The Vice-President of Academic Affairs at Kansas City Kansas Community College, Dr. Agha-Jaffar will speak at a public program at 3 p.m. at the KCK Public Library at 625 Minnesota Avenue.
The program will also be highlighted by a special proclamation by KCK Mayor Joe Reardon. Seating will be limited and reservations are recommended by e-mail at rmiziorko@kckpl.org.
The weeklong event will culminate with a “Women’s Equality: Pushing Back/Moving Forward” demonstration Saturday from 10 a.m.-noon in Mill Creek Park at 47th and Main in the Plaza area of Kansas City, Mo. Marching, chanting, guest speakers, music, drummers, personal testimonials and women from the historical past will be featured.
Several organizations including the KCKCC Chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) will also be on hand and there will be sign making for children.
The founder of the Women’s Studies program at KCKCC in 1995, Dr. Agha-Jaffar received the Kansas Professor of the Year award from the Carnegie Foundation/CASE for the Advancement of Teaching in 2004 and received the Friends of Yates Lucile V. Jackson Distinguished Service Award for her work with victims of domestic violence in 2005.
A noted author with articles on feminist pedagogy and women’s studies, Dr. Agha-Jaffar has written two books. Her first, “Demeter and Persephone: Lessons From a Myth,” was published in 2002 and has been translated into Greek for publication. Her second book, “Women and Goddesses in Myth and Sacred Text,” was published in 2004.
A member of the faculty at KCKCC since 1987, Dr. Agha-Jaffar was elevated to Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts in January 2007 and is now in her third year as Vice-President of Academic Affairs.
Dr. Agha-Jaffar holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in English Literature from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, and a Ph.D. in English Literature from Washington State University.
