STA Announces 2025 Women’s Symposium Keynote Speaker

February 13, 2025

STA is eagerly anticipating this year’s Women’s Symposium, which takes place Friday, March 7. This annual all-day event engages students in learning experiences that are both inspiring and engaging. Speakers present throughout the day, sharing their wisdom and insights on a variety of theme-based topics.

This year’s theme is, “One World, Many Voices: Women Shaping a Global Future.” The event features more than 30 presenters. Nine of the speakers are alumnae, including keynote speaker, Kim Warren, Ph.D. (’90). Dr. Warren was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, graduated from St. Teresa’s Academy in 1990, and graduated from Yale University four years later. After some time in the Slovak Republic as an English teacher in the United States Peace Corps and as an AmeriCorps supervisor in the Greater Kansas City area, she pursued master’s and doctorate degrees in history from Stanford University.

While completing her doctorate degree, Dr. Warren served as Director of the Center for Service Learning at Rockhurst University, where she also taught history courses. In 2004, Dr. Warren joined the Department of History faculty at the University of Kansas, where she has worked as a professor of civil, human, and women’s rights, and an administrator for the past 20 years. Currently, Dr. Warren is KU’s Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education with oversight of undergraduate courses, general education, research, first-year seminars, and other curricular efforts that help students complete a college degree.

Dr. Warren is the author and editor of several books and articles, including The Quest for Citizenship: African American and Native American Education in Kansas, 1880-1935.  She is an editor of both Transforming the University of Kansas: A History, 1965-2015 and Unequal Sisters: A Revolutionary Reader, 5^th edition.  She has also published essays on Civil War history and the Underground Railroad through the Kansas City Public Library. Dr. Warren held the Danish Distinguished Chair in American Studies at the University of Southern Denmark in 2017.  She has earned KU’s Graduate Mentor Award, several national research fellowships, and a faculty fellow position with KU’s Center for Teaching Excellence.

Dr. Warren is the proud parent of two teens, is the sister of an STA alumna, and aunt of several graduates and a current STA freshman.  Believing in the importance of education, the Warren family has endowed an STA scholarship in memory of their mom and longtime teacher, Carol A. Warren.