Leslie E. Tower

Leslie E. Tower is a tenured Professor and Assessment Coordinator in the School of Social Work at West Virginia University (WVU), where she also directs the WVU Women’s Resource Center. Previously holding a dual appointment in Social Work and Public Administration (2002-2015), she remains a pivotal figure in advancing gender equity policies across higher education institutions.

Her academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. from Barry University (2001)
• M.S.W. from Barry University (2002)
• M.B.A. from University of Miami (1995)
• B.S. from University of Florida (1993)
• Certificate in Women’s Studies from Florida Atlantic University (2002)
• Certificate in Health Administration from University of Miami (1995)

Tower’s research critically examines gender equity in academia, women’s workforce participation, and period poverty solutions. Her groundbreaking work on menstrual cup adoption addresses both environmental sustainability and economic barriers to menstrual products. She pioneered WVU’s lactation support networks and paid parental leave policies through NSF ADVANCE initiatives, directly challenging systemic barriers for academic women.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals a sharp focus on institutional policy reform, with 70% targeting gender equity in higher education. Her scholarship increasingly bridges social work practice with public health interventions, particularly in women’s health accessibility and aging services. The 2024 NIH-funded research on program evaluation methodologies demonstrates her evolving emphasis on scalable assessment frameworks.

Her accolades include:

• 2023 CSWE Feminist Scholar Award

Tower has secured major grants from NSF, FDA, USDA, and NIH—including serving as external evaluator for a DHHS-NIH-NIA grant on aging. Her policy development work generated WVU’s Family Travel Program and Care.com partnership, directly impacting 500+ faculty. As former Chair of CSWE’s Council on the Role and Status of Women (2012-2015), she shaped national standards for inclusive social work education.

Leading the WVU Women’s Resource Center, she oversees campus-wide initiatives supporting women’s academic and professional development. Her current NIH-funded evaluation project and menstrual cup research represent cutting-edge intersections of health policy, environmental justice, and gender equity.