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  • Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences
Accolades & Honors

PhD Student Robin Zwier Honored by American Association of University Women

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) awarded one of its 2020-21 fellowships and grants to Robin Zwier, a scholar at the University of Pittsburgh pursuing a PhD in rhetoric. Recipients will pursue academic work and lead innovative community projects to empower women and girls.

Since 1888, AAUW has awarded more than $115 million in fellowships, grants and awards to 13,000 recipients from more than 105 countries. For the 2020–21 academic year, AAUW awarded a total of $3.5 million through seven fellowships and grants programs to more than 200 scholars and community projects and programs promoting education and equity for women and girls.

Educational funding is especially important given that women are disproportionately burdened by student debt. And their ability to pay off that debt is hampered by a lifelong pay gap that affects women in nearly every profession. The pay gap widens over time and has consequences on all aspect of a woman’s financial life, from paying for an education to saving for a comfortable retirement. AAUW’s awards help to alleviate the burden of student debt so women can focus on developing their skills and experience.