ITHACA, N.Y. -- Kristine M. DeLuca-Beach has been named director of the Cornell University office of the Cornell Commitment, which encompasses three universitywide undergraduate recognition programs. She has been acting director, and her position as director becomes effective immediately.

"Kris brings considerable direct experience to this role, having served as acting director for the past eight months," says Susan H. Murphy, Cornell vice president for student and academic services. "Her dedication to students is long standing and she brings a professional expertise that will benefit all of the programs within the Cornell Commitment. Her long association with the university provides her with many strong connections across the campus and among alumni. We are fortunate to have her leadership."

The three recognition programs of the Cornell Commitment are the Cornell Tradition, the Meinig Family Cornell National Scholars and the Cornell Presidential Research Scholars. These programs provide scholarships, support for undergraduate research projects and internships, service opportunities and leadership development programming, among other opportunities, for a select group of outstanding Cornell students.

DeLuca-Beach first started working in the office of the Cornell Commitment in October 2000 as the first full-time director of the Meinig Family Cornell National Scholars program, which includes about 200 undergraduate scholars. She will maintain primary responsibility for that program while taking on leadership of the Cornell Commitment.

"It is an honor to be affiliated with such a unique set of programs, deliberately designed to facilitate student growth, enrich students' Cornell experience and influence their future commitment to a larger community," says DeLuca-Beach. "I look forward to working with my colleagues -- along with the students, alumni and friends of all the Cornell Commitment programs -- to build on our incredible history and to ensure the strength and continued contributions of these programs."

Prior to joining the Cornell Commitment, she served for nine years as director of career services for Cornell's College of Human Ecology, after serving for five years as a career planning and placement specialist for the college. She began her career at Cornell in 1982 as publicity coordinator for the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art.

DeLuca-Beach graduated magna cum laude in 1981 with a B.A. in sociology from Ithaca College, and she is nearing completion of an M.P.S. in human service administration at Cornell.

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o Cornell Commitment: http://www.commitment.cornell.edu/ .