Credit: Jason Koski/University Photogaphy

A Cornell staff member, two faculty members and two students received Constance E. Cook and Alice H. Cook Recognition Awards April 23 for their contributions to improving the climate for women at Cornell. The awards were presented at a recognition luncheon at Alice Cook House.

The awards are granted by the Advisory Committee on the Status of Women, a campus group, and are selected from nominations by members of the Cornell community.

The 2009 recipients are:

• Judith Appleton, the Vet College's associate dean for academic affairs, for her work in establishing the college's Committee on the Status of Faculty Women, which focuses on gender equity issues. Appleton was also cited in nomination letters for her advocacy of rapid advances in achieving gender and minority balance at the college.
• Krystal Bruyer, a senior concentrating in human resource studies, for her leadership in revitalizing the ILR Women's Caucus. As president for the past two years, Bruyer greatly increased the quality and quantity of caucus events and raised the group's profile on campus, according to a nomination letter. The caucus facilitates leadership and project management skills among women and supports efforts to overcome gender barriers.
• Keesha Hayes, a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, for her dedication to female student issues. Hayes helped plan the Empowering Women in Science in Engineering conference held in June 2007, was selected by Diversity Programs in Engineering as a "student of the month" and is currently a co-leader of the Chemical Biomolecular Engineering Graduate Women group.
• Melissa Thomas-Hunt, associate professor of management and organizations at the Johnson School, for establishing the school's equity-inclusion lab, which facilitates research on gender, status, race and diversity. A principal investigator for the CU-Advance Center, Hunt was also cited in nomination letters for her work as a role model for and mentor of female students.
• Judy Virgilio, office manager of the Department of Government, for her work as a mentor of departmental staff and her contributions to the quality of women's lives in the department. Nomination letters also commended her work to create a welcoming environment for female faculty, graduate students and undergraduates.

The awards are named for Constance Cook, Cornell's first woman vice president, and Alice Cook (no relation to Constance), one of the first women faculty members at the ILR School. Both were early advocates for women at Cornell.