Photo of UD President Dennis Assanis, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Biden Institute Chair Valerie Biden Owens stand side-by-side smiling and waving

The Biden Institute’s Valerie Biden Owens Woman of Power and Purpose Award recognizes one woman each year whose transformational leadership makes a difference in Delaware and beyond.

Each fall, a ceremony is held to celebrate the chosen honoree, highlighting her accomplishments and inspiring the next generation of women at UD. 

In 2023, this award was named after the inaugural Chair of the Biden Institute, Valerie Biden Owens, and was awarded to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi.

Previous Award Recipients: 

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Emerita (2023)

Desa Burton, Executive Director of ZipCode Wilmington (2022)

Opal Lee, Grandmother of Juneteenth (2021)

Tamika Montgomery Reeves, former Delaware Supreme Court Justice (2020)

Sally Yates, former Deputy Attorney General (2019)

Ashley Biden, former Director of the Delaware Center for Justice (2018)