Leslie Ain McClure to be Honored for Work in Social Justice by Association for Women in Mathematics

Leslie Ain McClure to be Honored for Work in Social Justice by Association for Women in Mathematics

Leslie Ain McClure, Ph.D., will receive the 2027 Mary and Alfie Gray Award for Social Justice from the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Chicago, in January 2027.

McClure, dean of the College for Public Health and Social Justice and a professor of biostatistics, is being awarded for her commitment to justice through leadership and mentorship, as well as her ability to apply mathematical sciences to advance the cause of social justice.

"I am deeply honored to receive the 2027 Mary and Alfie Gray Award for Social Justice from the Association for Women in Mathematics," said McClure. "I am humbled to be associated with Mary and Alfred Gray, and I will strive to continue honoring their commitment to human rights, equity, and justice through my research, teaching, mentoring, and leadership."

Established in 2022, the Mary and Alfie Gray Award for Social Justice recognizes the vigorous and imaginative application of the mathematical sciences to advancing the cause of social justice, promoting a just society by challenging injustice and valuing diversity.

"I am grateful to the Association for Women in Mathematics for recognizing the vital role that mathematical scientists can play in advancing social justice, and for honoring me with this award," McClure said.

For more than 25 years, McClure has used rigorous biostatistical theory and spatial statistical methods to show how race, place, socioeconomic position, and policy shape unequal health outcomes across the life course. McClure has served on the Executive Council of the Math Alliance for over nine years, and mentored scholars that have been traditionally underrepresented in mathematical sciences.