Drama Professor Janice Ross will receive the 2011 Miriam Aaron Roland Volunteer Service Prize in May. Ross created “Dance in Prisons in America: The Arts, Juvenile Justice and Rehabilitation” a decade ago, giving Stanford students the opportunity to teach dance to incarcerated teens at juvenile halls in the area.

An award citation praises Ross for her dedication to the “highly innovative service-learning class, Dance 197,” and “for creating a social justice framework for powerful learning experiences outside the classroom, enabling students to integrate new perspectives into their research and coursework.”

The award, created by alumna Miriam Aaron Roland, is presented annually by the Haas Center for Public Service to faculty members who integrate “meaningful volunteer service” into the curriculum. Winners also receive a $5,000 cash prize. There have been 13 faculty recipients since 2004.

Provost John Etchemendy will present Ross with the Roland Award at an award luncheon on May 10.