Ithaca College

Congratulations to Maura Stephens, editor of the Ithaca College magazine ICView, published by the Office of Marketing Communications, who was honored as one of the area's "20 Outstanding Women You Should Know" at Women’s Expo 2009.

Sponsored by Cayuga Radio Group, the annual award recognizes women selected for their interesting and inspiring stories from the hundreds of nominees with diverse careers and volunteer activities.

Women's Expo 2009 was held on Thursday, May 7, at the TC3 Borg Warner Morse TEC Field House in Dryden. The keynote speaker for the event was 1994 Ithaca College graduate Shelly Mazzanoble, author of Confessions of a Part-Time Sorceress: A Girl’s Guide to the Dungeons & Dragons Game.

Maura is cofounder of Iraqi Refugees Assistance Connection, a nonprofit volunteer organization that helps Iraqi translators, interpreters, and others who have worked for the U.S. government find safe haven, decent jobs, and welcoming communities for themselves and their families in the United States and other countries. In 2004 she helped found the International Campaign for Freedom of Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma. She has also been extensively involved with the Community Arts Partnership, Wolf's Mouth Theatre Collective, Finger Lakes Progressives, and Sustainable Tompkins.

The letters nominating Maura for the honor cited her as an exemplar of the "good citizen," noting, "Passionate, informed, articulate, and extremely hardworking, Maura has placed her life in service of justice, peace, environmental protection, and human rights."

Previous awardees include Marian Brown, M.S. '95, special assistant to the provost; Cynthia Henderson, associate professor of theater arts; and Deb Mohlenhoff '92, Center for Student Leadership and Involvement assistant director for community service and leadership development.

"20 Outstanding Women" -- Full 2009 List