Former Miss America Nina Davuluri to speak as part of International Women's Week

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Former Miss America Nina Davuluri will speak as part of International Women's Week 6:30 p.m. Thursday (March 9) in Stewart Center’s Loeb Playhouse. The event is free and open to the public.

Davuluri will speak about "Promoting a Platform of Inclusion: Achieve Your Dreams by Embracing Your Identity."

The presentation highlights the importance of understanding our own multiple identities and the identities of those around us, developing skills to communicate effectively across difference, addressing stereotypes and misinformation and building a more inclusive community.

Messages about culture, socially constructed beauty standards and identity created and/or strengthened by media representations, as well as the impact of social media on society and cultural norms, also will be discussed.

Davuluri is a multi-lingual, Indian-American who graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in brain behavior and cognitive science.

During her year of service as Miss America in 2014, she logged 250,000 miles traveling across the country to address an array of audiences on her platform: “Celebrating Diversity through Cultural Competency.” As part of her consciousness-raising efforts on behalf of diversity, she also launched a social media campaign, Circles of Unity, to encourage constructive and civil dialogue on diversity issues. More information about her can be found here.

The event is sponsored by Office of the Provost Division of Diversity and Inclusion, Asian American and Asian Resource and Cultural Center, LGBTQ Center, Brian Lamb School of Communication, Purdue Student Government, International Programs, Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence, ADVANCE-Purdue and the Center for Faculty Success, South Asian Student Alliance, Asian American Studies Program, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program, Purdue University Asian American Association and the Asian Student Union Board.

Also as part of International Women’s Week, the Purdue Asian American Association will host Sarah Crulcich, leader of the Ideal Asian Body Campaign 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday (March 7) in the Recitation Building, Room 103. She will speak on "Body Image: An Asian American Perspective." The conversation will explore how stereotypes about body image impact people, specifically women, in Asian American communities. The event is free and open to the public. 

Writer: Megan Huckaby, 765-496-1325, mhuckaby@purdue.edu 

Source: Aiden Powell, program coordinator at Purdue LGBTQ Center, powell61@purdue.edu