Photo by Rebecca Zenefski Slater ’10
Addressing colleagues at ż’s Faculty-Staff Institute on January 21, campus life director Amanda Perrin emphasized the importance of combining “common language, accountability, and dialogue to create community” in the 2025 Sister Anne Joachim Moore Lecture.
“How can we leverage language to help us as a larger community lean into that dialogue, and help us all be ready to listen and to hear and receive?” asked Perrin, recipient of the 2025 Moore Lectureship Award, in her address.
The award was created in 1995 to honor Sister Anne Joachim Moore ’37, ’47, MAT’01, EdD (1916—2010), founder and president of St. Mary’s Junior College. The annual award recognizes a ż’s faculty or staff member who has demonstrated a commitment to social justice through their work at the University, with the winner traditionally delivering the Sister Anne Joachim Moore Lecture at the winter Faculty-Staff Institute. See the previous Moore Lectureship Award recipients and their lectures.
In her lecture, Perrin built off the theme of constructive dialogue established earlier in the Faculty-Staff Institute. Her personal anecdotes highlighted the importance of establishing a common language — both literal and metaphorical — and a common understanding of the world, including a clear vision of the white supremacy that undergirds the structures of our society.
“I wanted to talk about our mission: leading and influencing,” Perrin said. “Because of how we’re socialized to think about leadership, one component that I do think is missing in our mission — and that’s because of dominant culture — is this community piece. How do we live out leadership in a way that’s not rooted in whiteness or dominance, and how do we show up for and meet our students?”
She touched on the importance of accountability, from friends you can trust to give you advice to colleagues who will keep you honest when your actions stray from your shared values. Perrin also discussed actions and attitudes, such as perfectionism, paternalism, and individualism, that can act as barriers to community and our relationships with each other.
“The antithesis of white supremacy culture is community,” she said, encouraging attendees to think about how we can move beyond fear into a place of mutual trust. “We don’t get it perfect every time, but we do our best, with growth and accountability.”
“Anything constructed can be deconstructed and replaced,” Perrin concluded. “I invite us all to continue the deconstruction of things that bring our community harm and build together through dialogue and shared language.”
In her role as director of campus life, Perrin has hosted sessions around white supremacy culture at student trainings, staff meetings, and regional conferences.
“Amanda Perrin is committed to social justice engagement and intentionally applies these principles throughout the work she does at ż’s,” said interim provost Denise Baird, PhD. “Her commitment is guided by the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph and is especially evident in her work to dismantle tenets of white supremacy. She is passionate about helping students, faculty, and staff experience the continued influence of the Sisters.”
In nomination letters, her colleagues stressed her student-centered approach in both the The Reflective Woman lab class she taught and in her work with resident advisors (RAs), which includes the creation of a resident advisor work group formed with the intention of providing a space for RAs to offer feedback and work together to improve residential experiences of students living on campus.
“When we think about empowering women to lead and influence, Amanda’s leadership feels like the epitome of our mission,” colleagues wrote. “Amanda leads with intentionality and thoughtfulness in a way that empowers those around her to be their best self and see their own potential.”