After spending eight years working as the director of the Women’s Center, Stephanie Erdice is moving into Old Main to serve as interim director of the Office of Social Equity.

As director of the Women’s Center, Erdice helped coordinate events to promote the empowerment of women and all students. The Women’s Center hosts “The Vagina Monologues” show, Condom Bingo, educational workshops and speaking events. Its offices are located in Rooms 132 and 133 in Horton Hall.

Transitioning into the role of interim director of the Office of Social Equity, Erdice will still have the opportunity to work toward equality. The office, located in Old Main Room 200, handles issues of discrimination, which can include gender, sexuality, race, age or ethnicity. Erdice will also serve as the Title IX coordinator.

“It’s a way to use my professional skills in a different way,” Erdice said.

She has replaced former director Cecil Howard, who returned to his home state of Florida last week for a position with the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. In October, Howard told Erdice he was planning to leave and recommended she fill his shoes.

“Literally this position is right in the center of this building [Old Main] and I think that’s really metaphorical in the fact that it works with a lot of people at a lot of different levels,” Erdice said.

While learning how to serve Shippensburg University in her new role, Erdice will be assisting her successor at the Women’s Center. Kelsey Roman, assistant director for student group services and leadership development, will serve as interim director of the Women’s Center.

“I am very excited to transition to the Women’s Center to work with an amazing staff of faculty, professional staff and both undergraduate and graduate students,” Roman said in an email. “They are a group of motivated and inspired women, and I look forward to continuing the programs and advocacy work that Stephanie Erdice grew tremendously through the center, as well as trying some new ideas that I have.”

Although Erdice will work more with faculty and less with students, she looks forward to advocating for students in a new way. Erdice will serve as interim director at least until the end of the spring 2017 semester. The university will conduct a search to fill the spot and may or may not select Erdice as the permanent director of the Office of Social Equity.

“It would be important if I stay in this role for me to figure out how to still stay connected to students and work in this position so that I can still be an accurate voice for them, but I’m not interacting with them the way I used to,” Erdice said.

Excited for what the future holds, both Erdice and Roman are looking forward to the work ahead of them.

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