Alverno College Launches Institute for Black Women

Milwaukee (Sept. 23, 2020) – Alverno College has launched the Thea Bowman Institute for Excellence and Leadership, a program designed to serve Black women through academic and leadership programming. The Institute builds on existing Alverno initiatives that bring together students with a like-minded community of advanced leaders and learners.

Nine students have been accepted into the Institute, which includes a full-tuition scholarship and a rigorous, robustly crafted leadership development program designed to prepare participants for professional roles in pursuit of social change and service. Ronett Jacobs, M.Ed., has been appointed the Institute’s director.

“Thea Bowman Scholars will play a powerful role in demanding and creating permanent, systemic societal change,” said Joseph Foy, Ph.D., vice president for Academic Affairs at Alverno. “Already they’re inspiring others as they develop mobile apps to help individuals in mental health crisis connect with experts, offer restorative justice training from Harvard to the Milwaukee Police Department, and help provide art education through the Boys & Girls Club and the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.”

Using a cohort-based model, the Institute provides students with a dedicated advisor, alumnae mentors, exclusive networking opportunities and guaranteed internship opportunities. Alverno seeks applications from women who have a demonstrated record of academic achievement, who are committed to graduating in four years and who will become change agents in various professional fields in the Milwaukee community. Programming for the Institute, such as speakers, will extend to benefit the entire Alverno community.

About the program
Named for a Franciscan, Catholic sister, teacher and scholar educated in Wisconsin who made significant contributions to the church’s ministry to Blacks, the Thea Bowman Institute is consistent with Alverno’s mission to educate a diverse student body that reflects the community.

The Institute resulted from a call to the Alverno community to meet racial injustice with action. Alverno President Andrea Lee, IHM, envisioned a program that would provide access to higher education, experiential leadership and mentoring opportunities for Black women who would go on to be leaders in their career fields and communities.

Alverno is one of Wisconsin’s most diverse and inclusive four-year colleges. Nearly half of Alverno’s students identify as a person of color, with 14 percent of them identifying as Black or African American. Alverno was the first Wisconsin higher education institution designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution. The Thea Bowman Institute follows the May launch of a scholarship program in partnership with the Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee designed to support the education of Hispanic students.

“The time is now, and the place is Alverno, for this Institute to flourish and attract Milwaukee’s best, brightest and most committed Black women seeking to experience the power of an Alverno education,” said Jacobs, an Alverno alumna. “Thea Bowman Scholars are women who know, ‘I was sent here to do something great, and I’m determined to do that.’”

Scholarships will be renewable based on continued high academic performance and full engagement in the program. Students interested in applying should contact Alexis Carter, MSM, SHRM-CP, assistant director of Admissions for high school recruitment, at 414-382-6104.

For more information, visit alverno.edu/bowman.

About Alverno College

Founded in 1887 by the School Sisters of St. Francis, Alverno College promotes the academic, personal and professional development of its students in a collaborative and inclusive environment. Undergraduate programs for women are offered in more than 60 areas of study, and graduate programs in education, nursing, community psychology, school psychology, music therapy, music and liturgy, and business are open to women and men.

A leader in higher education innovation, Alverno has earned international accolades for its highly effective ability-based, assessment-as-learning approach to education, which emphasizes hands-on experience and develops in-demand skills. The college, Wisconsin’s first Hispanic-Serving Institution, ranks among the top schools in the Midwest for its commitment to undergraduate teaching and innovation by U.S. News & World Report. For the past two years, The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education named Alverno the country’s most inspiring college.

Based in Milwaukee, Wis., Alverno College is a four-year independent, Catholic, liberal arts college.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.