2013

Women in the Public Sector (WPS) is Founded

Women in the Public Sector at John Jay College (WPS) was founded in the Fall of 2013 when Co-Directors, Nicole M. Elias and Maria J. D’Agostino, recognized a need for students and faculty to focus on the role of women in the public sector, both within and beyond the John Jay community.

2014

WPS hold their first workshop: “Issues, Perceptions, and Public Policy,”

in the Spring of 2014 to raise awareness about the perception and involvement of women in public service. More than 90 students, John Jay and CUNY-wide faculty members, administrators, and community members participated in the conversation.

2015

WPS hosts the New York City Public Advocate, Letitia James as the inaugural speaker of the Women in the Public Sector Speaker Series

She is the first African American woman to hold citywide office in New York and spoke to John Jay students, faculty, and community members about a number of social justice issues that impact women.

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Girl Scout Global Action Award: Teen Leadership Summit

The first nonprofit partnership with Girl Scouts of America. The primary aim of this interactive and educational event was to inform participants about global issues affecting girls. Over 100 Girl Scouts from various ranks within the organization participated.

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WPS Hosts first state official, New York State Lieutenant Governor, Kathleen Hochul, as part of its Women in the Public Sector Speaker Series

The highest ranking female state official in New York spoke about her work combatting domestic violence and sexual assault, as well as job creation, economic development, and opportunities for women in government. 

2016

WPS hosts Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Attorney, Melissa Brand as part of its Three-Part Professional Development Workshop Series

Attorney Brand held a keynote and student and professional development workshops with John Jay students, faculty, and staff. She covered topics ranging from injustices that have occurred within public sector employment and the criminal justice system to professional development advice and strategies for students.

2017

The Future of Women in Public Administration Symposium

First WPS research symposium in Administration & Society journal, WPS holds a symposium focused on equal pay, paid family leave, the absence of women in key leadership positions, women’s health care options, and reproductive rights as these topics remain center stage in the national policy arena, including the presidential debates.

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WPS launches its blog, Gender Dialogues: A Space for Community and Conversation

The blog provides an outlet for academics, practitioners, and students to share ideas and rethink long-standing issues from diverse perspectives in an informal, creative space. It also prompts readers to consider the roles that sex and gender play in public service and how they shape the way we think, govern, and are served by sex and gender identities and markers.

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As part of its Women in the Public Sector Speaker Series, WPS hosts first Latina head of the Department of Probation, Commissioner Ana M. Bermudez

This event raised awareness of the structural barriers and common misconceptions surrounding intersectional, marginalized identities. The Commissioner explained how women face difficult challenges in the workplace and provided advice for overcoming challenges while embracing one’s unique sense of self.

2018

Contemporary Theories of Women and Gendered Public Administration and Policy Symposium

First WPS open access research symposium in Administrative Theory & Praxis (ATP), offering a promising next step for increasing scholarly attention on sex and gender issues in public administration theory.

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Presidential Student-Faculty Research Collaboration Award Recipient

WPS received the College’s inaugural award to work with undergraduate students on a research project exploring how municipalities address gender in programming and services across the United States.

2019

AWPA-WPS Reference Tool is Launched

WPS partners with Academic Women in Public Administration (AWPA) to develop a reference tool to promote work related to public administration that is either authored by an underrepresented group or targets one.

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Implications of the #MeToo Movement for Academia: A Bully Pulpit Viewpoint Symposium

In partnership with the Public Administration Review (PAR) journal, WPS publishes a Viewpoint symposium to engage scholars in a timely dialogue that contextualizes the Me Too movement within the academic community as the movement continues to rock politics, media, business, and entertainment.

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WPS partners with the New York City Commission on Gender Equity (CGE)

The first WPS local level government partnership. We collaborated with CGE to conduct research, design survey instruments, and analyze agency and city-wide programs and services. Ultimately, this partnership provides tools and best practices to further gender equity across New York City.  Working with CGE, we produced tools to better understand and enact gender equitable practices for agencies including the City-wide Gender Equity Handbook and the Advancing Gender Equity through Legislation: A Compilation of laws passed between 2014 – 2021.

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WPS sponsors the first Mother’s Room offered at the 2019 Northeast Conference of Public Administration (NECoPA)

To ensure an equitable conference experience for all participants, WPS sponsored the first Mother’s Room offered at a NECoPA Conference, providing a model for future regional and national conferences.  

2020

First Event in the WPS Webinar Series: A Conversation with Jacqueline M. Ebanks

During this first fully-online event, New York City Gender Equity Commission Executive Director, Jacqueline M. Ebanks discussed New York City efforts to promote gender equity, especially in the context of Covid-19.

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First WPS Speaker to identify as a “Dreamer,” Commissioner Penny Abeywardena

At the age of four, Commissioner Abeywardena emigrated from Sri Lanka to the US. She spent her youth as an undocumented immigrant, a 1980’s version of a “Dreamer” and is now the NYC Commissioner for International Affairs. In her Webinar, “Identity and Leadership in Governance,” she shared how her identity shaped her personal and professional experiences. 

2021

WPS partners with the Scholars Strategy Network

WPS developed a policy brief and a quick reference fact sheet detailing disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on parents and caregivers. These documents inform public officials on child care policy reform in the US.

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Initiative for Gender Equity in the Public Sector is founded

In the Fall of 2021, WPS is reintroduced as the Initiative for Gender Equity in the Public Sector (IGEPS) to emphasize its commitment to equity for all gender identities and expressions.