ST. GEORGE – Dixie State College Vice President of Institutional Advancement Christina Schultz has been selected as the “Distinguished Woman of the Year” by the St. George branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW).
“This is a great honor,” said Schultz. “I enjoyed the opportunity to work with AAUW to realize their dream of implementing the first eSMART math and science camp for seventh grade girls in Washington and Kane Counties. It has been very rewarding to serve as a link between the College and AAUW and inspire young women to ‘dream big.’”
After graduating from the University of Southern California, Ms. Schultz worked in the film industry before realizing that her true passion was in higher education helping others, especially young people achieve their dreams. In November 2005, she was hired as Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Dixie State College. She oversees a division which includes fundraising, Alumni relations, the school’s public relations, marketing and publications department, and the school’s cultural arts program. In addition, Schultz spearheads creative economic development projects and initiatives which facilitate educational and cultural opportunities in the community and promote the uniqueness and assets of our region to the world.
Schultz utilized her film industry background when she launched DOCUTAH – Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival in collaboration with DSC Assistant Professor of Communication Phil Tuckett. The inaugural DOCUTAH took place in St. George and Kanab in September 2010. This festival enhanced the local economy and brought international attention to the College by attracting filmmakers and audience members to southern Utah. DOCUTAH 2011 is scheduled for September 8th – 17th.
She has also initiated international outreach efforts specifically to Japan and China to develop opportunities for Dixie State College students to study abroad, and for foreign students to study in southern Utah. VIP guests included Vice President of the China Aizi Movie and Television Education Council, and Deputy Secretary General of the China Children Film Association.
Continuing her job of advancing DSC towards becoming a regional university, Ms. Schultz is currently developing the Southwest Regional Computer Crime Institute (SWRCCI) on campus with a recently awarded $1 million dollar grant. She worked closely with Governor Gary Herbert, Senators Hatch and Bennett, Utah State Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, the FBI, DPS, and local law enforcement agencies. SWRCCI will be the only institute of its kind in the southwest region of the United States. With its state-of-the-art facilities, SWRCCI will provide digital forensics training to law enforcement and a unique high tech education opportunity to Dixie State College students enabling them to compete for jobs with students from the best universities in the country.
The AAUW Distinguished Woman of the Year Award will be presented on May 6th in Salt Lake City. Local recognition will be given at the St. George chapter AAUW meeting on May 2nd.