Maria Mangano ’82 Honored with University Award for the Advancement of Women

A doula, a graduate mentor, a solar energy researcher and a career development director have received 2021 University Awards for the Advancement of Women. These women and the 2020 award recipients, whose ceremony was canceled because of the pandemic, were honored at a virtual event on March 8.

Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz presented the awards. “Carolina endeavors to build a community where everyone knows they belong and has equal access to academic, professional and personal fulfillment and success,” he said, adding that the goal aligns with the Build Our Community Together initiative from the University’s strategic plan, Carolina Next: Innovations for Public Good. “Achieving this goal means tearing down barriers to equity and elevating the work of those who bring us closer to this goal.”

A collaborative effort of the Office of the Chancellor and the Carolina Women’s Center, the awards have recognized the efforts of nearly 50 advocates for gender equity since they were established in 2006. Faculty and staff recipients receive $5,000 each, and the student recipients $2,500 each.

Maria J. Mangano ’82, career development director at the School of Law, has a special interest in women’s career issues and working with students and alumni who are members of groups historically underrepresented in the legal profession. She is a longtime member and past president of the N.C. Association of Women Attorneys, served on the board of directors of N.C. Legal Education Assistance Foundation and has been a member of the N.C. Bar Association’s Minorities in the Profession Committee since 2005.

“Maria has dedicated her career to advancing opportunities for others, especially women, in the legal profession,” wrote one of her nominators. “Two women professional career counselors in the Career Development Office are former students who were mentored by Maria, making one third of the current counselors in our office Maria’s former students. In addition to recruiting women, Maria has also advanced the retention and advancement of women at UNC School of Law.”

Read the full story about the award winners at The Well.