Our community was devastated to receive the news of Kelly Ward’s passing on July 8. On July 10, we paid tribute to Kelly at our annual summer networking picnic, held at the home of emeritus professor and AFW past president Nancy Magnuson.

We were joined by several invited guests, including Savannah Rogers, President of the Associated Students of WSU; Amir Gilmore, President of the Graduate & Professional Student Association; WSU Provost Dan Bernardo; and Kelly Ward’s husband Gene Solomon with their daughter Lucy Ward.

At the event, we announced a joint effort between the Association for Faculty Women and the Commission on the Status of Women to develop major initiatives to honor Kelly Ward’s vision and legacy in cooperation with the WSU Office of the Provost and the family of Kelly Ward. Donations may be made to the Kelly Ward Legacy Fund.

The Association for Faculty Women will be working with the Commission on the Status of Women and the Provost’s Office to develop major initiatives to honor and preserve Kelly’s vision and legacy. The Kelly Ward Legacy Fund has been created to accept donations to fund this initiative. Please see below for more information about Kelly’s Memorial and the Legacy Fund, as shared by her husband Gene Solomon:

Dr. Kelly Ward, Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Recognition at Washington State University (WSU), passed away on July 8, 2018.

A celebration of Kelly’s life and legacy will be held on Saturday, August 4, 2018 at 2:00 PM in the M.G. Carey Senior Ballroom in the Compton Union Building (CUB) on the WSU campus in Pullman, Washington. A reception will follow at the Lewis Alumni Centre, also located on the WSU campus. Program details for both events will be finalized and released in the near future.

The Funeral Mass for Kelly will be celebrated at 7 PM on Friday, August 3rd at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pullman.

Gifts in memory of Kelly can be sent to the “Kelly Ward Legacy Fund” at the WSU Foundation (https://go.wsu.edu/kelly-ward-legacy-fund). The Kelly Ward Legacy Fund has been established for the advancement of women faculty at Washington State University. The Office of the Provost will work with the Association for Faculty Women and the Commission on the Status of Women to ensure that Dr. Ward’s legacy continues in perpetuity.

For those traveling to Pullman, hotel blocks have been reserved at the following locations:

Courtyard by Marriott
1295 NE North Fairway Road
Pullman, WA 99163
(509) 332-1500

Booking Instructions: Guests can secure a reservation within the block by calling the hotel directly and mentioning the block name, “Ward Family Memorial”. Reservations can also be completed online via the website (Ward Family Memorial). To secure a reservation within the block, reservations must be completed by July 24, 2018.

Holiday Inn Express
1190 SE Bishop Blvd.
Pullman, WA 99163
(509) 334-4437

Booking Instructions: Guests can secure a reservation within the block by calling the hotel directly and mentioning the block name, “Ward Memorial”. Reservations can also be completed online via the website (Ward Memorial Service) or by entering the group code WMS. To secure a reservation within the block, reservations must be completed by July 23, 2018. All confirmed rooms are subject to the Holiday Inn Express cancellation policy of 24 hours prior (i.e. by 6 PM on the day prior to arrival).

Residence Inn by Marriott
1255 NE North Fairway Road
Pullman, WA 99163
(509) 332-4400

Booking Instructions: Guests can secure a reservation within the block by calling the hotel directly and mentioning the block name, “Ward Family Memorial”. Reservations can also be completed online via the website (Ward Family Memorial). To secure a reservation within the block, reservations must be completed by July 24, 2018.

Nearby airports include:

Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport (PUW)
Spokane International Airport (GEG) (approximately 75 miles from Pullman)
Lewiston–Nez Perce County Airport (LWS) (approximately 45 miles from Pullman)

Warm regards,
Leeann Hunter
President, Association for Faculty Women

Dear Members,

It is with the heaviest of hearts that I share news of the passing of AFW Member and Vice Provost Kelly Ward. She experienced a fatal head injury while out walking with her horse last week.

AFW will pay tribute to Kelly Ward at this upcoming Tuesday’s AFW event.

Kelly has regularly collaborated with AFW leadership since she became Vice Provost. I had the pleasure of going for a long walk with Kelly in May, in which our conversation seamlessly flowed between work and life, from the most pressing professional concerns to the most personal struggles. It was a brilliant testament to her range of investment in the complexity of women’s lives and careers. At the end of our walk, we sat down to business, and she presented me with a flood of ideas for elevating the status of faculty women at WSU through our combined efforts in AFW and the Provost’s Office.

Some of you may recall Kelly’s New Year’s Resolution, which she shared at the AFW Holiday party last December. In four words, she declared that she would smash the glass ceiling. As I witness the tributes to her on social media, I see that she has dedicated her life to recognizing and honoring the gifts she sees in other women. With countless numbers of women lifted and empowered by Kelly’s enthusiastic personal support and tenacious commitment to systemic change, I see, now, that she was already smashing glass ceilings—the ones that blocked the paths of her friends, colleagues, and all the women she represented.

My warmest condolences to all,

Leeann Hunter
President, Association for Faculty Women