PCCW eNEWSLETTER

Spring 2007

This is the seventh edition of the PCCW eNewsletter, which is designed to keep members up-to-date on PCCW’s involvement with Cornell University, individual engagement with the University, and personal updates regarding jobs, activities, recognition and other items of interest.

Spring Letter from Margie

Dear PCCW members: Driving home from Ithaca after the PCCW Spring Meeting held March 8-11, exhausted but exhilarated, I contemplated the PCCW program that makes me most proud – the Affinito-Stewart Grants program. Since I was once simultaneously a CEO, a graduate student and a mom, the awards have always resonated personally.

In 1997 when I became a member, we had no idea what happened once an A-S award was made. How did it impact the awardee? Did it help her gain tenure? Did it tie her more closely to Cornell? Did she know anything of the granting organization (PCCW)? Did it help her achieve a measure of life balance?

Ten years later, we know that the A-S grants do make a difference in the lives of awardees. Survey responses confirmed that these grants had a positive impact on their tenure quests: “I did get tenure … and the PCCW grant contributed to the package that allowed me to successfully apply …”

The grant support went beyond tenure: “In short the Affinito-Stewart grant offered me critical scholarly, moral and financial support at a particularly sensitive time in my academic career …”

Sessions at Annual Meetings have allowed us to meet the scholars and have given them a chance to learn more about us. With the University’s blessing, the Steering Committee has made gifts to the Affinito-Stewart Endowment our top funding priority. The 2006-07 awardees will be selected this month. As the Development Committee members begin their year-end push for gifts to Cornell and PCCW, they can now say with certainty that PCCW is assisting ambitious women who could be us. Provost Biddy Martin’s Cornell-Advance Center grant will play a critical role in ensuring the advancement of women in academia. With her track record of achievement, we can be certain that the Affinito-Stewart grant support for tenure-track women will play a key role in an important University priority.

Although this is my last newsletter article, our work continues. Laura Wilkinson will take over as your Chair on July 1. She will be terrific. Let me thank all of you, members and staff liaisons alike, for all your support in this year of transition. It’s been a team effort and I’m proud of our success.

PCCW Springs Ahead with Collaboration
Submitted by Gloria Lang, Vice Chair PCCW

The PCCW Spring Meeting brought together 130 PCCW members for a weekend of learning and understanding Cornell’s priorities leading to its 2015 sesquicentennial celebration. We exchanged many wonderful ideas with administrators, faculty, students and alumnae. You will read in this newsletter of the wonderful learning sessions we had on campus.

As PCCW’s Vice-Chair these last two years, I have witnessed many thoughtful and progressive efforts that the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the standing committees have led. I will share these hoping that you will find the best way to engage and involve yourself with Cornell in the coming years.

This year Jo Ann Patross and Phyllis Weiss Haserot led the Alumnae Relations effort. The outreach to alumnae and students energized by PCCW member-liaisons resulted in a wonderful foundation of mentoring formats. This year events occurred in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oregon/Northwest, Dallas/ Southwest, Washington, DC/MidAtlantic, Miami, Boston, Chicago and New York. Anita Miller and Nancy Mills, last year’s AR leadership, continue to support alumni efforts. A special thank you goes to Frankie Tutt for planning the wonderful weekend away at the Broadmoor for members and friends.

Robyn Tice and Barbara Orlando, as the Communication chair and vice-chair for two years have planned the flow of information to members through the enewsletter. Sally Jacobsen, as editor, and Rosemary Stasek, as Webmaster, edited and transformed all the news to the electronic format that gives you easy access and storage of PCCW highlights. The University now has a complete branding program for Cornell. PCCW looks forward to collaboration which will help our Council reflect this focused effort.

In Development, Mary Ellen Miller and Pam Melton have led the dialogue to ensure that the income from your leadership endowment gifts goes to University efforts in support of PCCW’s purpose. Sheila Collins organized the efforts of 10 member callers who remind members to contribute to the Affinto–Stewart Endowment. We will continue with these reminders this spring.

