Margaret Alston, professor of social work and human services at Charles Sturt University in Australia, will deliver a public lecture titled, “Rural Women: Work, Power and Organizations”, Thurs., Sept. 28 at 10 a.m. in Room 527 (boardroom), Administration Humanities Building at the University of Regina.

Alston has published widely in the field of rural gender and rural social issues, including a study of rural women and leadership, Breaking through the Grass Ceiling. Recent research projects include the social impacts of drought, rural women and sport, violence against women in rural areas, rural youth and employment, and women in agriculture. She is currently working on the impacts of drought on young people’s access to education in rural and remote areas. Alston is also the director for the Foundation for Australian Agricultural Women and has served on the National Women’s Advisory Group overseeing the Rural Women’s Policy Unit in the Department of Primary Industries and Energy, Canberra.

The lecture is sponsored by the University of Regina Women’s Studies Program, Humanities Research Institute, Department of Sociology and Social Studies, Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Work, Social Policy Research Unit, Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit, Graduate School of Public Policy and Canada Research Chair in Social Justice Shadia Drury.

For more information or to book an advance interview with Alston, contact Wendee Kubik at 585-4668.