WAA’s Cabinet 99 honors Douthitt

Sometimes, people who do the most to help others are those who face daunting challenges of their own.

That’s the case with Robin Douthitt, the interim dean of the School of Human Ecology and a professor of consumer science. A breast cancer survivor who has coped with a recent recurrence, Douthitt nevertheless has accomplished a tremendous amount for the campus, and especially for women on campus. That’s why Cabinet 99, the women’s initiative of the Wisconsin Alumni Association, will present Douthitt with its $10,000 Faculty and Staff Recognition Award at its biennial symposium Nov. 3.

WAA created the award to help boost retention of UW–Madison’s women faculty and staff and to enhance the climate for all women at the university. Criteria for the honor include outstanding contributions to the university in research, teaching, outreach, or service; a commitment to increasing opportunities for women; and a reputation for leadership, tenacity, risk-taking, and courage.

Douthitt more than meets those criteria. As an untenured faculty member, Douthitt undertook an ambitious study about the retention of untenured women at UW–Madison. She found that many times, women faculty felt isolated and left to seek a more supportive environment. So Douthitt founded the Women Faculty Mentoring Program, which pairs untenured women with more senior, tenured women from other departments.

“Initially,” says Janet Shibley Hyde, a professor of psychology, “she did all of the work on her own – keeping records of individual matches, offering workshops to train mentors, and consulting on individual cases. Eventually, the university administration recognized the value of the program and provided staff support.”

Hyde, the director of the program from 1996 to 1999, says many universities around the country have copied the model, as has the UW System.

Douthitt is also known for spearheading creation of the Nancy Denney House, a residence for undergraduates trying to get through college while raising a child. The cooperative residence, the first of its kind in the United States, relieves the isolation felt by students who are single mothers, and serves as a resource center to help them achieve greater independence.

Even Douthitt’s research interests promote women. Some of her best- known studies focus on the value of unpaid time that women contribute to caring for children, volunteering, and other activities important to our society.

In recommending Douthitt for the award, Virginia Hinshaw, dean of the Graduate School and senior research officer for UW–Madison, gave glimpses into the personal character that has fueled Douthitt’s professional achievements. Hinshaw says that she once ran into Douthitt buying a large quantity of Halloween masks for the many children in her neighborhood who had little money and couldn’t dress up for Halloween.

Hinshaw also wrote about Douthitt’s participation in the last Race for the Cure, which raises money for breast cancer research. “Robin would spot a bald woman obviously in the throes of chemotherapy,” Hinshaw said, “and she would run over, hug her, and tell her that she herself looked just like that a year ago. She would then shake her own full head of hair and tell them next year their hair would be back, too.”

Hinshaw added that Douthitt’s handling of the recurrence of her cancer generated even more admiration. When Douthitt announced the news at the School of Human Ecology, said Hinshaw, “Her concern was not focused on herself, but rather on the school and how she could help them during this difficulty. That was a very hard meeting for all of us, but Robin was strong, and being strong herself, she made others strong. Her cheer and strength in the face of adversity set a great example for all around her.”

Cabinet 99 was founded in 1993 to develop a UW–Madison alumnae network devoted to leadership, advocacy, and mentoring. It includes a dynamic network of some 3,300 women across the United States.

The Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA) has been serving UW–Madison and its graduates since 1861. WAA provides an array of services, including On Wisconsin, a quarterly alumni magazine; a national council to foster multicultural diversity; a career database program; and an extensive student relations program.