They describe the eight women who will receive the 2006 Indiana Women of Achievement Awards presented by the Task Force on the Status of Women from Ball State University's College of Sciences and Humanities.

Recipients will be honored during ceremonies beginning at 6 p.m. Oct. 18 in the Alumni Center, 2800 W. Bethel Ave.

It's the eighth year the college has sponsored the awards, which recognize outstanding contributions by Hoosier women. This year, two Ball State students are among the winners.

This year's award winners are:

• Anne Eliades, a physician and founder of Pavilion Pediatrics, will be honored for distinction in pediatric medicine because she has dedicated her life to promoting the well-being of children. She is a strong advocate for the poor and uninsured. In addition to her private practice that she opened in 1980, Eliades also is director of pediatric education at Ball Memorial Hospital and clinical assistant professor of pediatrics for the Indiana University School of Medicine.
• Danielle Frazier, a Ball State senior majoring in elementary education, will be honored for distinction in academics and leadership. Frazier is a student member of the Ball State Board of Trustees and active in the Excellence in Leadership Program, where she mentors first- and second-year Ball State students. With a grade point average of 3.96, she is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Society for Collegiate Scholars and Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society.
• Edna May, a 37-year veteran in education, will be honored for distinction in urban education. May has worked with the Indianapolis Public Schools for 32 years, including 11 years as principal at T.C. Steele Elementary School. It was at T.C. Steele that she collaborated with Ball State to establish the Urban Semester program at the elementary school level. Her leadership was critical to the success of the award-winning program.
• Patricia Miller, co-founder of the Vera Bradley Company, will be honored for distinction in entrepreneurship and philanthropy. The company's successful growth allowed for the creation of the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer to improve women's health. The foundation gave $10 million to the Indiana University Cancer Center, and the gift included establishing the Vera Bradley Chair of Oncology. Miller also served in Gov. Mitch Daniels' administration, where she was the first commerce secretary.
• Amanda Reese, a Ball State senior in the Honors College, will be honored for distinction in academics and leadership. Reese, who is majoring in premedical preparation and biology, was awarded a highly competitive Barry M. Goldwater scholarship because of her academic and research excellence. She has been a strong leader, assisting students in the laboratory and participating in organizations such as Student Honors Council and the Ball State Chapter of the Timmy Foundation.
• V. Sue Shields, a Ball State alumna and Indiana's first female U.S. magistrate, will be honored for distinction in law and government service. Shields also was the first woman to become a general jurisdictional state trial court judge and the first to sit on the Indiana Court of Appeals.
• Connie Weaver, an expert in dietary supplements and bone health, will be honored for distinction in nutritional research and leadership. She is a distinguished professor and head of Purdue University's Department of Food and Nutrition. Currently, Weaver is a member of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Last February, she was selected by Ball State's Department of Physiology and Health Science to receive the 2006 McGovern Award Lectureship.
• Marjorie Zeigler, a Muncie community leader, will be awarded for distinction in community enhancement. Ziegler was a co-founder of the Community Enhancement Projects Inc. (CEP), where she helped oversee the planting of more than 2,800 trees in Muncie's Urban Forestry Program. She was a driving force behind CEP's White River Corridor Greenway. She has served on the boards for Delaware Greenways Inc., the Muncie Symphony Orchestra, Westminster Village and Indiana Nature Conservancy.
  

Those interested in attending the awards dinner should contact the College of Sciences and Humanities office at (765) 285-1042 by Oct. 9 to reserve seats.