Appreciation for Cornell support

Ross Boyer, left, and his wife, Lonnie, present Cornell President Jeffrey Lehman with a certificate of appreciation from the U.S. Army for the support Cornell provided while Boyer was serving on active duty in 2003. Boyer is a programmer with Cornell Information Technologies and a major in the U.S. Army Reserve, whose current duties include assisting Cornell ROTC. The certificates usually are mailed to employers, but Boyer asked to present his in person. While the law requires employers to hold a job open for military personnel during their active duty service, Cornell goes beyond the law by maintaining health insurance for the employee's family and in some cases making up the difference between the employee's salary and military pay for up to 90 days. "Cornell wasn't supporting the Army, they were supporting the Boyer family," Boyer said. Frank DiMeo/University Photography