SLIPPERY ROCK — Cindy LaCom, professor of English and director of the Women's Studies Program at Slippery Rock University, was named a Sunshine Peace Award winner by the Sunshine Peace Foundation.

The honor will be presented Aug. 14 in Wilmington, N.C.

In addition to her work in the SRU Women's Studies Program, which is committed to stopping violence against women and children, LaCom has been a volunteer at the nonprofit shelter for 16 years, including 15 years on its board and most recently president. She has played a major role in the shelter's multimillion dollar capital campaign and in developing new fundraisers, which collect nearly $100,000 annually.

She is involved in new rural outreach and advocacy programs to raise community awareness of child sexual assault.

As SRU's women's studies director, she has organized presentations and workshops on sexual assault, intimate partner violence, bystander advocacy and self-assertiveness trainings.

She also developed an internship program for women's studies minors to work in Ghana with the nonprofit organization Joy2theWorld, which helps women start their own businesses and gain empowerment. The program begins next fall.

"Though we unfortunately live in a culture where violence against women is accepted, my goal is to put the crisis shelter out of business and to continue working on my campus and in my community to make the world a better place for everyone," LaCom said in a news release.

The Sunshine Lady Foundation, founded in 1996 by Doris Buffett, sister of Warren Buffett, has provided more than $100 million for projects, including scholarships, fellowships and funding to assist women, children and families in need.

Every two years, the foundation awards 15 $10,000 Sunshine Peace Awards nationwide.