Sharon Williams as chair, Ronni Chernoff and Nancy McAfee as vice-chairs of Meeting Planning work with the Office of the Councils to develop the theme, program content, while assimilating all the other committees special need for each meeting. Those who attended the meetings know they squeeze many wonderful experiences into a weekend for PCCW members. Your responses to their questionnaire will help in the planning of our 2008 annual meeting.

Laura Wilkinson, Chair of Membership, engaged the members of the Membership Committee, to help the Membership Task Force led by Randy Allen, survey and interview a wide sampling of the PCCW. The information from this research and the fabulous brainstorming session in Ithaca, facilitated by Debbie Smith and Phyllis Weiss Haserot, have provided the framework to build collaborative exchanges to support Cornell’s priorities. Lauren Anderson, vice-chair, offers her help wherever and whenever needed. In her 2nd year of membership she has engaged and involved herself with results that energize others around her. Sue Milmoe, new member subcommittee chair, recruited an experienced team to help mentor the newest PCCW members. The virtual tea held in November and the number of new members attending the Annual Meeting showed that this effort succeeded in its outreach. Terri Ann Lowenthal, past membership chair supported Laura and Lauren during this transition year. Terri Ann’s contribution to this committee and PCCW has highlighted the importance of listening to our members.

This year in Student Life, Jill Goldy,chair and Karren Fink,vice-chair followed Joy Higa’s tenure as chair. They found new venues to meet with Students and help with mentoring. Our visits to the newest buildings of West campus and the luncheon with junior and senior women students during the annual meeting highlighted this year. Many thanks to Kristen Stahl who emceed the student lunch and offered the students a versatile opportunity to meet many PCCW members.

University Relations involves the most number of PCCW members. Andrea Williams, chair and Jaclyn Spear, vice-chair delegate the key roles to sub-committees with specific tasks. The recommendations from the subcommittees are recorded and reported frequently by Andrea and Jaclyn. During this year, collaboration with many university advisors helped complete many tasks. With the University-wide priority of diversity, the Inclusion Report subcommittee, chaired by Martha Coultrap, worked at Bob Harris’ request and structured their recommendations to focus on Climate issues, recruitment and retention, and the continuous attention to creating Cornell as a family friendly community to live in. Angela DeSilva, chaired the subcommittee that surveyed the past Affinito-Stewart Grant recipients. These responses gave meaning to how important these grants are to tenured tracked young faculty. Murem Sharpe, chair of the Grants subcommittee, enabled three of last year’s recipients to show their work at the annual meeting. The new Affinito-Stewart grant recipients will be selected in April so watch for this announcement.

The University provides leadership for collaboration with the staff of the Office of the Councils and the many University Advisors that have helped us this year. As we reflect on all the information we received at the annual meeting in Ithaca, I urge each member to find a personal comfort in the choice of engagement and involvement with Cornell.

PCCW is valued as a council by President Skorton. Together we can add value to the tasks at hand as Cornell moves forward toward its 2015 sesquicentennial celebration.

President Skorton Outlines His Vision For PCCW

President David Skorton told PCCW in his first speech to members: "The bottom line is, I'm new, so I very much need your counsel, your criticism and advice." Speaking at dinner on Friday evening, he said he and his wife, Robin Davisson [a professor of molecular physiology], "come as a team…Both of us are very interested in being engaged with PCCW."

The president said that he needs our help first and foremost on gender diversity problems. "I'm concerned because there's a feeling in higher education that we've gotten beyond the gender issue," but there is still "a large hill to climb," particularly in science and engineering, and "we need to be doing better." He is particularly gratified that Provost Biddy Martin's team was awarded a $3.3 million National Science Foundation grant to increase women faculty in these specific areas.

