The Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling will begin the 47th chapter in its long-running series for adult learners known as “The People’s University.” Every Thursday at 7 PM in the month of October, the series will explore many of the women in various fields throughout history who have been largely forgotten and deserve to have their accomplishments remembered and celebrated.
The new series begins on October 1 as Dr. Rachel Perrier, assistant professor of mathematics at Franciscan University of Steubenville, recalls women who have left a significant mark on the study of mathematics, such as Maria Gaetana Agnesi, who strove to make calculus understandable, and Euphemia Lofton Haynes, the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics in the United States. Perrier received her Ph.D. in mathematics from Washington State University in May 2023. Her research interests include exploring periodicity results of multidimensional continued fractions and combinatorial topics, such as Riordan arrays. When it comes to teaching, she enjoys helping students see the fun in mathematics and creates an active learning environment in the classroom.
On October 8, Ohio native and Georgetown University professor Dr. Wendy Zajack, will discuss forgotten women leaders. Zajack believes the systems we use to define leadership, are outdated and based on old assumptions, and that the qualities of a good leader are situational and may change based on what is needed. She will explore some examples of women who have used empathy, collaboration, and consensus building to drive change and how we can apply these lessons to identify and support the “forgotten” leaders in our own lives and communities. Dr. Zajack spent more than 20-years in marketing and communications in large, messy global corporations like Reuters, Alcatel-Lucent, and Nokia. For the last decade, she has taught students ranging in age from Gen Alphas to Baby Boomers at. Zajack is a keen observer of human behavior and can connect dots in unusual and surprising ways to make sense of the world. In the Fall of 2026, she was an Austrian Fulbright Scholar. She is often interviewed on a wide range of topics and has been recently featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Ad Age.
The on October 15, attendees will enjoy a visit from trailblazing NASA mathematician and West Virginia native, Katherine Johoson, as portrayed by actor, writer, director, stand–up comic and history interpreter Sherrie Tolliver. Born in the segregated south of 1918, Katherine Johnson was not only was she one of the first Black students to integrate West Virginia’s graduate schools, she went on to become a NASA mathematician—sending astronauts into orbit, around the Earth, and to the moon. As a Black woman in STEM, Katherine pushed boundaries, overcame adversity, and continues to inspire generations of young people to reach for the stars. A member of the Group Women In History, Ms. Tolliver has brought the stories of great women such as pioneer Dr.Susan McKinney Steward, activist Rosa Parks pilot Bessie Coleman, Civil War nurse Susie King Taylor, and author Zora Neale Hurston to life for audiences of all ages. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and a certificate from the National Association of Interpretation for Historical Interpretation.
Johnson’s visit will be followed on October 22 by instructor Dr. Pamela B. June, professor of English at Ohio University, who will help attendees rediscover the women writers nearly lost to history. June’s lecture will explore the lives and works of several extraordinary women whose writing helped shape American and English literature before nearly vanishing from the literary canon. From the industrial realism of Rebecca Harding Davis to the rich storytelling of Zora Neale Hurston, she will trace the fascinating journeys of these and other female authors whose voices were lost and then found. June’s talk also ponders a larger question: Who decides which stories survive?
For the final class on October 29, Becks Lipshultz, a queer scholar and musician, will explore influential women throughout the history of formative American genres such as Country, bluegrass, and old-time musi. Lipshultz asserts that, while these genres often relied on the labor and voices of women, their male counterparts are often the reason they are remembered—if remembered at all. Examples include Sally Ann Forrester and Wilma Burgess. Focusing their work on community engagement and placemaking through music, flood relief, and agriculture, Lipshutz’s scholarship focuses on queer Appalachian music and the importance of music traditions, both in Appalachian communities and in the queer community.
In keeping with the mission of public libraries as sanctuaries of free learning for all people, the Ohio County Public Library created “The People’s University,” a free program for adults who wish to continue their education in the liberal arts. The People’s University features courses—taught by experts in each subject—that enable patrons to pursue their goal of lifelong learning in classic subjects such as history, philosophy, & literature.
For additional information about People’s University, Forgotten Women, please visit the libray’s website at www.ohiocountylibrary.org, or contact the library at 304-232-0244.
