It’s always hard to say goodbye to a beloved member of the Loyola family. Karen Reichard, director of the Women’s Recourse Center, is ending her Loyola career. Starting on May 17, Reichard will leave to begin work at Tulane University as a director of student leadership programs.

Reichard has been the director of the Women’s Resource Center since 2008. She has also served on the board of directors at the Metropolitan Center of Women and Children and as the Louisiana State chair for CARE.

Reichard said she isn’t going far, just across the street. Along with directing student leadership programs at Tulane, Reichard will be teaching in the gender and sexuality studies program and social entrepreneurship program. Reichard feels that her time at Loyola has helped her develop a logical model of what leadership is.

Reichard expressed her love for the Loyola community and her students here. She appreciates that Loyola is guided by such wonderful values from the Jesuit ideals. Reichard said that the students are the driving force behind everything she does.

Jacqueline Joseph, political science junior, has worked with Reichard since August 2012 as the programming intern at the Women’s Resource Center.

“Dr. Reichard is a source of empowerment and support whenever you need it. She will always tell it to you as directly as possible and see situations as positively as possible,” Joseph said.

Rae Taylor, assistant professor of criminal justice, was one of Reichard’s colleagues. Taylor has worked with Reichard for four years.

“I can tell you that Dr. Reichard is passionate about women’s issues. She is dedicated to understanding and responding to women’s issues and has been instrumental in providing awareness, education and a safe place for Loyola women,” Taylor said.

As director of the Women’s Resource Center, Reichard had one main goal in mind.

“The overarching goal for the Women’s Resource Center when I came was to create a Women’s Resource Center for everyone on campus,” Reichard said.

In short, Reichard wanted to build relationships, which she did.  The Women’s Resource Center has developed wonderful relationships with departments such as Academic Affairs and Student Affairs.

Teresa Bednarz, assistant professor and co-chair of the Women’s Studies Program, met Reichard four years ago when she joined the Women’s Studies Committee.

“I am extremely grateful to Dr. Reichard for her incredible gift of developing networks and bringing together agents of change on the Loyola campus, in the broader New Orleans community and on the national level,” Bednarz said.

Over the years, Reichard has helped organize different programs around campus.

“Dr. Reichard has excelled in programming during her time here and has been responsible for events such as Take Back the Night, Love Your Body Week, the Loyola Advocacy Initiative, countless speakers and panels, and has been instrumental in facilitating discussions about important issues between students and faculty,” Taylor said.

Take Back the Night, one of Reichard’s contributions to Loyola, is a popular event on campus. The Women’s Resource Center, along with the University Counseling Center, joins with Tulane University and Dillard University to coordinate the event. The event’s goal is to spread awareness about sexual violence against women, men and children. Speakers come to tell their personal stories of abuse and healing.

Many agree that Reichard is a special woman.

“Dr. Reichard is a phenomenal woman. She goes to all leaps and bounds to ensure that you are an individual and feel safe in the space,” Joseph said.

Taylor believes Reichard is an asset to the Loyola community.

“I can’t begin to count all of the students who have told me over the years that the Women’s Resource Center has given them much respite from a lot of the challenges facing college women,” Taylor said. 

Raquel Derganz-Baker can be reached at [email protected]

Olivia Lueckemeyer can be reached at [email protected]