The 18th annual Women’s Leadership Conference will be held in-person, bringing together students, faculty, staff, and community members to commemorate National Women’s History Month.
The goal of the conference is to provide an opportunity for personal and professional leadership development that is centered on the needs of women from various cultural backgrounds.
Join us on March 13, 2025, at the Cajundome Convention Center for a day full of educational breakout sessions, inspirational awards presentations, and empowering keynote speakers.
Conference Theme & Tracks
The theme for the upcoming conference is “Moving Forward Together Women Educating and Inspiring Generations.”
The session tracks for this year’s conference are:
- Educating to Elevate: Empowering Women through Knowledge and Skill-Building
- Illuminating Resilience: A Journey to Inner Strength
- Nurturing for Impact: Empowering Others, Strengthening Communities, and Protecting the Environment
- Echoes of Wisdom: Envisioning a Shared Future
Sessions should be 45 minutes long and fit into one of the conference tracks.
The deadline to submit a proposal for this year’s conference is Wednesday, Dec. 11, and selected proposals will be notified by Jan. 10, 2025. Proposals are evaluated by a team of committee members using .
Awards
Each year, the Women’s Leadership Conference recognizes women at different stages in their careers who have made significant contributions to the community.
Established in 2016, the Sarah Brabant Trailblazer Award honors professionals at the end of their careers who have made substantial contributions to advancing leadership and gender equity through collaboration, dedication, passion, and inspiration. The award is named for Dr. Sarah Brabant, who spent her career selflessly serving the community and advancing women’s equity. Dr. Brabant founded the Mayor’s Commission on the Needs of Women, served as President of the Board of Directors for Faith House, and taught the first course on death and dying at 鶹ý Lafayette.
Established in 2021, the Rising Leader Award honors mid-career leaders who have made substantial contributions to advancing leadership and gender equity through collaboration, dedication, passion, and inspiration.
Established in 2020, the Emerging Leader Award honors early-career leaders who have made substantial contributions to advancing leadership and gender equity through collaboration, dedication, passion, and inspiration.
Nominations for 2025 award recipients will open soon.
Registration
Registration for the 2025 conference will open soon.
Lodging
We have a block of rooms reserved at the Hilton Garden Inn, located across the street from the Cajundome Convention Center, for those attending the conference from out of town.
using the group code 鶹ýOI25 or by phone at (337) 291-1977.
The last day to make reservations using the code is Feb. 18, 2025.