Clark Professor Laurie Ross has been awarded the The Katharine F. Erskine Award by the YWCA. This award recognizes women who have demonstrated leadership and reached exemplary levels of achievement in their professions and communities. Professor Ross is the recipient of the Erskine Award for Education.

Ross, an Assistant Professor of Community Development and Planning in Clark’s International Development, Community and Environment department, has been on faculty at the university since 2000. She is director of the Healthy Options for Prevention and Education (HOPE) Coalition, a youth-adult partnership coalition created to reduce youth violence, substance use and promote adolescent mental health in the City of Worcester. Her research interests include social justice, youth development, and community based participatory research.

Ross will receive the award at the Tribute to Women Luncheon on May 4 at Mechanics Hall. This event honors women for outstanding achievement in their profession, community and commitment to the YWCA’s mission: eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity to all.

The Tribute to Women Luncheon is one of central Massachusetts’ most prestigious salutes to exceptional women leaders. When YWCA Central Massachusetts launched its Tribute to Women Luncheon, honoring women for their career achievements was a bold, pioneering concept. Today the life stories of the honorees continue to captivate the people, mostly women, who attend the luncheon each year.