Skorton noted all the work required for a person to achieve an academic career, and told members: "Number one, we need to remove some of the doom and gloom, and nobody can do that better than a successful person who is a role model." The president said PCCW members can serve not only as role models, but provide mentoring to students, and serve as “a robust pipeline” for career advice and jobs. Because of PCCW's "breadth of experience," Skorton said, he is asking PCCW's incoming leadership and members "to find strategic ways to work with us in this area of gender diversity."

Secondly, Cornell needs PCCW's help in achieving greater racial diversity. He finds it "disheartening" that the percentage of African-American students at Cornell is the same as it was 20 years ago, and the percentage of Latin American students had increased only from 2-to-2.5 percent. "We need your criticism and opinion in how to improve diversity,” he said. Skorton noted that Provost Biddy Martin has an aggressive agenda for improving Cornell's percentages, along with the efforts of staff, other faculty and alumni. Also, Vice Provost for Social Sciences, David Harris, is heading a Teagle Foundation project on race, ethnicity, and higher education that is compiling best practices. "I need your input on whether these are best practices," Skorton said, noting that "only people in a local culture know if they're good."

Thirdly, the president observed that PCCW can help Cornell in engaging alumni with Cornell. "We need financial support big time," he said, especially since Cornell is a research university. Noting Cornell's $4 billion capital campaign, its most ambitious to date, he said he expected "substantial New York State support." But, "we depend on alumni" and asked for PCCW members’ support.

While Cornell intends to maintain a need-blind admissions policy, Skorton noted that the average Cornell student has $16,500 in loans. "We have to find a way to make higher education more accessible," he stressed, noting that PCCW can help in several ways:  Helping to ensure sufficient student aid through philanthropic sources; Helping to see that "the federal government and the public get serious about federal student aid";  Advocating for student aid for higher education. "Some of you have definite perspectives from your industry," the president added.

Outlining his other priorities as president, Skorton said he wants to bring Cornell in Ithaca and the Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City together "as if we are one campus," and would appreciate PCCW's advice on how to do this at the alumni level. He also wants to improve Cornell's outreach to Ithaca and the surrounding community, "to be a good neighbor."

Finally, President Skorton wants to expand Cornell's international programs and partnerships, citing the Weill Cornell Medical College in Doha, Qatar and the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning's Rome Program. He told us that he recently visited Hyderabad, India to explore a possible joint program on semi-arid crops, and would be interested in ideas from PCCW members on "where we might go next." He added that Cornell will continue "to welcome with open arms foreign students." He invited anyone with ideas to contact him by E-Mail at: david.skorton@cornell.edu.

PCCW Annual Meeting: Spring 2007

Additional highlights from this year’s annual meeting are included. A special thank you to those who were able to attend in person. It was great seeing all of you on campus. For those unable to attend, we missed you and hope that you have connected with another member to hear about the informative sessions and the experiences that were shared.

Nationalist Redemption and the Cunning of Multiculturalism - Viranjini Munasinghe, Director Asian American Studies Program, and Associate Professor, Anthropology and Asian American Studies. Read Professor Munasinghe’s remarks here.

Leadership Skills = Sensitivity, Adaptability, Trust, Shared Enterprises, and Knowing One’s Place in an Organization - In a fast-paced presentation at lunch on Friday, held at the fabulous, brand-new Noyes Community Recreation Center on West Campus, several PCCW members who are administrators at major organizations discussed the qualities needed for successful leadership. Nayla Rizk, B.A. ENGR ’80, Senior Director with the executive search firm, Spencer Stuart, stressed that executives need to project not only functional expertise in their area, but also the “softer side” of their skill set, e.g., adaptability and sensitivity to the local culture, the ability to develop and maintain trust, and an understanding of their role in the corporation or institution. Lauren J. Brisky, MBA ’75, Vice Chancellor, Administration, Vanderbilt University, described how the “right attitude” can lead to creative solutions, strategic partnerships, success, and FUN. She used the metaphor of academic faculty members being the “Hollywood talent” of an academic institution, while the administrators are the staff (e.g., “Houston to the astronauts”), who make the work of the stars go smoothly. Elizabeth S. Boylan, Ph.D. AS ’72, Provost and Dean of the Faculty, Barnard College, discussed the concept of “shared enterprises,” in which task forces constituted with diverse members can project a feeling that “we’ll all in it together.” Boylan also recommended Five Qualities of Leaders We Can Trust by Diana Chapman Walsh, president of Wellesley College.

