Alumna Helps Others Find Their Way
As a young student, Ruth Sanchez-Way, Ph.D., ACSW ’62UC made her career decision. “I did not want to manufacture or sell things,” she recalled. “I wanted to go into a profession where I could help people—and that was my track.”
That dedication would lead her to more than 30 years of service within the public health arm of the federal government, providing national leadership on alcohol and substance abuse treatment and prevention. She served as Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and Senior Adviser within the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, a cause dear to her heart since the early days of her career at Catholic Charities.
I wanted to go into a profession where I could help people—and that was my track.
- Chemistry, Bachelor of Science •
- University College
Initially a premed student at St. John’s University’s Brooklyn, NY, campus, Dr. Sanchez-Way enjoyed classes in chemistry, philosophy, and religion. She credits St. John’s with instilling confidence in her abilities, and her love for lifelong learning.
“I learned good study habits and was able to succeed,” she noted. “St. John’s showed me that I could go to college and make good grades. I could work hard and go forward.”
She recalled socializing at the student lounge, within one of three WWII-era Quonset huts on the Brooklyn campus. “I met students with all kinds of professional interests: nursing, business, education, and law. It was a small enough community that you got to know people very well, but St. John’s also gave me a bigger view of what was going on in the world,” she remembered.
After earning a master’s degree in social work from Fordham University and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from New York University, she worked with multiple government agencies in substance abuse treatment. She noted, “I did a lot of community development, supporting organizations and providing treatment services in mental health agencies.”
She realized that prevention—a new area of focus—was key. “More patients kept coming in for treatment. We wanted to reduce that number, and I was very interested in prevention,” Dr. Sanchez-Way recalled.
Once the federal government passed legislation to develop anOffice of Substance Abuse Prevention, Dr. Sanchez-Way began as division director. “We worked in local communities, awarded grants, expanded public information and training, and developed employee assistance programs,” she explained. “We also created data analysis systems to improve science-based substance abuse prevention programs. The public health field was successfully changing norms around smoking, and we evaluated the effectiveness of different school programs in developing self-esteem and reducing alcohol and drug use among youth.”
Dr. Sanchez-Way has received numerous awards, including the Presidential Meritorious Executive Rank Award in 1998, awarded for exceptional performance, integrity, and leadership. She has retired from her most recent position as Vice President of Health and Community Initiatives at Management Sciences for Development, a leading international consulting firm specializing in law, human rights, and health and social services.
As service to others has been the mainstay of her life, she continues to volunteer in several capacities. With her husband of 37 years, retired Air Force SMSGT David Way, she volunteers at the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, AZ, as well as church ministry in Shady Side, MD.
A lifetime Girl Scout, she recalled camping trips from her Queens, NY, hometown to various sites throughout New York, as well as family trips to Lake George and Niagara Falls, noting, “Girl Scouts opened my life to travel.” She continues to serve as a Girl Scout National Operational Volunteer and admits a preference for Do-si-dos® and Thin Mints®.
A life in public service has fulfilled her early goal to help others. “I have trained people who are the helpers—and that has a multiplying effect,” she noted. Thanks to her faith and dedication, she has helped others find their way, supporting countless journeys of prevention and recovery.
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