ESU Student Attends National Education for Women’s Leadership Conference

Toluwani Abbas

Posted by: Elizabeth Richardson on May 29, 2025, No Comments

A recent East Stroudsburg University graduate, Toluwani Abbas, was selected to attend a program which seeks to help prepare and empower young women to be future leaders in the political process. Abbas attended the National Education for Women’s (NEW) Leadership Pennsylvania™ institute at the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics at Chatham University in Pittsburgh from May 18-23. The NEW Leadership program is a six-day, concentrated curriculum for female students attending colleges and universities throughout Pennsylvania. Participants learned about networking, public speaking, advocacy, the need for women’s leadership in the political process and participated in skills-building workshops.

Abbas earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from ESU in May and plans to return for the 2025-2026 academic year to begin work on her master’s degree.

This year, 37 students were selected to attend from 20 colleges and universities across Pennsylvania. Kimberly S. Adams, Ph.D., professor of political science, recruited Abbas and serves as a faculty liaison between ESU and the NEW Leadership Institute. “I am amazed at how this program continues to educate and inspire young women to be active participants in the political process. It is an incredible opportunity for our students,” Dr. Adams said.

Participants spent a day touring the Capitol in Harrisburg and heard from legislators, who discussed female representation and the significant impact that women make on public policy.  They attended a session on the topic of “Making a Difference: Women in the Judiciary,” ate lunch at the Capitol, and had a group tour and took group photos. The 2025 Practitioner-in-Residence was Pamela M. Iovino, former state senator and former State Civil Service Commissioner, appointed by former Governor Tom Wolf in 2022. The 2025 Women in Public Leadership Keynote was delivered by Diana Irey Vaughan, former Washington County Commissioner and the current president and CEO of City Mission.

The ESU Office of the President and the Office of the Provost funded Abbas’ participation. To date, more than 24 ESU students have participated in the NEW Leadership Program.

For more information about the NEW Leadership Program contact Adams at (570) 422-3924 or by email at ksadams@esu.edu or visit the Political Science & Economics Department.