Cornell’s regional clubs have a long history of running community events—but when it comes to the Cornell Club of Southwest Ohio, the emphasis is on the word “running.” For the past several years, the club has been supporting the Air Force Marathon through a unique partnership with Cornell ROTC.
Each year, members of the Cornell ROTC program drive from Ithaca to Dayton, Ohio, to participate. The students run in support of the Fisher House Foundation, which raises money for military families to live in special housing near Wright-Patterson Medical Center while soldiers go through rehabilitation. “The visibility of our participation is inspirational to the Cornell community of alums, the ROTC runners, and the community at large,” says club board member Lou Ferraro ’65, a military veteran and organizer of the event. Recently, Cornell has competed with ROTC students at the University of Dayton to see which group could raise more money for Fisher House.
The club helps students find places to stay and feeds them a pasta dinner prior to the race; the day of the event, alumni from all over southwest Ohio come to cheer them on. “Many drive from Cincinnati, which has the area’s larger concentration of alumni,” says club co-president Becky Baskett ’65. “It’s a great way to bring alumni together and also show support for our students.”
Grads Earn Alumni Honors
Over the past few months, Cornell has honored a number of alumni, both for their support of the University and for their career achievements.
At the annual Cornell Alumni Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., in January, Inger Molmen Gilbert ’49 and Jack Gilbert ’49 were honored for their commitment to class programs with the Bill Vanneman ’31 Award. Inger has served as the Class of 1949 vice president since 1999 and was co-chair with Jack for their 50th and 55th Reunions. (In fact, Inger chaired her class’s first Reunion back in 1954.) As for Jack, he has been president of the Class of 1949 since 2004, having previously served as its treasurer. Both Inger and Jack are members of the Continuous Reunion Club. (A detailed summary of this year’s Cornell Alumni Leadership Conference will appear in Alma Matters in May/June.)
Also in January, Irene H. S. So ’61 was honored by the Cornell Asian Alumni Association during its annual Pan-Asian Banquet. So served as president of CAAA from 1995 to 1997 and helped steer the organization during its formative years. A member of the Cornell University Council, she received a Frank H. T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award in 2003.
In November, several CALS alumni were recognized for their achievements, both professionally and for their support of the college and of Cornell. Recipients of 2011 CALS Outstanding Alumni Awards were: David Atkinson ’60; Kenneth Pollard ’58; Yongkeun Joh, MS ’78, and Sunny Joh, MS ’77; Thomas Marino ’78; and Laurey Mogil ’76. Andrew Ross Sorkin ’99 received the Young Alumni Achievement Award.
Meet the Cornell Alumni Association Board
Judy Prutzman Osgood ’89
Position: Director from the Region, Southwest/Mountain
Location: Reno, Nevada
Profession: Policy analyst for Governor Brian Sandoval
Major: Industrial and Labor Relations
First Cornell volunteer experience: In the beginning, I was all about the alumni parties. I attended my first immediately following graduation; a group of us drove to New York City for a Tower Club gala at the Waldorf. A year later, I attended a gala in San Francisco to celebrate Cornell’s 125th anniversary. (I was conflicted about eating the chocolate clock tower served for dessert!) My first volunteer activity as an alumna was working with CAAAN, which I started three years after graduation while living in Syracuse. I’ve been doing it ever since—more than fifteen years.
Current alumni activities: CAAAN chair, northern Nevada; 1989 class council
Favorite place on campus: The A. D. White Library in Uris, because it’s so beautiful and peaceful. I haven’t come across any place quite like it.
Favorite professor: James Maas, PhD ’66. His Psych 101 course was like a show; his ability to teach such a large class was impressive.
Shane Dunn ’07
Position: Director from the Region, Northeast
Location: Boston, Massachusetts Profession: Assistant director of student engagement, alumni relations, and annual giving, MIT Sloan School of Management
Major: Communication
First Cornell volunteer experience: Planning young alumni happy hours in Boston
Current alumni activities: Programming chair, Cornell Club of Boston; CAAAN volunteer; Cornell Annual Fund national campaign committee; Reunion co-chair; 2007 class council
Favorite place on campus: The Cornell Public Service Center in Barnes Hall. It’s where I spent more time than anywhere else, besides the classroom. It was my home away from home and it’s where I was empowered to make a difference in the Cornell and local communities. I grew up at the PSC, and it was the focus of my personal development in college.
