The eighth annual Women of Distinction awards will be held on March 16 during an in-person ceremony in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union Multipurpose Room at 3:30 p.m.

There are eight recipients out of 33 total nominations, each of whom will receive their award from the person who nominated them and have a few minutes to speak to the audience on a prompt of their choosing.

Kendra Lutes, assistant director of the Marvin Center for Student Leadership said they aim to give an award to at least one undergraduate and graduate student, one faculty member, one staff member, one community member and one BGSU alum.

One person from all six of the groups will be receiving an award this year, as well as another faculty member and another staff member.

Undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff members, community members and alumni of all genders can be nominated.

“The awards are a way for us to honor leaders that are affiliated with Bowling Green … who serve as role models to individuals who are discriminated based on sex or gender,” Lutes said. “We want people who have done work, whether on an individual or systemic basis to empower those individuals.”

This year’s recipients will be given a glass blown award designed by Kelli McKee, a local artist.

The keynote address will be given by Leigh Dunewood, a previous recipient of the award in 2018 and former BGSU student.

Lutes said her role in the planning of the ceremony involves facilitating the committee operations behind the awards and “making sure that we can honor all of our awardees in the way that they deserve to be honored,” she said.

The Women of Distinction awards is a partnership between the Marvin Center for Student Leadership and the Center for Women and Gender Equity.

Awardees from previous years can be found on the Women of Distinction webpage at bgsu.edu.