Donna Lopiano, ‘68

As one of the nation’s foremost authorities on gender equity in sports, Donna Lopiano has helped shape policy, inspire institutions, and transform the landscape of athletics nationwide.

Credited with doing more for women’s sports in the United States than any other individual, Lopiano’s passion for athletics began early. As a young girl, she was first round draft pick for a local Little League team but was denied the chance to play under the “boys only” rule. Undeterred, she joined the Raybestos Brakettes at the age of 16, a national champion women’s softball team, beginning a softball career that ended with her induction into the USA Softball Hall of Fame.
At Southern Connecticut State University, Lopiano was a varsity athlete in field hockey, basketball and volleyball and built an extraordinary 10-year athletic career in non-school open amateur sports, competing in twenty-six USA national championships across four sports—softball, basketball, volleyball, and field hockey. She excelled most in softball, earning nine All-American honors at four different positions and helping the Brakettes win six national championships and four runner-ups during her tenure.

After graduating SCSU with a bachelor’s degree in physical education, she earned master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Southern California. Lopiano then became an assistant professor and assistant athletic director at Brooklyn College where she also coached basketball, men’s and women’s volleyball, and softball before being named Director of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women at the University of Texas in 1975. During her 17-year tenure, Texas women’s teams won eighteen national championships in six sports and produced 314 All-Americans, while 90 percent of all athletes completing their eligibility earned their degrees.

Known for holding coaches accountable for both competitive success and academic progress, Lopiano also championed financial equity, helping secure equal salaries for many women’s coaches. In 1992, she became the CEO of the Women’s Sports Foundation, working to ensure national compliance with Title IX for all girls and women. After leaving the WSF in 2008, she founded and became president of Sports Management Resources, a consulting firm that helps institutions build strong athletic programs. She has been a Title IX expert witness in over 30 court cases involving the treatment of girls and women in sports. She is the author of dozens of publications, holds five honorary doctorates, and has been recognized as one of the “100 Most Influential People in Sports” by The Sporting News and one of the “10 Most Powerful Women in Sports” by Fox Sports—a testament to her enduring legacy as an educator, administrator, and champion for equality.

Donna de Varona

Donna de Varona is a trailblazing Olympic champion, award-winning broadcaster, and one of the most influential advocates for women’s sports in modern history.

At just 17 years old, de Varona captured two gold medals at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, winning the 400-meter individual medley and serving as a key member of the gold-medal-winning 4×100-meter freestyle relay team. Her extraordinary accomplishments in the pool quickly established her as one of the world’s premier swimmers and earned her induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame and the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Following her competitive career, de Varona broke new ground in sports media. As one of the first women to work as a network television sports broadcaster, she became a prominent voice at ABC Sports, covering major national and international sporting events with authority and insight. Her excellence in journalism earned her multiple Emmy Awards and solidified her reputation as a respected leader in sports broadcasting.

Beyond her achievements as an athlete and journalist, de Varona’s most enduring legacy may be her transformative advocacy for women and girls in sport. In 1974, she co-founded the Women’s Sports Foundation alongside tennis legend Billie Jean King. Through this work, she helped advance the implementation of Title IX, expand athletic opportunities nationwide, and elevate the conversation around equity and inclusion in sports. Her leadership has influenced policy, inspired generations of female athletes, and reshaped the landscape of athletics in the United States and beyond.

Today, Donna de Varona is recognized not only for her Olympic triumphs and groundbreaking media career, but also for her unwavering commitment to equality, excellence, and opportunity in sport. Her life’s work continues to inspire athletes, broadcasters, and advocates dedicated to advancing women’s leadership in athletics.

Dawn Stanton, ‘90, M.S. ‘97

A former four-time All-American track star at the university, Dawn Stanton, ’90, M.S. 97, has dedicated more than 30 years to Southern Connecticut State University.

As a student, Dawn earned four All-America honors as a member of the women’s indoor and outdoor track and field teams at Southern.
A standout in multiple events, she was an NCAA runner-up in the triple jump and set school records in the triple jump, long jump, and the 100- and 200-meter dashes by the end of her collegiate career. She earned All-America recognition in both her junior and senior seasons.

Stanton also captured the college division triple jump title at the prestigious Penn Relays and won multiple championships at the ECAC Championships, where she set an ECAC record for the Owls.

Today, Stanton serves as director of Southern’s Office of University Access Programs (UAP), supporting first-generation and underrepresented students during their academic journey through academic, social, emotional, and mentoring support designed to increase their academic success. “As a former SEOP student, I understand first-hand how education changes lives – generations, even. Seeing students find their confidence, figure out a sense of direction and transform over the course of their college careers is the best part of my work.”

Elana Meyers Taylor

Elana Meyers Taylor is one of the most accomplished athletes in Winter Olympic history and a trailblazing leader in sport. A decorated American bobsledder and six-time Olympic medalist, she has represented the United States in five Olympic Games (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026), becoming one of the most successful bobsledders in U.S. history and in the Winter Olympics. Her most recent success was winning the gold medal at age 41 at the 2026 Cortina Olympics Game.

A former collegiate softball standout, Meyers Taylor made a bold transition to bobsled, ultimately becoming one of the sport’s pioneering pilots. She has earned Olympic medals in both the two-woman and monobob events and is a nine-time World Championship medalist. Her excellence on the ice has been recognized with four USABS Women’s Bobsled Athlete of the Year honors.

Beyond competition, Meyers Taylor is a powerful advocate for inclusion and equity in sport. She has championed visibility and opportunity for women, supported athletes with disabilities, and demonstrated that elite performance and motherhood are not mutually exclusive. Her leadership extends off the track as well, having served as Past President of the Women’s Sports Foundation. In 2022, she was honored with the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Wilma Rudolph Courage Award.

Through resilience, courage, and unwavering determination, Elana Meyers Taylor continues to redefine what leadership looks like — in sport and beyond.

Ticket Prices

• Full Table – $2,350 (ten seats)
• Half Table – $1,200 (five seats)
• Individual – $250

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