Speaker of the Vermont House Shap Smith has appointed Cathy Frey of Barre to serve on the Vermont Commission on Women. Commissioner Frey is Professor of Mathematics at Norwich University and serves as Vice Chair of the Faculty Senate. She joined the Norwich faculty in 1985, and in 1991 became the very first woman promoted to Associate Professor in Mathematics, and the first woman ever tenured in the University's Mathematics Department. In 2001, she became the first woman promoted to the rank of Professor of Mathematics at Norwich. She served as the first and only female Chair of the Mathematics department from 2002-2006 and as the first and only female Dean of Mathematics and Sciences from 2006-2013.
Cathy Frey
With research interests in the areas of mathematics pedagogy (methods of teaching) and actuarial science (applying mathematical and statistical methods to assess risk), she particularly enjoys creating videos and instructional modules for the web. Under her leadership, Norwich began offering a major in Actuarial Concentration in Mathematics in 2014.
Commissioner Frey was the recipient of the Vermont Women in Higher Education Jackie Gribbon’s Award for leadership in 2008. She returns to the Vermont Commission on Women, having served two terms previously from 2006-2014.
"Cathy is an experienced and effective advocate for women's issues and I am thrilled that she has agreed to return to the commission," said Speaker Smith.
Cary Brown, VCW’s Executive Director, responding to the appointment stated, “We warmly welcome Cathy back to the commission. She’s a great example of a trailblazer: a woman who has not only succeeded brilliantly in a traditionally male-dominated occupation, but has risen to leadership positions within that profession. Cathy is a strong proponent of fairness and equity in education. We know she will contribute this experience and passion to our deliberative discussions.”
The Vermont Commission on Women (VCW) is a non-partisan state agency advancing rights and opportunities for women and girls. Sixteen volunteer commissioners and representatives from organizations concerned with women’s issues guide VCW’s public education, coalition building, and advocacy efforts. VCW offers many services to the public, including a toll-free information and referral service at 800-881-1561 and many publications, including the handbook The Legal Rights of Women in Vermont. For more information, please visit www.women.vermont.gov.