Sarah Ross coaches communication leaders to reflect upon identities, power, and how we influence systems. Among her long term interests is how knowledge, awareness, and skills for understanding across difference can impact change leaders’ communication habits. Her leadership development courses set the stage for students to engage equity topics together authentically through the stories we hold about ourselves and each other, and, in turn, to reshape the questions we pose in our storytelling. Her courses are premised on the pattern that intrapersonal transformation apropos identity and power enables more effective collaboration as we deconstruct unjust systems, invest in reparative processes, and manifest more equitable systems of power and decision-making.

Before the pandemic era, Sarah worked as a leadership coach, providing executive and workplace training events focused on preparing teams for significant equity change initiatives. Sarah also worked extensively on university and technical institute campuses in Washington and California as a leader of international education and global engagement programs, facilitated social justice practice staff workshops, and served as a change agent for campus diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Oberlin College, Sarah was an Oberlin Shansi Fellow to Indonesia, where she taught at Gadjah Mada University for five semesters. She also holds a Master of Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, a Master of Arts in International Studies from the Jackson School of International Studies, and a Certificate in International Development Policy and Management from the University of Washington.