The Women’s Institute

Creating opportunities for women and building a more equitable world.

The Women’s Institute was created to respond to the contemporary and evolving cultural landscape of the 21st Century while honoring Russell Sage College’s century-long dedication to women’s empowerment.

In fall 2020, The Women’s Institute at Russell Sage College began offering public programs, panels, conferences and community partnerships—with a focus on constructive dialogue about contemporary women’s issues.

The Institute also promotes women’s leadership and gender inclusivity through a student-learning community with women-only housing and expanded curricular opportunities.

The Women’s Institute at Russell Sage College opened September 2020 with a symposium on the centennial of women’s suffrage.

EXPLORE PAST PROGRAMS

THE WOMEN’S INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2022 – 2023

The Women’s Institute assists drive for local children

The Women’s Institute was among 10 women-based organizations from the Capital Region that pitched in on March 5 to collect essential items for children in need.

The groups, which included Russell Sage College students, worked together to fill a bus that would drop items off at Things of My Very Own, a nonprofit that provides crisis intervention services and programs to children in emergency situations. Watch the Spectrum News video for more information.

Upcoming Events

Women’s Health: Transforming Medical Education Across Disciplines

FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2024, 11AM – 4:30PM

A mini-conference bridging the worlds of advocacy, the arts, gender and sexuality studies, and medicine. View event details here.

News

June 27, 2023

Award-Winning Science Journalist Rachel E. Gross Named Affiliate Scholar at The Women’s Institute at Russell Sage College

Author of Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage, will lead programming focused on gender bias in health

June 22, 2023

How Professor Michelle Napierski-Prancl Became the Baby-Name Expert the Media Calls First

Professor Napierski-Prancl regularly fields calls from journalists, bloggers, and podcasters asking her to weigh in on everything from Why are ‘Olivia’ and ‘Noah’ so popular? to “Illegal” baby names.

View All News and Events

Read “Every Campus A Refuge: When University Becomes a Home”

Congratulations to visiting author Rachel E. Gross for making the shortlist for the 2023 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction!

https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2022/11/ala-unveils-shortlist-2023-andrew-carnegie-medals-excellence-fiction-and

Vagina Obscura Book Talk event on 11/14/22

Women’s Institute Student Ambassadors

An important part of the mission of The Women’s Institute at Russell Sage College is to develop programming, support integration of programming with academics, showcase women’s accomplishments and provide support for the next generation of feminist leaders. One creative way we do this is through The Women’s Institute’s Student Ambassadorship. Student Ambassadors collaborate with the Faculty and Executive Directors to develop and deliver Women’s Institute’s events and programming (three or more events each semester); attend one admissions event/open house each semester or host students interested in the Women’s Institute Ambassadorship; participate in summer orientation or moving-in weekend; and make academic progress toward the completion of the Women’s Studies minor or complete one course in women’s studies.

Student Ambassadors are eligible for a $1,500 scholarship. All students enrolled full-time at Russell Sage College are eligible to apply for the Ambassadorship.

2024 Ambassador Application

Creating opportunities for women and building a more equitable world.