Sarah Robey and Julie Sorensen named 2020 Women of Influence
For the second year, the East Idaho Women of Influence Awards recognized local women for their contributions and leadership in eastern Idaho. Two Idaho State University faculty members were honored at the 2020 virtual event: Sarah Robey of the Department of History and Julie Sorensen of the Department of Music and the Idaho State-Civic Symphony.
The awards are hosted by the East Idaho Business Journal and Adams Publishing Group, with support from Idaho National Laboratory and other community sponsors. This year’s event featured a video highlighting each honoree.
Twelve honorees were selected from a pool of 84 nominees, all nominated by coworkers, supervisors, employers, family and friends, then selected by a committee of women, including last year’s winners.
Sorensen was the honoree in the Arts category, presented by Misty Benjamin of Idaho National Laboratory.
“[Sorensen] has impacted Pocatello and the surrounding communities unlike any other conductor,” Benjamin said. “She reaches down into the fabric of our community and sews it together like a vibrant quilt. She represents exactly the kind of woman that chooses to live in and give back to southeast Idaho.”
Sorensen is the artistic director and conductor of the Idaho State-Civic Symphony, as well as a flute professor in the Department of Music. She serves as the secretary of the International Conductors Guild and is one of only a handful of female conductors in the United States.
Robey was the honoree in the Education category, presented by Katie Burke of IE Productions. The category was a competitive one, with 12 nominees considered for the recognition.
“[Robey’s] outreach actually extends beyond the doors of ISU,” Burke said. “She is similarly thought to connect the southeastern Idaho community to the university in very tangible ways.”
Robey is a historian of nuclear science and technology and the modern United States. She is an assistant professor in the Department of History and works primarily at ISU – Idaho Falls. Her book, “Atomic Americans: Citizens in a Nuclear State” is set to be released in 2022 by Cornell University Press.
At the Women of Influence Awards ceremony, Robey was recognized for creating and implementing a new advising system for ISU students and for supporting ISU’s Early College Program, which allows students to earn college credits in high school and prepare for higher education.