Student achievements celebrated at annual McPherson dinner

ILR student award winners were named during the school's annual McPherson Honors and Awards Dinner.

The celebration was initiated by Jim McPherson, an assistant dean and director of the Office of Student Services from 1983 until his death in 2002.

"It was Jim's vision that shaped this program into the recognition event that it has become, and it was one of his favorite events each year," Laura Lewis said during the April event at the Statler Hotel.  Lewis is director of ILR Student Services.

Students named by ILR's Academic Standards and Scholarships Committee, comprised of faculty members, included some awards specifically for seniors.  Those award winners, and some of their activities, are:

  • Aaron Gingrande '08, who won the James Campbell Award, given to a senior who best represents academic excellence, personal qualities of humility and friendliness, and service to ILR. Gingrande studied in Beijing for a semester and worked in Korea last summer. He has been a Presidential Research Scholar for four years, and has been involved in Cornell's jazz ensemble.
  • Katelyn McClellan '08, who received one of two Daniel Alpern Awards, given for scholarship, leadership and service to the school. McClellan was elected as president of the ILR Student Government Association for two years. Her leadership has resulted in a number of innovative student initiatives, including a Welcome Event for new students to learn about ILR organizations.
  • Kerry Motelson '08, who also received a Daniel Alpern Award, given for scholarship, leadership and service to the school. She is vice president of finance for Delta Sigma Pi Professional Fraternity, president of the ILR Professional Business Organization and a volunteer at the We Will Ride Therapeutic Program for Disabled Children.
  • Javeste Dulcio '08, who received the Irving M. Ives Senior Award, given annually to the senior who best demonstrates the qualities of good faith, integrity, responsibility, cooperativeness and good will. She is an executive board member of Cornell's Community Partnership Funding Board, founder and program developer for the Triple Threat Commitment Service Program.
Other ILR student award winners named this spring include:
  • Serena Cheung '09, for a John O'Donnell Prize in Labor Law, recognizing an undergraduate for his or her outstanding paper in the required Labor and Employment Law class.
  • Brian Donovan '10, also won a John O'Donnell Prize in Labor Law, recognizing an undergraduate for his or her outstanding paper in the required Labor and Employment Law class.
  • Griffin Oleynick '08, won the Salvatore Family Prize in American History, recognizing a student who has written an outstanding history paper.
  • Michael Snyder '08, won the Seidman Prize. Student nominations are based on research papers in collective bargaining, labor history, labor law, union administration and arbitration.
  • Daniel Berkowitz '08, won the Edward M. Snyder Prize in Statistics. It is awarded annually by the faculty in the department of Statistics to a student who is a teaching assistant and who exemplifies the academic excellence, personal qualities and achievement for which Ed Snyder is remembered.
  • Griffin Oleynick '08, was named a Merrill Presidential Scholar. A Merrill Scholar is in the top five percent of his or her class and has demonstrated academic excellence, leadership ability, community involvement and the potential for continued contributions to society.
  • Kerry Motelson '08, was also named a Merrill Presidential Scholar. A Merrill Scholar is in the top five percent of his or her class and has demonstrated academic excellence, leadership ability, community involvement and the potential for continued contributions to society.

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