By Katya Hrichak

The Association of College Unions International (ACUI) presented Kris Corda, former Big Red Barn manager, the ACUI Emeritus Award during the annual meeting held March 30 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The award, presented to individuals who have committed 10 years of employment to the profession and are either retiring or have recently retired, recognizes student activity and campus union professionals for their leadership and dedication to serving students and advancing the campus community who have also rendered exceptional service to ACUI.

“I was privileged to work at Cornell – one of the first universities to have a graduate/professional student center. We were one of the frontrunners on how to address the non-academic needs of graduate/professional students,” Corda said. “I became a resource for countless colleagues at universities that were just starting up programs for graduate/professional students.”

Having held the position of Manager of the Big Red Barn Graduate and Professional Student Center from 1999 to 2019, Corda shared many successes and ideas with other ACUI members during her years of membership, spanning writing skills workshops to family programs to speed dating and happy hours specifically geared toward graduate and professional students.

“The experience of working with graduate/professional students from all over the world who are doing such amazing research is beyond anything I could have imagined when I started my career,” Corda said. “Looking back, it could not have been any more rewarding or self-gratifying. I am proud of the work that I did, but most especially the people that I met and learned from.”

Founded in 1914, the ACUI is one of the oldest higher education associations in the United States and is focused on the work of those within the student activities fields and college unions.

Katya Hrichak is a communications assistant in the Graduate School.