Affinito-Stewart Grant Recipients’ Presentations Cornell Faculty members, and grant recipients, Samantha Zacher, English , Kavita Bala, Computer Science, and Rachel Bean, Astronomy, were among the presenters at the meeting. The PCCW Development Committee greatly appreciates the support they have received toward their efforts and the contributions that many of you have made. See Kavita Bala's presentation. View Rachel Bean's work.

Affinit-Stewart Grant Recipients with Lilyan Affinito

Far Above...The Campaign for Cornell: Laura Toy, Associate Vice President, Alumni Affairs and Development - More details.

Rising Tuition: Carolyn Ainslie, Vice President, Planning and Budget - More details.

Headlines from the Hill: Susan Murphy, Vice President, Student and Academic Services More information on several of the initiatives Susan discussed are available including the Master Plan and the Residential Initiative for Helen Newman Hall.

Cornell Senior Class Campaign - Mary Ellen Miller shared the following: In the spirit of “keeping with the times,” Cornell Class Officers for this year's Senior Class Campaign put together a creative and well done video in order to break senior fundraising records. It is well worth watching and mentions our own former PCCW Chairman Martha Coultrap’s challenge. Here is what Martha had to say about the video: “The videos show the creativity, energy and passion of the seniors. They are smashing through all the percentage participation records of past classes. It is just so rewarding (and lucky on my part) to have linked up with them. I just love them! People should have the opportunity to see the seniors.”  Check out the seniors on youtube.  (If that link does not work, you can find it by searching for "senior class campaign").

Affinito-Stewart Grants: Request for your Support

PCCW co-founder Lilyan Affinito joined with three of the Affinito-Stewart Grants award winners just prior to their presentations to PCCW members at the Annual Meeting in Ithaca. See the photo above. The accompanying mailing  and pledge form was sent to all PCCW members requesting your ongoing support.

PCCW Leadership Grant Recipients extend special thank you

The Cornell Women's Gymnastics Team sends a thank you note and team photo to PCCW. Women's Athletics received a $10,000 PCCW Leadership Grant.

News from our Members

SUSAN DEITZ MILMOE writes: Calling all PCCW members interested in "breaking the GRASS ceiling". Lilyan Affinito, Wendy Richman and Susan Milmoe are gearing up for their third season of fun-filled golf. Their usual venue is at one of two clubs in Westchester County, NY and they're looking for additional PCCW members who want to join them for a friendly round of golf (high handicaps are most welcome). Please contact Lilyan, Wendy or Susan if you'd like to join the group for 2007.

SOPHIE VANDEBROEK and WENDY CHIN: PCCW members Sophie Vandebroek, PhD ElecEngr '90 and Wendy Chin BS Engr '85, MEngr '86 presented together at the 24th Annual Engineering Conference, April 20-21, at Cornell. More information including their presentations are available.

TERRI ANN LOWENTHAL writes: A mid-life crisis? With the big 5-0 approaching next year and my only child (Joelle) heading to Cornell in the fall as a freshman, I finally faced the question: How do I want to live the rest of my life? The answer wasn't easy, but I decided that after 26 years in Washington, DC, it was time to move "home" to Stamford, CT, to be closer to my family and to enjoy a somewhat less stressful life in the New York City suburbs where I grew up. Joelle and I will move to a new townhouse I purchased last year (I am actually upsizing!) when she graduates from high school in early June. I will leave behind many good friends, students, and colleagues, both in the ice skating community and the policy arena, and hope to stay in touch with everyone. In Stamford, I will join the "family business": helping to direct skating programs and teaching at the Stamford Twin Rinks, which my family built ten years ago. I will suspend my consulting business ! for now -- I was getting a bit schizophrenic jumping from skating director to census guru on a daily basis -- but haven't ruled out jumping back into policy issues in the future. I definitely will get involved with the Cornell Club of Fairfield County and look forward to joining many PCCW friends at events in NYC --- a stone's throw from my new home. And by virtue of proximity and having a daughter and two nephews on campus starting next fall, I anticipate visiting Cornell more frequently!

