Warm greetings on behalf of the Human Ecology Alumni Association Board! As a first-term president last fall, I was so looking forward to our annual fall board meeting, a time when we traditionally gather on campus to lay the groundwork for a year of meaningful volunteer activities. Although the pandemic kept us physically apart, it inspired even greater connections as we sought to support the College, our students, and one another in the most trying of times.

From our respective “Zoom rooms,” we connected through the course of the year for some truly inspiring events and initiatives to benefit our students and community:

• Our members reached out through email, phone and Zoom to dozens of alumni, including seniors who were isolated from family and friends, to share updates from the College or simply listen and chat.
• In place of our annual signature event in New York City, we hosted two webinars on the very relatable theme of “wellness”:
  • Optimizing your Nutritional Wellness, featuring Martha Stipanuk, MS ’72 (James Jamison Professor Emerita in Nutrition), Wendy Sterling ’99 and Lisa Drayer ’96
  • Parenting in the Pandemic: Turning Lemons into Lemonade: Support for the Care of Young Children, featuring Nava Silton ’02

If you are interested in these topics, a replay is available on the Cornell Video on Demand website.

• We supported ten student research projects through the Alan D. Mathios Research and Service Grants fund in diverse areas including health and nutrition, mental wellbeing, sustainability, and technology and apparel. Given how uniquely challenging this period was for students, we also provided funds to support the College’s internship program, helping students participate in job opportunities, many of which include a research and service component.
• We continued our career networking focus virtually through the annual “Just Juniors” event for students, and a successful “Career Huddle” for young alumni, hosted jointly by the HEAA board and the Human Ecology Young Alumni Council (HEYA). In small breakout rooms, alumni from the fields of consulting, design and fashion, education and non-profit, finance, and media and marketing shared career advice and personal stories of how their Human Ecology education influenced their career paths.  
• We are proud to sponsor the “HEROES” Award — Human Ecology Recognizing Outstanding Examples of Service — a tribute to alumni who made selfless contributions to their community, workplace, or those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. We thank everyone who submitted nominations and look forward to sharing the full honor roll this fall!

As the College continues to thrive, we will continue to work tirelessly to help propel it forward. Not even a pandemic could keep us from our heartfelt mission as volunteers and ambassadors. Thank you for your commitment to Human Ecology and we hope to “see” you soon! 

Sincerely,

Andréa

Andréa (Meadow) Danziger ’88
President, Human Ecology Alumni Association Board

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