Welcome to Poughkeepsie AAUW!
We have been advancing equity for women and girls as individuals and nationally since 1881 and as a local branch since 1925! We invite you to visit the pages of our website to explore the many parts of our organization. Our work continues. We welcome you to join us!
AAUW Membership-JOIN OR RENEW
Upcoming Events/Information
The Poughkeepsie Branch AAUW invites you to join this
free virtual program.
♦Bias in Women’s Healthcare Today♦
Thursday, January 8 at 7:00pm, on Zoom
REGISTRATION REQUIRED!
https://shorturl.at/uwJbv
Presenter:
Christie VanHorne, Founder & President, CVH Consulting
Have you ever felt dismissed or ignored during a doctor’s appointment? You aren’t alone. This eye-opening presentation explores why women continue to experience bias in healthcare today. We’ll uncover the historical roots of this inequity—how decades of exclusion and misconception have left women misdiagnosed, undertreated, and unheard. But the conversation doesn’t end there. Participants will leave with practical tools and strategies to advocate for themselves, ask better questions, and take back their power in clinical settings.
Contact: Barbara Van Itallie
program.aauw.poughkeepsie@gmail.com
The Poughkeepsie Branch AAUW invites you to join this free virtual program
♦A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE:
AAUW’s Priorities, Issues & Projects♦
Thursday, February 12 at 7:00 pm; on Zoom
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
https://shorturl.at/GK3yR
Speaker: Meghan Kissell
AAUW Senior Director of Policy and Member Advocacy
Every Poughkeepsie Branch member is part of the National AAUW organization through our membership dues. But do we know what AAUW does on the national level to promote the AAUW mission and to assist our branches nationwide?
Meghan will discuss the current AAUW issues and priorities and will tell us more about how their strategic plan is “leading the charge to equity” and the various ways they are assisting women in pursuing higher education.
We will learn about lobbying and grassroot efforts to push forward policies supporting our issues and how our members can help in this effort.
Program announcement and speaker information.
Contact: Barbara Van Itallie
program.aauw.poughkeepsie@gmail.com
Recent Events & Information
♦DCC and Poughkeepsie AAUW:
Supporting Education in the Mid-Hudson Valley♦
On December 11, Margaret Craig, Associate Professor of Art History and assistant coordinator of AWDCC (Association of Women at Dutchess Community College) explained how Poughkeepsie AAUW history and the future of DCC had intertwined. Margaret also shared some of the new programs at DCC.
Over $33,000 was presented to DCC for Poughkeepsie AAUW Centennial Scholarship endowment for a student studying in a STEM field. Barbara Van Itallie was revealed as the donor of the matching funds that helped raise this endowment. Barbara is the current VP of Program for AAUW but has served in many capacities both on the local and state level. Barbara is also involved in many other local organizations. Our appreciation to Barbara not only for her great assistance in the endowment but for all the service she has been and most likely will be in the future to AAUW.
Margaret Craig (Dutchess Community College) accepts the check from
Barbara Van Itallie (Program VP), Betty Harrel (Centennial Fund Chair), and Celia Serotsky (President)
More information: December 2025 AAUW Program Announcement
♦A Look at Fashion for University and Professional Women♦
On Novemb
er 13, 2025, David Roberts gave an entertaining and illustrative survey of fashion for college and university students and in the professional workplace over the last 100 years. The audience enjoyed the slides and had many questions to end the evening.
Our presenter, a native of Syracuse, NY, graduated from SUNY New Paltz. He has been teaching History of Fashion at FIT since 2009. He has also taught at Marist Univ. and Montclair State Univ. He lectures at Vassar LLI, Marist CLS, and at Boardman Rd. Library.
Leading to Reading Honored
Left to Right: Judy Linville, Flo Mondanaro, Kathy MacCarthy, Betty Harrel, Nancy Marrine, and Pam Terwilliger
On November 6, 2025, Hudson River Housing honored AAUW’s Leading to Reading, and the Poughkeepsie United Methodist Church’s Missions Committee with Community Builder Awards. They were honored for “their dedication to uplifting families in crisis which embodies the very spirit of hope.”
The event, Building Hope Together, was held at the Grandview. Leading to Reading members who attended were Betty Harrel, Judy Linville, Kathy MacCarthy and Flo Mondanaro. The Missions Committee was also represented by AAUW members, Nancy Marrine and Pam Terwilliger. AAUW has a long commitment to supporting residents at Hudson River Lodging, a short-term family shelter. The project has fostered a love of reading through donating and wrapping books, wrapping mountains of holiday gifts, and providing English and bilingual books throughout the year for the community room. We were presented with a glass house which is inscribed, “In recognition of your significant commitment and passion to improving lives and neighborhoods in the Hudson Valley. Hudson River Housing proudly recognizes you as a partner in our mission to end homelessness and empower local communities to reach their fullest potential.” We were also presented with a Certificate of Recognition from Senator Robert G. Rolison “with gratitude for your efforts and dedication to ending homelessness in Dutchess County.”
The mission of Hudson River Housing is to end homelessness and create pathways of opportunity across Dutchess County. The gala is an annual tradition to raise awareness of local needs and community support programs.
♦A City on the Hudson: Film and Discussion
of Poughkeepsie History♦
On Thursday, October 16, at the Boardman Road Library, AAUW in conjunction with Poughkeepsie Public Library District sponsored a viewing of the film A City on the Hudson. This film was produced by Poughkeepsie AAUW with script and filming by Dr. James Steerman of Vassar College. It premiered at the Bardavon in 1983. Margaret Nijhuis, then AAUW president and chair of the project, and Shannon Butler, Historian Poughkeepsie Public Library District, introduced the film and took questions concerning the history in the years 1687 – 1987.
♦We welcomed fall and the AAUW Year♦
Poughkeepsie AAUW Open House was held September 11, 2025 at Freedom Plains United Presbyterian Church. Tables were set up for all of our interest groups and community initiatives and provided an opportunity to meet many of our members.
Refreshments were served and a slide show gave prospective members an idea of some of our activities and our community services.
We invite those interested in membership to go to: Join/Renew
or contact Kathy Prisco or Maureen Tremblay, Membership VPs, AAUW Poughkeepsie Branch at Membership.aauw.poughkeepsie@gmail.com
♦Poughkeepsie AAUW receives a commendation from
Dutchess County Legislature♦
♦Annual Dinner & Meeting♦
On June 11 we held our a business meeting including bylaws update and election of officers. This was followed by an In Memoriam for members who have passed away this year and recognition of our Legacy Honorees (25 plus years of membership in Poughkeepsie AAUW), our Emerging Leader and our members who have anniversary years of membership.
♦Celebrating our 100 years1925!♦
Thursday, May 8, 2025 opened our year long celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Poughkeepsie AAUW. Delicious food, many former members and friends traveled back to share the evening.
Many former presidents from 1977-2024 joined the evening of memories and reunion.
President Celia Serotsky Report
Reports from your board and appointed office holders.
