Trini Ross to speak as part of Black History Month events at Buff State

Trini E. Ross, U.S. attorney for the Western District of New York, will deliver a talk at Buffalo State College as the 2022 MLK speaker at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2, in the Burchfield Penney Art Center’s Tower Auditorium in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month. The event, which is also part of the college’s 150th anniversary celebration and sponsored by the Office of Equity and Campus Diversity, is free and open to the public.

Nominated by President Joseph Biden in July 2021 and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Sept. 30, Ross, a Buffalo native, became the first African American woman to hold this position in Western New York. Since Biden signed her commission last October, Ross has been responsible for overseeing the prosecution of any federal criminal case brought within the 17 counties of Western New York. She also represents the U.S. in all civil matters brought within this territory.

“We are thrilled to host Ms. Ross on campus,” Buffalo State President Katherine Conway-Turner said. “Her visit is a terrific beginning to our celebration of Black History Month, a time when we reflect on the many contributions of African Americans, including individuals such as Ross, who continue to become ‘firsts’ in their field.”

From 1995 to 2018, Ross served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of New York. In 2018, she became the director of investigations for the legal division of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Office of Inspector General. She also served as the senior litigation counsel and chief of the NSF’s anti-fraud and corruption section from 2012-17.

Before these roles, she served as a civil litigation associate at Hiscock & Barclay LLC and an appellate court attorney for the New York State Supreme Court. Since 2006, Ross has also taught part time at the University at Buffalo School of Law, where she received her juris doctor, cum laude, in 1992. She also earned a master’s degree from Rutgers University and a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia.

“We believed Ms. Ross would be the perfect speaker to honor Dr. King, with her many accomplishments in the legal field and for her commitment, specifically, to Western New York,” Conway-Turner said. “I’m sure the college community and the community at large will benefit from hearing about Ms. Ross’s journey.”

Admission to Ross’s talk is free, however, attendance is limited. Anyone interested in attending is required to register online before the event. A virtual option for viewing will also be available. For more information, call 716-878-6210 or email [email protected].