Favorite professor: Jeff Hancock. He was my adviser and a phenomenal teacher (brilliant, funny, engaging, challenging). When I decided to transfer to Cornell, he sent me a letter welcoming me as his advisee. I will never forget that, and it shows how teachers can have a lasting impact.
More profiles of CAA board members will appear in future issues.
Reports of Outgoing Alumni-Elected Trustees
Volunteer Capstone
Ihave been greatly honored, and a bit awestruck, to be an alumnielected trustee from the College of Human Ecology. When I was elected to the University Council in 1996, I had been on campus only a few times since graduation. Having moved to Arkansas for my first postdoctoral job, travel to Ithaca was challenging; however, my first Council meeting was extraordinary and had me hooked the same way my first visit to campus had decades earlier.
I began my term on the Board of Trustees at the same time the stock market crashed in 2008, and my first meeting was like shock therapy! But no matter how rocky the ride or how difficult the issues, the Board of Trustees, led by Peter Meinig ’61, BME ’62—and the administration and faculty, led by David Skorton—have met the challenge, overcome the difficulties, and kept our amazing alma mater stable and steady in its forward movement.
It delights me to meet fellow alumni, undergraduate and graduate students, young instructors, established faculty, and talented administrators who strive continuously to contribute to the present and future greatness of Cornell as a world-class institution. One of the joys of being involved is observing the progression of this great university as it continues to grow, reinvent itself, and contribute to future generations. The opportunity to contribute to the evolution of my college, to participate in the President’s Council of Cornell Women, to lead the Cornell University Council, and to be an alumni-elected trustee is the capstone of my volunteer career. I am so grateful to have had the chance to participate. I thank you for the privilege.
An Honor and a Privilege
When I started serving as a trustee, people asked what it was like, and I answered that it was an honor and a privilege. Nearly four years later, I feel exactly the same way. At every event I learn something new and meet interesting, engaged people. Before I joined the board, I thought I had a sense of the University—yet at my first meeting I realized how much I had to learn about the breadth and scope of our great institution and its fabulous people. It is a multinational organization, encompassing research and teaching that touch all the great challenges of our day.
As co-chair of the Alumni Affairs Committee for two years, I have gained a deeper understanding of the spirit of our alumni and the range of our activities. By participating on the Audit, Academic Affairs, and Student Affairs committees and the task forces for accreditation and diversity initiatives, I have developed an appreciation for the complex governance of the Univer s i ty and the talented staff that runs it. Probably not surprisingly, many of the best presentations have been by Cornell students, who never cease to amaze me with their talent and insights.
My sincere thanks to Karen Rupert Keating ’76 and Martin Tang ’70, my trustee mentors, and to all the members of the board for being brilliant colleagues. Cornell is extremely fortunate to have such a dedicated, smart, and collegial group of people serving. I have seen many leaders in industry and academia and Chairman Peter Meinig, President David Skorton, and Provost Kent Fuchs are absolutely three of the best. Finally, Vice President Susan Murphy ’73, PhD ’94, deserves special thanks for being a great friend and a gift to the University. Thank you to the alumni for electing me to serve in this role; I will be forever grateful for the opportunity.
2012 Alumni Trustee Elections
Each year, the Committee on Alumni Trustee Nominations, a group of twenty-three alumni leaders who serve four-year terms and represent a cross-section of the alumni body, meet throughout the fall to determine the candidates whom they feel will best represent alumni on the Board of Trustees and help the University achieve its goals. This year, the committee, chaired by Katrina James ’96, has nominated the following four alumni:
William McAleer ’73, MBA ’75
Robert Ramin ’82, MBA ’85
Meredith Rosenberg ’92
Simon Turner ’83
Alumni can vote for their two choices one of two ways: with a mailed paper ballot or online. They received an e-mail in December asking which method they preferred. Those who chose to vote online were sent an e-mail with a Web link. Voting concludes April 1.