women and gender studies major and the launch of the program’s graduate certificate. At the closing ceremony, organizers will honor the program’s history and look to its future.

Former and current students are set to speak about the role women and gender studies has played in their lives. Lis Fricker, graduate student in history, is also pursuing the women and gender studies graduate certificate “The program has given me names and terms for what I've experienced,” she said. “It has given me a cohort more supportive of each other and their goals than any other program I've been in.”

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