2010 Keynote Speaker
Adrienne M. Gillespie MS, MA
Adrienne M Gillespie has five degrees; has traveled to more than 35 countries; hada surgeon shimmy down her spine, take out a disk and replace it with a titaniumplate; survived a heart attack; worked for the New Jersey Secretary of State; livedin a convent; graduated college at 19; was a US Supreme Court intern and wrote adating column for two years. And that’s just for starters!
Adrienne
M. Gillespie is the Coordinator of the Center for Diversity & Unity at
Weber State University (WSU) where she also serves as an adjunct instructor in
the departments of Political Science and Women’s Studies. She began working at WSU in February 2005.
Adrienne
earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with minors in Ethnic
Studies and Spanish in 1993 from the University of Utah (U of U). While there, she studied abroad in
Cuernavaca, Mexico in addition to completing an internship at the United States
Supreme Court. Adrienne received
numerous scholarships and awards for her academic performance and leadership
abilities. She next attended the
University of Denver College of Law as a Chancellor’s
Scholar, leaving in 1995 and returning to the U of U where she completed a
second Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies in 1996. Her first master’s degree was completed at Minnesota State
University, Mankato (MSUM) in Women’s Studies in 1997. She completed a master’s degree in Political
Science at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in 2001 where she also
completed coursework for her doctorate.
Her most recent academic accomplishment is a post graduate degree in
Conflict Resolution & Mediation, received with honors from the U of U in
2006.
Adrienne
has worked in a variety of government, higher education and non-profit
capacities including as the Director of the Center for Youth Policy and
Programs for the State of New Jersey; Staff Associate in the New Jersey
Department of State, Political Science Instructor at Rutger’s University;
Women’s Studies Instructor at Minnesota MSUM; graduate associate and research
associate at the Eagleton Institute of Politics and Center for American Woman
and Politics; as an administrative assistant at the Utah Governor’s Commission
for Women and Families among other positions.
Adrienne
serves as a board member to the American Red Cross of Northern Utah where she
has previously chaired the annual Celebration of Heroes fundraiser. Most recently, Adrienne has received the
received the Spring 2010 Quality Service
Star Award; the 2009 Student Affairs: Outstanding
Team Performance Award, Utah Leadership
Academy; and the Spring 2009 Campus Compact Award for Campus Civic
Leadership.
A
world traveler, Adrienne enjoys learning about other cultures and
traditions. Whenever possible, she
loves to knit, quilt, read, write and listen to music while planning exotic
vacations