What was new at ANSIRH—January 2009

Weitz receives APHA award | Felicia Stewart Conference Center opens | New class on Social Science Perspectives on Abortion

ANSIRH Director receives APHA award

Dr. Tracy Weitz, ANSIRH’s Director and co-founder, was honored with the Felicia Stewart Award for advocacy in the reproductive health arena by the Population, Family Planning and Reproductive Health section of the American Public Health Association (APHA). The award was presented in San Diego on October 28, 2008, at APHA’s annual meeting.

The Felicia Stewart Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a strong commitment to advocacy on behalf of reproductive health and rights. It was created in 2007 by APHA to honor the memory of Dr. Felicia Stewart—ANSIRH’s other co-founder—and her vision, commitment, leadership, and advocacy in the field.

Dr. Weitz is a lifetime advocate of women’s health and reproductive rights. She has a master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis in health care from Southwest Missouri State University and a doctoral degree in medical sociology from UCSF. Her passion is for those aspects of women’s health that are marginalized either for ideological reasons, or because the populations affected lack the means or mechanisms to have their concerns raised. Her current research focuses on innovative strategies to expand abortion provision in the United States. Her research portfolio includes ANSIRH’s Primary Care Initiative, Homeland Abortion Regulation Project, and Second Trimester Abortion Initiative.

ANSIRH opens new conference center

Felicia Stewart Center West Also in Felicia Stewart’s honor, ANSIRH and the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP) have created the Stewart Center East, in Washington, DC, and the Stewart Center West, located in Oakland, California, in new office space shared by the ANSIRH program, the University of California San Francisco’s Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, and ARHP’s west coast satellite office. Both Centers provide community meeting space at no cost for reproductive health and rights work. Read more about the Stewart Center West’s facility and how to reserve it.

New course on Social Science Perspectives on Abortion

The Fellowship in Family Planning and the Charlotte Ellertson Social Science Postdoctoral Fellowship in Abortion and Reproductive Health are offering a new online course for fellows entitled “Social Science Perspectives on the Abortion Conflict in the United States,” taught by Dr. Carole Joffe of ANSIRH. Each class consists of two hours of lecture and discussion in a virtual classroom that allows students to provide constant feedback and ask questions. The virtual classroom also makes it possible to bring in compelling and important guest speakers at low cost. Guest lecturers for the class will include ANSIRH’s director Tracy Weitz, PhD, MPA; Talcott Camp, JD, from the Reproductive Freedom Project of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU); Carol Mason, author of Killing for Life and the featured abortion provider in the acclaimed PBS documentary, The Last Abortion Clinic. The course will cover a variety of abortion topics, from its history and legal status to its portrayal in the media and popular culture. For more information, please contact Michaela Ferrari. Learn more...

See also our notes on what’s new in the field of reproductive health and rights. And if you'd like to receive ongoing news, sign up for e-mail updates from the Bixby Center listserv on Bixby and ANSIRH activities and publications.