SHERRI KLEIN writes: I have decided to focus on a personal interest of mine in the burgeoning wellness industry as a rep for nutraMetrix, an advanced line of nutraceuticals exclusive to health professionals. The isotonic (drinkable and most absorbable) vitamins and minerals and the education for doctors, dentists, nurses, physical therapists, and other healthcare professionals, are recognized by the American Medical Association, which offers CME, CE and CEU credits. That’s how high quality nutraMetrix is. If anyone is interested in learning how they can make these available to family members who are doctors or health professionals, I would be delighted to speak with them. 70% of patients are currently taking vitamins or nutritional supplements, and this gives the doctors a way to control quality, quantity and interaction with prescription drugs, and make additional income. PCCW members or their families wish to purchase these top wellness supplements (super-antioxidant OPC-3, Omega Fish Oil, Glucosatrin, Acai, MultiTech – most in drinkable form), I would be happy to extend a 20% discount on a coordinated consumer Isotonix line. I will also discount the revolutionary GENE SNP for customized nutrition in tablet form (call for details on individual pricing based on DNA-individualized formulas). These are both very competitively affordable! Sherri Klein, Nutraceutical Consultant, www.nutrametrix.com 561-995-0016

AMY MANNING writes: I had my son Jake on March 22. He joins big brother Tony. Dad/husband Greg Manning is also a Cornell graduate, Class of '90. We are all doing well! Congratulations, Amy! (new)

MARTHA A. REITMAN, M.D. writes: It turns out that there is a high second only to the birth of your child….learning that she will be an incoming freshman at Cornell in the Fall of 2007. Rich (PhD, Computer Science 78) and I (BS 78) are proud to announce the acceptance of our oldest, Laura Elizabeth Reitman, to Arts and Sciences, Class of 2011. Yet another reason to love the beauty of Ithaca and all that Cornell represents.

MITSURU CLAIRE CHINO, an Attorney at Law (California), Corporate Counsel, Legal Department, ITOCHU Corporation writes: As an alumna in Tokyo, I don't get to physically participate in much of the PCCW meetings -- this will change later in the year. I have been accepted to the Yale World Fellows Program and will be in New Haven from August. During my stay there, I hope to attend PCCW events and to return to Ithaca.

DONNA BACCHI-SMITH was just elected to the Human Ecology Alumni Association Board.

BONNIE S. REICHMAN, MD, FACP writes: On May 1, 2007, I will be receiving the 2006 Gay Clark Stoddard Memorial Award from the Greater NYC Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. This award was established by Ms. Clark in memory of her sister to recognize breast health care professionals who provide compassionate care to their patients.

ANITA HARRIS writes: I'm excited to report that Anita Harris Communications has branched out internationally as a result of new affiliations with Connect Strategic Communications of New Delhi; Margrave Communications Ltd of London; and Boston Communications Worldwide (with whom we’ve already collaborated on some fabulous projects). These relationships (and others in the works) allow us to provide clients with additional services and extended geographic outreach. (You may--or may not--know that Anita Harris Communications is an award-winning, full-service public relations firm. Based in Cambridge, MA, we help companies and organizations reach the audiences they seek to influence. Secrets of our success include: exceptional strategic planning skills, the ability to translate complex information for lay audiences, creativity, and hundreds of personal media contacts).

JENNIFER MAISEL writes: Jennifer Maisel's play, BIRDS, will open June 30th at Rorschach Theatre in Washington, D.C. and run through July. D.C. PCCW members please come to the opening - I'll be there! Buy tickets at www.rorschachtheatre.com. And my newest play, THERE OR HERE, will be part of the PlayPenn Festival in Philadelphia in July.

