Federal Agency Leader Named 2011 Woman One Honoree

November 23, 2010

Sara Manzano-Díaz, director of the Women’s Bureau at the U.S. Department of Labor, will receive the Woman One award from Drexel University College of Medicine’s Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership® for her public service advocacy work for working class families, women, and girls. Manzano-Díaz was nominated as director by President Obama in 2009 and was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate in early 2010.

Manzano-Díaz is no stranger to Pennsylvania. Previously, she was appointed by Gov. Edward G. Rendell as Deputy Secretary of State for Regulatory Programs at the Pennsylvania Department of State. In this position, she was the highest-ranking Latina in Pennsylvania state government. She was also a member of Rendell’s STEM Initiative Team that supports the development of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education, and workforce development programs. Another education program she participated in was Madrinas, which provides mentors for at-risk Latina girls to encourage them to finish high school and attend college.

The Woman One program honors annually a woman of outstanding leadership and raises funds for medical scholarships for talented under-represented minority women at Drexel University College of Medicine. Two women, Nejat Merdato and Chinwe Ibeh, were named as scholarship recipients this year. These young women join the ranks of nine current Woman One Scholars and six Woman One Scholars Emeritae. The 2011 recipients will each receive $80,000 scholarships over four years for their medical education.

Past Woman One award recipients have included Estelle Richman (’03); Leslie Anne Miller (’04); Dawn Staley (’05); Suzanne Roberts (’06); Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, (’07); Stephanie Naidoff (’08); Jane Pepper (’09); and Eliana Papadakis (’10).

The 2011 Woman One Ceremony will take place April 25, at the Rittenhouse Hotel, Philadelphia. For information about attending the event, contact the Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership at iwhl@drexelmed.edu or 215-991-8190.