Dave Burbank

Semifinalist Shawn Ma ’15 chats with Susan Murphy '73, Ph.D. '94, vice president for student and academic services, at the Robinson Appel Humanitarian Awards ceremony April 25.

Three Cornell students won Robinson Appel Humanitarian Awards April 25 for projects that feed the poor, instill community pride and help senior citizens advocate for health care. The programs are administered by the Cornell Public Service Center.

Gerald Robinson ’54, Margot Robinson ’55, Robert Appel ’53 and Helen Appel ’55 established the awards to recognize students who have given significant community service through their projects. The awards include a grant of $1,500 to further service project ideas or programs.

The winning students and their projects:

Jonathan Lowry ’16, a biology and government major in the College of Arts and Sciences, for the Food Recovery Network, which redirects extra food from Cornell’s dining facilities to local food pantries. The program seeks to involve every all-you-care-to-eat dining facility on campus.

Ilana Beller ’14, a psychology major in the College of Arts and Sciences, for Youth Outreach Undergraduates Reshaping Success (Y.O.U.R.S.), which seeks to get local youth more involved in the community while instilling a sense of community pride and awareness. Y.O.U.R.S. will provide a forum where young people can meet with mentors to carry out community activities at the 4-H community space and help with transitioning to college through shadowing and mentorship opportunities and college preparatory resources. To give the program participants, many of whom are from disadvantaged backgrounds, a better idea of local resources, YOURS will organize trips to highlight the resources available in the area, including community church dinners, the public library and public transportation.

Charles Sharkey ’15, a chemical engineering major in the College of Engineering, for Making the Most of Your Healthcare, a program focused on empowering elderly Ithaca patients to be effective advocates of their own health via a program and individual counseling at Lifelong, a community organization focused on enhancing the lives of older adults in Tompkins County. The program will detail strategies and methods to help patients better understand their health and maximize the health care they receive.

Semifinalists were Nancy Bell, a graduate student in the ILR School, for Mayor Potential, a program to inspire children to stay in school; Angela Han ’14, a psychology and music major in the College of Arts and Sciences, for Project *Star*: Celebrating Women, a workshop series that strives to provide all who self-identify as female with the opportunities to nurture positive relationships with themselves and others; Hadar Sachs ’17, an urban and regional studies major in the College of Architecture, Art and Planning, for Design Connect, a student organization that works on design and planning projects for upstate New York communities; Shawn Ma ’15, a biological sciences major in the College of Arts and Sciences, for MacCormick Secure Center’s REACH program, which focuses on tutoring and mentoring.

Students presented to Leonardo Vargas-Mendez, executive director of the Cornell Public Service Center, and a panel of alumni.