For the first time, the Cornell Women's Resource Center (WRC), a student organization, has a full-time, professional administrative director.

Candace Rypisi (pronounced Re'pish), formerly a project coordinator for the Office of Women's Programs and Studies at Colorado State University, has taken the reins of the resource center, a student organization that provides resources and referral, education and outreach, and support and advocacy services to Cornell and the community.

As the administrative director, Rypisi will ensure that the resource center is fully staffed and coordinated with other gender activities on campus; she also will expand and update the WRC resources, develop an extensive referral database and develop related activities to be sponsored by the WRC.

Rypisi has scheduled an open house for the WRC for Oct. 7, 4 to 6 p.m. in 207 Willard Straight Hall. Students, staff, faculty and interested members of the community are welcome.

The WRC has a lending library and a database of resources available to Cornell and the community. It also sponsors and co-sponsors various events and programming efforts that focus on gender-related issues. Both women and men have access to the services of the WRC.

"As a result of new funding from the Student Assembly and additional support from the Women's Studies Program at Cornell, the Women's Resource Center, which has been run by students on and off since the 1970s, has the opportunity to expand its efforts, help build a community of women and men who are interested in gender-related issues and hopefully grow into becoming an integral part of the Cornell community," Rypisi said.

With its new funding, the WRC will help develop a comprehensive calendar of events that focus on gender-related issues. Rypisi also hopes to begin reading circles to provide students the opportunity to discuss a variety of current material.

The WRC is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Wednesdays until 8 p.m. in 207 Willard Straight Hall, telephone (607) 255-0015.