DONNA MARIA BLANCERO, Ph.D. editor of The Business Journal of Hispanic Research writes: I am the founding editor of a new research journal, sponsored by the National Society of Hispanic MBAs, called The Business Journal of Hispanic Research. Our first issue is due this June.

KAREN POLANSKY writes: I am pleased to announce that I became a grandma on April 2, 2007! Aiden Mark was born to my daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer Polansky '95 and Sebastian Shap in San Francisco, CA. He weighed 7 pounds and 13 ounces!

CAROLYN J. JACOBSON writes, I am the 2007 Alumna recipient of an Alice Paul Award, sponsored by the Women & Politics Institute and American University's Women’s Initiative. These annual awards recognize members of the American University community. The Alice Paul Awards are given to a faculty member, staff member, student, and alumni who demonstrate a commitment to continuing Alice Paul’s vision for women’s full equality. The recipients must show a commitment to improving the lives of women and initiative action in creating change. Recipients are nominated throughout the academic year by either themselves or colleagues. Alice Paul, an American University Washington College of Law alumna, was a leader in the suffrage movement. She authored the Equal Rights Amendment, served as president of the National Woman’s Party, and played a vital role in the passage of the 19th Amendment. (The awards were presented on March 28.) This award is given yearly to one undergraduate and graduate student, alumnus, faculty member, and staff member who best exemplify the spirit, work, and vision of Alice Paul. The Women & Politics Institute honored the recipients of the 2007 Alice Paul Awards on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 at 7:30 PM at American University 's University Club. Alumna Recipient: Carolyn Jacobson graduate with her MS in Communications from American University’s School of Communications. Carolyn has dedicated her professional career to fighting for women’s equality, especially in the workforce. She currently works for the Coalition of Labor Union Women where she serves as the Director and Creator of the Contraceptive Equity Project and the Cervical Cancer Prevention Works Project. Prior to joining CLUW, she was first the Director of Special Programs and later the Director of Public Relations/Managing Editor for the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union where she fought and lobbied tirelessly for have contraceptive coverage for members and their dependents. Carolyn is also the author of numerous works related to women and the labor movement, including chapters in The New Labor Press: Journalism for a Changing Union Movement and The Re-Education of the American Working Class.

EILEEN B. HOFFMAN (Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service) was elected President of the Labor Employment Relations Assoc. (LERA). She follows another Cornellian as president (former ILR Dean David Lipsky). What is LERA? The Labor and Employment Relations Association (LERA) is the singular organization in the country where professionals interested in all aspects of labor and employment relations network to share ideas and learn about new developments, issues, and practices in the field. Founded in 1947 as the Industrial Relations Research Association (IRRA), the National LERA provides a unique forum where the views of representatives of labor, management, government and academics, advocates and neutrals are welcome. The National LERA encompasses more than 3,000 members. Today, LERA constituencies include professionals in the areas of academic research and education, compensation and benefits, human resources, labor and employment law, labor and management resources, labor markets and economics, public policy, training and development, and union administration and organizing. Membership includes subscriptions to a number of publications, advance information and discounts on meetings, and many other opportunities to meet the leaders in our field and share ideas through participating in industry councils and interest sections. Join our professional community and become part of the dialog to share the workplace of the future. As president Eileen is serving as the program chair of its 7th National Policy Forum. "Searching for the New American Dream" is the theme of the forum which will be held at the Hotel Washington in Washington D.C. on June 14-15, 2007. See: http://www.lera.uiuc.edu/

PCCW 2008 Annual Meeting

The 2008 PCCW annual meeting dates are being held at the Statler Hotel for March 6-8, 2008. Yet to be determined are the number of days planned for next years meeting, and the availability of senior administrative staff. While the specifics of the meeting are undecided, we hope you will hold these dates and plan to join us on campus next March.

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