NEWARK, Feb. 22- Fox 5 television news reporter Cheryl Washington kicks off the Women's History Month celebrations at New Jersey Institute of Technology, 323 Martin Luther King Boulevard, Newark. Career, the workplace, and inspiring woman will number among the discussion topics March 5, 11:30 a.m., Hazell Center Ballroom. Free.

More Women's History Month events, which ends March 28, include the following:

• Come in from the cold and partake of "The Soup of Life," an exhibit of oil paintings by Montclair painter Vivian McDuffie. The exhibit opens March 8, 5-8 p.m. in the Hazell Center Gallery with a reception for McDuffie. The paintings, which depict cosmic and microscopic life, can be viewed through March 28.Free.
  
• To fight or not to fight? Make up your own mind after learning self-defense techniques from Sergeant Carol A. Ellis, of the NJIT Department of Public Safety, in a workshop, March 19, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Hazell Center Lounge. Free.
  
• Wannabe beauty queen Mona Hibbard (Minnie Driver) discovers the secret of beauty in the free film Beautiful to be shown 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 4 p.m. at the Hazell Center Lounge, March 20. Free.
  
• Area health educators explore women's health issues March 21, 2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. in the Hazell Center Lounge. Free.
  
• Outstanding women high school students in science will be recognized at NJIT's Murray Center for Women in Technology annual Women in Technology Leadership awards banquet March 26, 5 p.m., in the Hazell Center Ballroom. The annual event also showcases NJIT research to high school women. By invitation only.
  
• Social scientists and computer scientists join forces at an international conference March 27, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. in Guttenberg Information Technologies Center, 3rd Floor. Dr. Anne Balsamo, Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, Calif., is the keynote speaker. Registration by March 19. Call 973-642-4671. Cost: $10.
  
• Emotional conflicts endured by women are depicted by the NJIT-Rutgers Theater Arts Group in "A Stranger's Song: 2001," a selection of poetry, prose and play excerpts March 28, 2:30 p.m., Hazell Center Lounge. Free.
  

For more information, contact Talina Knox, program coordinator, NJIT Murray Center for Women in Technology (973-642-4671).

NJIT is a public research university enrolling over 8,200 bachelor's, master's and doctoral students in 80 degree programs through its five colleges: Newark College of Engineering, New Jersey School of Architecture, College of Science and Liberal Arts, the School of Management and the Albert Dorman Honors College. Research initiatives include manufacturing, microelectronics, multimedia, transportation, computer science, solar astrophysics, environmental engineering and science, and architecture and building science. According to Yahoo! Internet Life magazine rankings, NJIT has been America's most wired public university for three consecutive years.

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