ENGAGEMENT - Alumni - Cornell University

ENGAGEMENT
Opportunities
2011
How will
you engage this year?

Dear Cornell Leader:
There a hundreds of ways you can stay connected
to Cornell. This list is by no means complete, but
it gives you a good sense of opportunities you can
explore. Commitments range from simply reading
articles so you can be a well-informed ambassador
to planning your class reunion to serving as a
career mentor.
Throughout the conference, you’ll hear a lot of
buzz about our new program area, Volunteer
Programs. In the coming months, Senior Director
Laura Denbow and her team will be wrapping
their arms around how we recruit, retain, and
reward our 13,000 volunteers and how we make
the most of the talents you all share so generously
with Cornell. Stay tuned for more soon. In the
meantime, we’ve listed contacts and websites for
each program so you can reach out and learn
more about all the ways you can support your
alma mater.
Chris Marshall
Associate Vice Presidentt
Office of Alumni Affairs

Leadership Positions – Nomination Only
Cornell Association of Class Officers (CACO)
You may hear this conference referred to as “the CACO
meeting” or “Mid-Winter Meeting.” In fact, class officers
have been meeting annually for more than 100 years,
but it was just in 2009 that the Office of Alumni Affairs
and CACO agreed to expand the invite list to ALL Cornell
leaders. The CACO Board of Directors are exceptional
current or past class officers who help class leaders
increase their impact. Their strategies include Leadership
Development, Membership, Diversity, Communications,
and Students and Young Alumni.
Margaret Gallo ’81 ~ Senior Director,
Class and Reunion Programs
margaret.gallo@cornell.edu ~ alumni.cornell.edu/caco
Cornell Alumni Association (CAA)
The Cornell Alumni Association owns the Cornell Alumni
Magazine and is the “industry trade” association for all
college and affinity alumni associations and regional
clubs. The CAA presents the prestigious Frank H.T. Rhodes
Exemplary Alumni Service Award, offers CALC scholarships
to volunteers, and writes the Alma Maters section of the
Cornell Alumni Magazine.
Jennifer Lynham Cunningham ’92
Senior Director, Metrics+Marketing
jennifer.cunningham@cornell.edu
alumni.cornell.edu/association
Cornell University Council
Council members are a group of more than 400
experienced leaders who are nominated and selected for
their long-standing dedication to Cornell activities, civic
involvement, professional achievement, and the overall
betterment of society.
Rob de la Fuente ~ Director, Volunteer Programs
rob.delafuente@cornell.edu
alumni.cornell.edu/council
President’s Council of Cornell Women (PCCW)
PCCW’s mission is to identify and increase the involvement
of accomplished alumnae—especially those who have not
yet been particularly active in university activities. PCCW
works with the university to enhance the experiences of
Cornell’s female students, prospective students, faculty,
staff, and alumnae.
Rob de la Fuente ~ Director, Volunteer Programs
rob.delafuente@cornell.edu
pccw.alumni.cornell.edu

Administrative and Advisory Boards
Every college and unit, and many programs rely on small
groups of deeply engaged alumni with specialized skills
to support the vision and priorities of the Deans and
Directors. These boards foster relationships between the
university and various constituencies such as industry,
community, and government.
Volunteer Leadership & Membership
Opportunities
Note: Some elements of these programs require a nomination
and election process for participation; other pieces are open to all
alumni. For example, anyone can become a member of their class,
but class officers are elected.
Class Programs
More than 1,600 volunteer class officers keep classmates
in touch by managing class communications, hosting inperson
and virtual events, sponsoring class projects, and
planning reunions.
Lynne Williams ~ Director, Class Programs
lynne.williams@cornell.edu ~ alumni.cornell.edu/reunion
Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador
Network (CAAAN)
CAAAN’s 8,000 volunteers assist the Cornell admissions
community in attracting top-notch applicants. CAAAN
volunteers answer questions from local candidates, staff
college fairs, and host accepted student and summer sendoff
receptions.
Kyle Downey ~ Associate Director of Admissions/
Coordinator for Alumni Volunteer Programs
kmd44@cornell.edu ~ caaan.admissions.cornell.edu
Regional Programs
The nearly 100 Cornell clubs and associations across
the nation and around the world are run by dedicated
volunteers and offer educational and social events, service
activities, networking, and scholarship fundraising.
Tim Mahar ~ Senior Director,
Affinity and Regional Programs
timothy.mahar@cornell.edu
alumni.cornell.edu/participate/clubs
Undergraduate Affinity Programs
As students, many Cornellians get involved in activities that
foster lifelong relationships. Affinity Programs helps alumni
maintain bonds with their fellow Greek life brothers and
sisters, athletic teammates, and other friends.
Terry Hahn ~ Director, Affinity Programs
terry.hahn@cornell.edu ~ alumni.cornell.edu/affinities/

