Contact:
Natalia Rudiak
412-491-9938

For immediate release:
March 23, 2006

Media Advisory: Carnegie Mellon Hosts Panel Discussion About Women in Public Office

EVENT: Carnegie Mellon University will sponsor a panel discussion titled "What Sparks Some Talented Women To Run for Public Office While Legions of Others Stay on the Sidelines?" Women represent less than 20 percent of U.S. senators, representatives, governors and mayors, and none of the Pittsburgh area's delegation to the State House is female.

The panelists will include Gloria Forouzan, coordinator of "Run, Baby, Run," an organization that recruits, trains and supports women in their bid for the state legislature; Deborah Grass of the Allegheny County Department of Economic Development; Heather Arnet, executive director of the Women & Girls Foundation of Southwest Pennsylvania; Tonya Payne, Pittsburgh councilwoman; and Linda Babcock, professor of economics at Carnegie Mellon's H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management and author of "Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide."

The program will show the audience how the panelists campaigned, negotiated and developed skills to compete in the male-dominated arena of public office. The panel discussion will culminate with a volunteer and networking session with female candidates for local offices. Refreshments will be served. This event is sponsored by the Gender Awareness and Action in Policy club at the Heinz School, Carnegie Mellon's Women's Center and Carnegie Mellon's Office of Gender Issues.

WHEN: 5-6:30 p.m., Friday, March 24

WHERE: Hamburg Hall Auditorium (Room 1000), Carnegie Mellon University