RICHARDSON, Texas (Oct. 14, 2003) - The School of Social Sciences at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) this month will host a forum about women in the workplace highlighted by two talks by leading researchers who will offer their expertise and insight on the change, progress and prospects for greater equality for women in today's workforce.

The gathering will be held on Friday, Oct. 24, beginning with registration and a reception at 9:30 a.m. and concluding at approximately 1:30 p.m. The theme of the forum is "Workplace Diversity: Assessing the Current Status of Women."

While at the event, attendees will hear two lectures - one from 10-11 a.m. by Dr. Paula England of Northwestern University titled "How Much Progress Women Have Made" and the other from 11 a.m. to noon led by Dr. Nancy DiTomaso of Rutgers University and titled "Women in the 21st Century Corporation." The talks will be followed by a lunch and discussion from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m.

England is a professor of sociology at Northwestern, where she also is affiliated with the school's Institute for Policy Research. A major theme of her work has been that jobs filled largely by women are underpaid relative to the skill levels required. She conducts research on gender inequality in labor markets and in the family, and she also has explored how having children affects women's pay. England, a former editor of American Sociological Review, is the author of two books and many articles. She was a faculty member at UTD from 1975 to 1990.

DiTomaso is a professor of management and global business at Rutgers' Business School. Her research specialties include the management of diversity and change, the management of knowledge-based organizations and the management of scientists and engineers. She has co-authored and co-edited four books and numerous articles.

The forum is free and open to the public and will take place in the Conference Center Auditorium on the UTD campus. A box lunch will be available for $8. For additional information, please call (972) 883-4932.

About UTD
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor, enrolls about 13,700 students. The school's freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university's web site at www.utdallas.edu.