Part of what makes Central MA so unique is its abundance of colleges and universities. And at each institution, there are professors, instructors, and coaches who go above and beyond simply dispensing academic fact inside the classroom; this special breed of educator becomes mentor, role model, and inspiration. It is these individuals whom we will be honoring in Focus on Faculty.  If you know a professor who should be featured in this section, please contact the Editor at ldean@pagioinc.com.

Students at Worcester’s Clark University are working to change the world. They are volunteering with youth groups and serving as mentors, taking active roles in the development of neighborhoods near and far and looking to improve the quality of life for all people. But Clark’s future leaders have a secret weapon ~ Laurie Ross, Assistant Professor of Community Development and Planning.

Ross joined the Clark community in 2000 with more than just a few accomplishments to her name. She had received her Bachelors degree in Geography and International Development from Clark in ‘91 and her Masters degree in the Program for International and Social Change in ’95. Ross then earned her doctoral degree in Public Policy from UMass – Boston. Ross had enough credentials and field experience for two professors, but teaching was not her original plan.

“It was really my community work that led me to teaching,” said Ross. “I’d done consulting work with some of Worcester’s public and non-profit organizations and Clark University asked me to develop a course that focused on this community development work. There would be more concentration on community on the local level. The new program was developed within the International Development Community and Environment Program.”

With hard work, that one course eventually turned into an entire Masters program called Community Development and Planning. Today, Ross spends her days enriching the minds of both graduate and undergraduate students as they learn about the history of community development, public policy and how to better the environment.

When she’s not keeping office hours or helping interested students find volunteer positions, Ross is the coordinator of Healthy Options for Prevention and Education Coalition, or HOPE, housed at UMass Memorial Community Relations Department. This youth-adult partnership coalition was created to lower violence and substance abuse among Worcester’s adolescents.

“HOPE began with the creation of a peer leadership program. The first task of this diverse group of teens was to go out and survey their friends about what issues they thought needed to be addressed,” Ross said. “Pregnancy and violence were brought up. But so was stress and depression. So we designed a mental health program that we started at the Worcester Youth Center and has expanded to the Boys and Girls Club. The United Way of Central MA. and the Greater Worcester Community Foundation provide financial support for the program.”

“The counselors who work in the HOPE mental health program are great,” said Ross. “They hang out with the kids and build relationships. Then, the teens feel comfortable to go to them when they need help. That way, seeking help is not as medical or clinical.”

Ross shares her small amount of downtime with her husband Jeffrey and 2-year-old daughter, Zoe. The family enjoys attending Worcester fairs and festivals. And she may be young, but little Zoe is already learning the ropes of community service from Mom.

The world can only hope: Like mother, like daughter.