Pioneers such as Susan B. Anthony might have paved the way for women's rights, but some women say total equality between men and women still hasn't been achieved.

"As much progress as women have made, there's still a lot of work to be done," said Pat Lowrie, director of the Women's Resource Center.

But there are efforts both nationally and at MSU and in the Lansing area to level the socioeconomic disparities between the sexes.

Terry Barclay, president and CEO of the Detroit Women's Economic Club, said appointing Lou Anna K. Simon as MSU's president was a good first step for the advancement of other women into higher-ranking positions. Especially for a state in which women make up 46 percent of the workforce, but only 2 percent of the top positions in corporations.

"It's important for people to see people who look like them in top leadership roles," Barclay said. "The mere fact conveys a sense of possibility which has not been previously felt."

Women's History Month is reserved for March and is a time to reflect on women who have made significant contributions throughout history - but it also can be a time to acknowledge women who are currently working to better their local communities.

These are just four of the many women who are making history in Michigan through university athletics, outreach, health and education programs.

Former prof uses experiences to support youth

After retiring as an MSU professor in developmental psychology in 1981, Louise Sause knew she needed to do more for childrens' issues. She currently uses her research and knowledge from her years as a professor to support youth legislation.

"In the teaching of developmental psychology, I became more and more aware of the responsibility our society should take in promoting the well-being of children," Sause said.

Sause now uses her position on a number of different boards such as Kid's Town, the Michigan Council of Crime and Youth, Head Start and Michigan's Children, among others, to advocate for childrens' issues including education and crime.

"We continue to see these problems that children are facing and need to be active in continuing to support these causes," Sause said.

Not only has Sause worked for childrens' issues in Michigan, but she has traveled around the world. Before she retired, she spent time in Peru with a Columbia University team and Central America for MSU working with children worldwide.

Sause said a priority is to create programs that allow children to have academic and artistic achievements.

"I was enthusiastic about these efforts because I saw them as ways to help children realize their potential," Sause said.

Former athlete helped women get varsity letters

Sally Belloli, assistant director of intramural sports at MSU, attended the university at a time when only men were considered true college athletes and membership at the Varsity Alumni Club was off limits to women.

Belloli played field hockey for MSU in the 1960s, but didn't get her varsity letter until three years ago.

The university granted varsity status to those sports and began awarding letters to women in 1980. In 2002, MSU honored women who played sports before then.

Belloli recalls playing without much recognition on campus and with no scholarship help.

"At that time, that's the way it was. We didn't have a lot of questions; we accepted it," Belloli said.

But during the '70s, feminism swept the nation, and Title IX, a federal law that requires gender equality in scholastic athletic programs, passed in 1972.

Belloli helped to start an all-inclusive Varsity Alumni "S" Club in 1982 and for more than two years Associate Athletic Director and Senior Women's Administrator Shelley Appelbaum worked with Belloli on an initiative to award letters to women who played sports at MSU before the passage of Title IX.

"Michigan State had the opportunity to do the right thing," Appelbaum said. "It was kind of a way of all coming together full circle to earn recognition for herself, but more importantly for others to do the same."

In 2002, more than 200 women showed up at a ceremony at MSU to claim their letters.

"It was amazing how many women it really mattered to. They were so excited and so thrilled to be recognized for their contributions," Belloli said.

"It took us 20 years to get there, but we made it."

MSU official advocates diverse learning settings

Sonya Gunnings said she has seen firsthand the divisions created between different races on campuses.

"I saw the reality when you have a context of diverse leaning," Gunnings said. "You have a feeling of alienation and disconnection."

This drives her to help students in the College of Education, she said.

As the director for the Broad Partnership, Gunnings works to break down barriers for minority students. The Broad Partnership, which exists between the College of Education and Detroit Public Schools, tries to adjust students to learning and working in a more diverse setting.

Gunnings works as an assistant dean for Student Support Services and Recruitment and is an assistant professor of counseling psychology. She also serves on a number of boards and organizations for minorities such as the Michigan Young Educators Society, the Greater Lansing Area Affiliates of National Alliance of Black School Educators and the H.O.P.E. Scholarship board.

"I am driven by ensuring equity in higher education," Gunnings said.

Education senior Carnella Hughey said Gunnings has helped her find scholarships and leadership opportunities while at MSU.

"She just wants to help people whether they are of color or students in general," she said.

Nursing prof works to increase student diversity

Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing Renee Canady said she enjoys researching ways to make education and health improvements for the community.

As a public health worker in the mid-1980s, Canady was the first AIDS educator for state prisons and many Lansing communities.

"I was trying to help our community understand what was going on," Canady said. "There was a lot of concern and fear in the community, and in a lot of the presentations I did, I dispelled myths and rumors and built compassion for a population that was dealing with this disease that most of the community was fearful of."

She served as the director of student affairs in the College of Nursing for almost 10 years and helped develop an elective nursing course focused on diversity and multicultural issues in health care settings involving patient-provider relationships.

Canady has worked to increase the diversity of the student population through the creation of the Scholarship of Diversity Research Group, a multidisciplinary research team that is a support and growth vehicle for work of its members.

Regina Traylor, the interim director for the Office of Student Affairs for the College of Nursing worked alongside Canady and was impressed with her tutoring and summer enrichment programs for underprivileged students.

"She's a self-motivator who's able to motivate other people into action," Traylor said. "Whatever her desire or passions are, she gets other people to get on board for the ride."