PCCW members interact with students, administrators

Daryl Lund, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, greets, from right, PCCW members Carol Kiryluk '70, Laraine Zappert '67 and Cindy Froggatt '85 at a panel discussion March 27 in the Statler Hotel amphitheater. Nicola Kountoupes/University Photography

By Linda Grace-Kobas

With record numbers of members, women students and faculty attending, the President's Council of Cornell Women (PCCW) held its annual spring meeting on campus last weekend.

Founded in 1990, the alumni group's mission is to advance the involvement and leadership of women students, faculty, staff and alumnae within Cornell and throughout the university's many constituent communities.

During the three-day conference, members offered networking and mentoring opportunities for students, which is one of PCCW's highest priorities. They also heard reports about current university issues from President Hunter Rawlings, Provost Don M. Randel, Associate Provost Winnie Taylor, vice presidents Inge Reichenbach, Susan H. Murphy and Ronald Ehrenberg, several deans and Charles Moore, director of athletics.

Almost 200 women students attended the networking luncheon March 28, which offered them the opportunity to discuss career opportunities and real-world issues with the successful professional women who make up PCCW's membership.

PCCW also hosted a reception March 27 for women faculty, which brought 90 faculty to the Statler for the chance to network with the 76 PCCW members at the conference.

Another reception was held March 28 for recipients of 1997 PCCW grants. One of the group's most important goals is to aid in the retention of women faculty. The grants program provides "seed money" to women Ph.D. candidates and faculty to help expand the national pool of women qualified to advance along the tenure track. Since 1992, PCCW has awarded $166,000 to 96 women at Cornell; 84 percent of faculty recipients still teach at Cornell.

Jan Rock Zubrow '77, current chair of PCCW, announced at the meeting that PCCW's grant program will be named the Affinito-Stewart Grant Program after the two strong advocates for women who helped establish the group -- Lilyan Affinito '53 and Patricia Carry Stewart '50.

PCCW has made an important, five-year commitment to women's athletics on campus, announced Martha F. Coultrap '71, chair of the development committee. The group will provide $75,000 to support a new women's softball field that will be dedicated April 25.

Rawlings, in his remarks to the group March 28, stressed the importance of increasing the number of women on the faculty and professional staff and praised PCCW members for their important contributions toward this goal.