Minority Alumni Programs
Minority alumni associations increase the involvement and
participation of minority alumni in all aspects of university
life. In addition, the Cornell Mosaic Committee provides
guidance and oversight for Mosaic events, ensuring that
each one is as broad-reaching and powerful as the first.
Renee Alexander ’74 ~ Director,
Minority Alumni Programs
renee.alexander@cornell.edu ~ alumni.cornell.edu/mosaic
Student and Young Alumni Programs
Through creative events, innovative communications,
and workshops produced both for and with students,
SYAP harnesses the enthusiasm of students and recent
graduates and helps them solidify a lifelong relationship
with Cornell.
Margaux Neiderbach ‘99 ~ Director,
Student and Young Alumni Programs
men12@cornell.edu
College Alumni Associations
Many Cornellians feel a special affinity for the college or
professional school they attended during their days on
the hill. And the faculty and staff in these colleges and
schools feel a special affinity for their former students!
Programs and activities designed especially for alumni of a
particular college or school – and others who share these
interests – are among the offerings. Visit alumni.cornell.
edu/participate/colleges.cfm to learn more.
Career Services
Help students with the job search and career decisions by
sharing advice and encouragement as a CCNet Mentor,
hire Cornell students and graduates, volunteer on campus
as a Professional-in-Residence or a career program
panelist, host a student in your workplace through a jobshadowing
program or support a student in an experiential
learning program.
Nancy Law ’84 ~ Assistant Director for
Internships and Alumni Volunteer Programs
nfl1@cornell.edu
career.cornell.edu/alumni/WaystoHelp.html
Annual Fund Committees
Volunteers play a vital role in contacting other Cornellians,
parents, and friends to encourage them to support the Fund,
especially at the Tower Club level ($5,000 and above) or
Ivy Society level ($250 and above) for young alumni. These
volunteer efforts have helped lead the Cornell Annual

Fund to eight consecutive years of growth and will enable
us to reach our long-standing goal of raising $30 million
or more each year in Annual Fund dollars.
Joe Lyons ’98 ~ Director, Cornell Annual Fund
Joseph.lyons@cornell.edu ~ alumni.cornell.edu/fund
Admissions Relations
For many children of Cornell alumni, the chance to attend
the institution they’ve heard stories about and visited with
their parents since they were small is the opportunity of
a lifetime. Admissions Relations is a resource for Cornell
alumni and their children with an interest in applying
to Cornell.
Heather Nichols ‘80 ~ Director, Admissions Relations
heather.nichols@cornell.edu
Travel & Regionally Based Events
Cornell Adult University
Outstanding faculty. Classes that stretch the mind and
body. Congenial and spirited fellow participants. Lively
cultural events. A stunning setting. Join hundreds of CAU
faithful this summer for a week (or more) on campus that
many describe as “transforming,” or travel the globe with
fellow Cornellians and world-famous professors.
Catherine Sutton Penner ‘68 ~ Director,
Cornell Adult University
sce.cornell.edu/cau
Cornell Alumni Association Travel Program
If you thought going to college with Cornellians was
fun, imagine travelling the world with them! The Cornell
Alumni Association Travel Program operates more than 15
tours per year.
Beth Hamilton ~ Associate Director,
Benefits and Services
beth.hamilton@cornell.edu
alumni.cornell.edu/federation/travel_program.cfm
Athletic Events
The Big Red competes around the country throughout
the academic year. Regional clubs and other groups often
plan tailgates and viewing parties when the teams come
to their town. For schedules, visit cornellbigred.com, and
look for periodic emails about pre- and post-game parties.
You can also watch many events in real-time online via
subscription to Cornell Redcast.

