F-ILR Connections newsletter revised final mechs.indd - ILR School ...

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Message from the Director of Alumni Affairs and Development Dear Friends, ILR Connections is published by the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-2801. Edward J. Lawler Dean Chris Crooker ’88 Executive Director of ILR AA&D Jennifer Borel and Janice Guthrie ’76 Project Coordinators Sue Baldwin, Cornell University Communication and Marketing Services Editorial Assistance Dennis F. Kulis, Cornell University Communication and Marketing Services Designer Photos: Payne Family Photography (Monroe Payne and Mindy Porter); University Photography; PhotoDisc; photos on page 8 Dewey Neild Photography With thanks to Stuart Basefsky and Chris Guzman ’05 and special appreciation to Robin Remick ’95 for her contributions and assistance. Produced by Communication and Marketing Services at Cornell University 10/04 AP 10.5M 11580 With Senior Week, Commencement, and Reunion fading in the distance, new students have arrived on campus. The opportunity to reflect on the year 2003–2004 has quickly been overtaken by excitement for the year ahead. Here in Alumni Affairs and Development fall activities are under way. October 15 and 16 saw a weekend of festivities: Homecoming and a celebration of the completion of the ILR Conference Center, extension, and research buildings. The celebration consisted of a day of events including an open house, building tours, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and an evening reception and dinner on Friday. For additional information, please see ILR’s Conference Center web site (www.ilr.cornell.edu/cc/). The ILRAA is also planning several alumni events across the country. You may notice a theme through this issue of ILR Connections: we have taken “Advancing the World of Work” to heart and are focusing on several of the School’s international initiatives. ILR is an international community in its own right. Over 4 percent of our undergraduates (39 students) and 42 percent of grad students (numbering 76) come to ILR from outside the United States. Increasingly, our students must possess competence on global issues and appreciation for other cultures to be able to work across cultures. In my conversations with our faculty, I have learned that dozens of our courses have an international aspect, a natural outcome of an increase in the study of the global workplace. To take the next step and remain the leader in advancing the world of work, the School will place even more energy and resources into global initiatives in the coming semesters. Everything from research opportunities and faculty exchanges to international internships for students is necessary to foster our “internationalization.” In addition to the articles in this issue, you can read more about ILR’s international initiatives at www.ilr.cornell.edu/ international. On a final note, as we strive to provide more in-depth information in our semiannual ILR Connections, we are communicating more time-sensitive and “newsy” information via our new monthly e-mail messages. All subscribers receive “ILR Alumni and Friends News” in their e-mail “in” box. It tells of the latest happenings here at Ives Hall, faculty accolades, student activities, and information on upcoming ILR events. If you haven’t already, please take a minute to subscribe by sending an e-mail to listproc@cornell. edu. In the body of the message type the command “subscribe” (in plain text without quotations), followed by ILR_NEWS-L, followed by your name. I think you’ll like what you see. Thank you for your support of ILR! Christopher Crooker ’88 Director, ILR Alumni Affairs and Development ■ ILR Connections/Fall 2004 www.ilr.cornell.edu
Faculty Spotlight Getting Off the Escalator You might not know Lowell Turner— he keeps a low profile in Ives Hall, though he is admired by students and staff alike. He has a relaxed, conversational communication style that consistently puts his “audience” at ease, whether the occasion presenting itself is 150 students in a lecture hall, a small group meeting with a handful of participants, or a one-on-one meeting in his office. He has a quick, wry smile, and a slight twinkle creeps into the corner of his eye when he characterizes his background as an unconventional, winding path. Whether it is for formal help on an assignment or informal conversation, Turner is always approachable, always welcoming. Lowell Turner’s life includes a rich combination of two stories: the international story and the union story. As a child, he lived for a year in England while his father, a sociologist, was on sabbatical at the London School of Economics; later, he spent a year living in France as a high school exchange student, and a semester abroad in Germany as a college student. His career path took a detour during the Vietnam War. He graduated from Pomona College in 1969 and went to work for the antiwar movement, where he met his future wife, Kate. He first worked as an intern for the American Friends Service Committee in San Francisco, after which he held various positions: as an auto mechanic, construction laborer, letter carrier, and elected shop and chief steward. A defining moment in his career came in 1983. Still working as a union representative and letter carrier, he was taking night classes in labor studies at San Francisco State when he was asked to run for president of his local union branch. Turner was forced to make a decision about direction for his future. He could run, and immerse himself in the local union and its politics, or he could step back to study and gain new perspectives on the problems of the American labor movement. Building on his international background and the need for a comparative perspective in an increasingly global economy, he chose to become a student again at the tender age of 36 and entered graduate school at the University of California at Berkeley to study political science. Friends and union colleagues questioned his decision, but that crazy decision led Turner to what he now sees as his calling. With an M.A. in 1985 and a Ph.D. in 1990, he was lucky to find just the right job at just the right time in the ILR School at Cornell University. Given its strong support for teaching and research in both labor and international areas, ILR is a perfect fit for Turner’s interests. He feels strongly that the partnering of the extension and resident divisions adds value to the work being done in both areas and makes ILR a richer environment, one in which good research can be linked to the real world in a relevant way. The result is a chance to make a real impact, on both academic and practical levels. Turner’s current research interests include several overlapping project areas Profile Lowell Turner (continued on page 2) www.ilr.cornell.edu ILR Connections/Fall 2004 ■ 1
Page 1: ILRCONNECTIONS A publication for al
Page 5 and 6: Inside the Classroom Globalization
Page 7 and 8: students are learning from ILR facu
Page 10 and 11: International Projects France Indus
Page 12 and 13: The ILR School and the ILO: Researc
Page 14 and 15: ILR C e l e b r a t i o n Our award
Page 16 and 17: Study of NYC Firefighters Shows Eff
Page 18 and 19: Cornell Tradition Fellows Frederick
Page 20 and 21: Students in the Spotlight Jack Cogn
Page 22 and 23: ILR Alumni Across the Globe • •
Page 24 and 25: Alumni Profile Louisa J. (Jane) Hay
Page 26 and 27: ILR Connections Secure Internationa

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