Curtis S. Ostrander, chief of Cornell University Police, was named the winner of the Kiwanis Club Frank G. Hammer Officer of the Month Award, June 15.

Ostrander was cited for having significantly improved his department's morale, reduced turnover and introduced innovative initiatives since becoming chief in 2005. He will retire from Cornell Police June 30 but will remain with the university through December as interim vice president for risk management and public safety.

His accomplishments include making officers' salaries and benefits more competitive to attract the most qualified applicants. He also secured access to all New York State Department of Criminal Justice records, crime mapping, sexual offender files and other security related data. In 2007 he initiated a training simulation in which 78 officers from eight police departments responded to an "active shooter" incident, ensuring effective interdepartmental coordination and communication under highly realistic conditions.

During Ostrander's tenure, Cornell Police placed first among campus police in New York state in 2008 and 2009 in the Law Enforcement Challenge, and second among all comparable police agencies nationally in 2008. A 2008 survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education ranked security at Cornell No. 5 out of 89 colleges and universities surveyed.

Prior to joining Cornell Police in 1997, Ostrander served in the Ithaca police department for 20 years.