Robert Barker/University Photography

Richard McDaniel, left, and Dennis Osika celebrate a combined total of 52 years as Cornell employees. They will both retire this month.

Two longstanding Cornell employees are retiring in January, having served the university for a combined total of 52 years. On Dec. 23, Dennis Osika '64, director of the Grounds Department, was honored at a farewell luncheon and at a reception Jan. 6. The Cornell community celebrated the 28-year career of Richard McDaniel, M.P.A. '74, M.B.A. '78, vice president for risk management and public safety, Dec. 17.

Osika has held his position since he was hired in 1984. His accomplishments include marked progress in planting hundreds of trees to enhance the university's mature tree population and future energy conservation, relocating his department to a new, efficiently organized maintenance facility and helping to increase recycling of campus solid waste to more than 60 percent from 10 percent during the last 17 years.

However, he is most proud, he said, of major improvements in the department's overall professionalism, technical skills, fleet quality, customer service and teamwork.

"We have a wonderful staff that has accomplished a great deal with a limited number of people, considering the huge size of campus," he said.

In retirement, Osika plans to enjoy more kayaking, sailing and fishing, to continue volunteering for Habitat for Humanity and to relandscape his personal property. "My hobby and passion in life is landscape beautification. Having the opportunity to work at my own alma mater and pursue my hobby along with other dedicated facilities colleagues has been a wonderful way to go," he said.

His favorite place on campus? The A. D. White garden: "It's an oasis."

Peter Salino '79, former departmental landscape manager, succeeded Osika as of Jan. 6.

McDaniel, who steps down Jan. 31, plans to focus on his consulting company and charitable work; he said, "I call it repurposing, not retirement."

Curtis Ostrander, associate vice president within Cornell University Finance and Administration and chief of Cornell Police, has been named McDaniel's interim replacement.

In 1975, McDaniel's first university position was as the Cornell Store's business manager. He subsequently worked up the campus ladder, from director of Cornell Business Services to associate vice president for campus and business services.

One of his most recent accomplishments was overseeing the creation in early 2007 of the Division of Risk Management and Public Safety.

"So much has happened in our world -- from 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina to the Virginia Tech shootings -- [so now] you have a lot more issues of physical safety and compliance with federal and state regulations," McDaniel said. "They have just multiplied."

Among other initiatives, the division has implemented mass notification systems, emergency and response planning and compliance management. McDaniel pointed to his colleagues as the reason for the division's accomplishments. "There are no Lone Rangers in the world," he said. "If you get right people together, you can make good things happen."