Note to editors and news directors: To request for an interview with Elaine Julie Waldman, please contact the CSULA Public Affairs at (323) 343-3050.
Childhood dream of becoming anthropologist closer, thanks to Career Development Grant
Since 1973, AAUW has aided hundreds of women
Los Angeles, CA -- Selected as one of only 47 out of a national pool of 628 eligible candidates, Cal State L.A.’s anthropology graduate student Elaine Julie Waldman (Los Angeles resident) has recently been awarded a 2011–12 Career Development Grant by the American Association of University Women (AAUW). This is the first time the AAUW grant was given to a student in the field of anthropology and archaeology.
“I am thrilled and grateful to receive AAUW’s support,” Waldman said. “This is a real vote of confidence for me to pursue my childhood dream of becoming an anthropologist.”
AAUW designed the Career Development Grants as “encouragement” funding to members seeking to renew or resume academic work for credit toward career or employment advancement. The grants now assist women preparing to advance their careers, change careers, or re-enter the workforce.
According to CSULA’s Anthropology Professor Beth Baker-Cristales, “Elaine is a great example of engaged scholarship. Her work in anthropology has been about educating communities to make informed decisions about health and empowering them to be partners in the process of decision-making in Los Angeles County. As a mother, graduate student, and working professional, she embodies the best in CSULA students.”
Waldman, currently working toward her master’s degree in anthropology at CSULA, holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Pitzer College. As a research analyst with the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health, Acute Communicable Disease Control Program, Waldman develops collaborative infectious disease prevention programs with stakeholders and residents in diverse communities. The Acute Communicable Disease Control office is located in downtown Los Angeles.
Previously, she directed community health outreach and education projects at several nonprofit and governmental organizations in Los Angeles. She has also served as a health extension volunteer with the Peace Corps in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa, in the 1990s, establishing the first peer HIV prevention project with youth in the southeastern region of the country.
After completing the graduate program at CSULA, Waldman aims to continue working in public health, integrating qualitative and community-based participatory research methods in the field.
“The AAUW Career Development Grant recipients are exceptional women breaking new ground, pursuing important fields of study, and bolstering AAUW’s mission to advance equity for women and girls,” said Gloria Blackwell, AAUW director of fellowships, grants, and international programs. “AAUW is proud to support these women who see education as a gateway to a better life for themselves and their families.”
One of the nation’s leading voices promoting education and equity for women and girls, AAUW has provided more than $90 million to 11,000 fellows and grantees since 1888. For more about the AAUW grants: http://www.aauw.org/media/pressreleases/fgaRecipients_072811.cfm. For a listing of the grant recipients: http://www.aauw.org/learn/fellows_directory/cd.cfm.
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