Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning honors Ruth Yabes
At its recent annual conference, the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) granted Associate Professor Ruth Yabes its Marcia M. Feld Leadership Award. This annual award recognizes a Faculty Women's Interest Group (FWIG) colleague for outstanding leadership and contributions within the ACSP organization.
In granting this award, Johanna Looye, Associate Professor of Planning at the University of Cincinnati, cited Dr. Yabes' extensive contributions to the Global Planning Educators Interest Group (GPEIG), beginning with her role as a founding co-chair in 1998, and continuing through its eleven years of existence. As described in a nomination letter:
... Ruth has played critical roles in moving global planning issues and concerns from the edges of workshops and committee meetings to the forefront of ACSP...Dr. Yabes' greatest strength has been her skillful networking across various ASCP committees, interest groups, schools and individuals to create the opportunity for ACSP members to build institutional capacity around global planning concerns...
Another nomination letter emphasizes Dr. Yabes' leadership style:
What is most remarkable about Ruth is her combination of organizational skills, sincere dedication, fierce but unassuming intelligence (a very bright scholar who has no ego problems), and her ability to network across issues.
Dr. Looye adds, "Ruth's field of scholarship is citizen participation, and she walks that walk every day, every way. Ruth is a consummate networker, mentor, listener, extra hand, sympathetic ear, and the list goes on."