The Eastern College Athletic Conference announced that Lauren Anderson of Rhode Island has been selected as the recipient of the Katherine Ley Award.

Established in 1983, the award honors someone of demonstrated leadership ability, a proponent of women’s issues and a role model for women coaches and administrators. Anderson will receive the award September 28 at the ECAC convention.

Anderson, the senior associate director of athletics at Rhode Island since 2003, announced her retirement in April after a 41-year career in athletics, including 31 years at Rhode Island. 

She began her career in athletics as a physical education teacher and coach at North Haven (Connecticut) High School, where she led the girls’ track and field team to four state championships in her 10 years. She also served as the girls’ basketball coach and field hockey coach.

Anderson joined the staff at Rhode Island in 1977 and became the school’s first women’s cross country/track and field coach. Her many coaching honors include the 1997 New England Division I cross country coach of the year, the 1989 New Agenda-Northeast Women’s Hall of Fame inductee and the 1990 New England Division I outdoor track and field coach of the year.

After spending 15 years as a successful coach, Anderson made the transition into administration, succeeding her own mentor, Eleanor Lemaire, as associate director of athletics and senior woman administrator in 1992.

In 2003, Anderson was promoted to senior associate director of athletics. In that role, she was responsible for the coordination and supervision of men’s and women’s cross country/track and field, men’s soccer, rowing, softball, field hockey, and gymnastics, while also overseeing facilities, scheduling, sports medicine and academic advising.