McMurry University will host alumna, CEO, and activist Shannon Sedgwick Davis ’96 for the annual Women’s Leadership Luncheon on March 27, 2025, at 11:45 a.m. in the Garrison United Methodist Campus Center Mabee Room. Proceeds from this event benefit the Dr. Sandra S. Harper Women’s Leadership Scholarship at McMurry.
“We are thrilled to welcome back one of our most accomplished alumni to speak to our students and community,” University President Dr. Lynne Murray said. “The Women’s Leadership Luncheon has become an honored tradition at McMurry that not only celebrates current women leaders but encourages the next generation as well.”
The Dr. Sandra S. Harper Women’s Leadership Scholarship is given at the luncheon to a traditional and non-traditional student who are excellent models of leadership on campus and in the community. This year, the traditional student chosen is Carmen Velasquez, a junior from El Paso, Texas, majoring in Business with a concentration in Finance. The non-traditional student is Maribel Hernandez, a first-generation college student from Sweetwater, Texas, pursuing a degree in Business Administration online.
The luncheon’s featured speaker, Shannon Sedgwick Davis, is the CEO of Bridgeway Foundation and the author of “To Stop a Warlord.” The Bridgeway Foundation is a philanthropic organization dedicated to ending and preventing mass atrocities around the world. Established in 2000 as the charitable giving arm of Bridgeway Capital Management, the organization serves as a catalyst for peace and reconciliation in international communities suffering from oppression, genocide, and other human rights violations. An attorney, activist, and passionate advocate for social justice, Davis has guided the Bridgeway Foundation in pioneering solutions to seemingly intractable issues around the world. The organization has supported the work of groups like Aegis Trust, Resolve Uganda, Human Rights Watch, Invisible Children, and dozens of community-based organizations.
Davis is an honors graduate of McMurry University and Baylor Law School, from which she received the institution’s Young Lawyer of the Year Award in 2011. Her other recognitions include the Nomi Network’s 2014 Abolitionist Award; a Global Human Rights Hero award from Saving Innocence; the Navy SEAL “Fire in the Gut” Award; and the 2022 International Citizen of the Year Award from the World Affairs Council of San Antonio. Ms. Sedgwick Davis serves on the advisory council of The Elders and is a board member of several organizations including Humanity United, charity: water, Verdant Frontiers, and, formerly, TOMS. McMurry granted her the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2024.
Prior to the luncheon, students will have the opportunity to meet with Davis and ask questions at the Women’s Leadership Student Forum. McMurry extends its gratitude to the Women’s Leadership Luncheon Committee and the sponsors who make this event possible.
Contact
Nicholas Ocheltree, Director of Integrated Communications
ocheltree.nick@mcm.edu
325-260-3963