Musical Concerts and Events
The Cornell Glee Club, the Chorus, and some a capella
groups tour the globe and delight audiences with a variety
of tunes. These are advertised through regional clubs and
the Office of Alumni Affairs—keep your eyes open for
email invitations or check their websites for information.
Cornell on the Road
Cornell on the Road showcases the university’s star
faculty members and administrators at events all over
the country. Imagine hearing an expert’s view of current
events, debating solutions to worldwide problems, and
exchanging ideas with like-minded alumni—all without
travelling! Cornell on the Road is an exciting way to revive
your inner student.
Kelly Speiser ~ Assistant Director, Cornell on the Road
kelly.speiser@cornell.edu ~ alumni.cornell.edu/ontheroad
Cornell Business Communities
Cornell Business Communities—including Cornell Silicon
Valley (CSV), Cornell Entrepreneur Network (CEN), and
Cornell Wall Street (CWS)—offer more than 150 top-notch
presentations, debates, and discussions via traditional
events and new media channels per year. These programs
feature some of Cornell’s brightest alumni and faculty
members in formats that also encourage networking and
community building.
Magdalena Kalinka Bartishevich ~ Associate Director,
Cornell Entrepreneur Network
Ashley Binter ‘97~ Associate Director,
Cornell Silicon Valley
John Zelenka ’03 ~ Associate Director,
Cornell Wall Street
csv.cornell.edu ~ cen.cornell.edu ~ cws.cornell.edu
Visit Ithaca!
Here are future dates for our most popular alumni events
on campus – mark your calendars now!
Homecoming Reunion
9/17/2011 June 9-12, 2011
9/22/2012 June 7-10, 2012
10/5/2013 June 6-9, 2013
11/1/2014 June 5-8, 2014
Publications & Online Interaction
CornellConnect Online Community
CornellConnect is a one-stop shop for locating long-lost
friends, career networking, finding and registering for
events in your area, visiting class and club websites, and
much more.
Kim Barrett ~ Project Manager, CornellConnect
kimberly.barrett@cornell.edu ~ cornellconnect.cornell.edu

Online Conversations with David Skorton,
Deans, and Faculty
These monthly hour-long discussions begin with a brief
campus update followed by a discussion with a senior
leader on topics of your choice. To express interest and
receive an invitation for an upcoming conversation, send
an email with your name, volunteer leadership title, and
your time zone to jennifer.cunningham@cornell.edu.
Ezra Magazine and Ezra Update For Alumni,
Parents, and Friends
Looking for an easy way to stay on top of Cornell
news? Subscribe to the monthly Ezra Update and other
e-publications by visiting news.cornell.edu/NewsByEmail
or receive the free quarterly Ezra magazine by emailing
ezramagazine@cornell.edu.
CornellCast
CornellCast is a central clearinghouse for Cornell
multimedia, with video and audio presentations of major
campus news and events. cornell.edu/video
CUBiquitous
Find Cornell groups on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace,
YouTube, and many more!
Visit cornell.edu/CUbiquitous for an ever-evolving list.
CEN Webinars
Cornell Entrepreneur Network offers about 20 web
seminars a year featuring top alumni speakers on a variety
of topics. Presentations are also available for download
after the event. Visit cen.cornell.edu to see a list of past
webinars.
Paula Maguire ~ Assistant Director, Metrics+Marketing
pem78@cornell.edu ~ cen.cornell.edu
College E-newsletters
Many colleges send e-newsletters to showcase research
breakthroughs, stellar students, alumni success stories,
and other news. To keep on top of the news, visit the news
page on your college’s web site and subscribe.
Cornell Alumni Magazine
The magazine is the publication that keeps the alumni
informed as fully and as accurately as possible about the
whereabouts and doings of Cornell men and women and
thus not only to foster the interest in classmates and Alma
Mater, but also to increase the enthusiasm and loyalty of
every Cornellian for the college on the hill. It’s a must-read
for every Cornell volunteer leader!
CornellAlumniMagazine.com
facebook.com/cornellalumnimagazine