Women’s History and Awareness Month will end with the annual Women’s Studies Awards 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 7th Street Underground of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Women’s studies coordinator Jeannie Ludlow said the awards will include the Women of Artistic Vision at EIU awards, the Outstanding Women’s Studies Student award, the Women’s Studies Empowerment award and awards given out to winners of an essay contest.

The Woman of Achievement award will also be presented.

Ludlow, who has coordinated the ceremony since 2008, said Eastern has had it for 34 years, about as long as Eastern has offered the women’s studies minor.

Jonelle DePetro, chair of the philosophy department and the committee member in charge of the Women of Achievement Award, said this year’s winners are Terry Coulton of Charleston and Dana Gilbertsen, an elementary education major.

Gilbertsen was the president of EIU FEM for two years and coordinated Eastern’s first S.L.U.T. Walk in the fall of 2015.

DePetro said Gilbertsen has shown her support for various minority groups, including African-Americans, the LGBTQ community, people who are disabled and women. Gilbertsen is currently focusing on student teaching, DePetro said.

“(Gilbertsen) has been very active,” DePetro said.

DePetro said Coulton, a long-time music teacher and violinist, co-founded the Summer Strings Camp for children.

Coulton plays violin for the Mattoon-based LeVeck Quartet. She is a volunteer with the St. Vincent dePaul Society for the homeless and a board member with the Hedwig House for women and children.

Coulton also helps raise funds for programs such as The Haiti Connection.

At the ceremony, the women’s studies board will present awards to Living History Performers and filmmakers

DePetro said the board will select one film to be presented at the Central Illinois Feminist Film Festival.

“They get films from all over the world,” she said of the festival, which is hosted by Eastern.

Ludlow said the Outstanding Women’s Studies Student Award is only presented to upperclassmen. A majority of the winners have been seniors nearing graduation, she said

The essay contest was open to all Eastern students and focused on feminism, with winning writers earning cash prizes.

“We will all be there to celebrate Women’s History (and Awareness) Month and the achievements of women,” DePetro said.

Mallory Kutnick can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].