Cornell University ILR School

05/28/2026

During Commencement weekend, two members of the ROTC Tri-Service Brigade – Sidney Anop, ILR Class of 2026 (pictured here) and Juan Rodriguez, Engineering Class of 2026 – became Cornell’s first ROTC graduates to earn the title of "mustang," a term referring to officers who started their military careers as enlisted service members.

For Anop, who came from a family of enlisted sailors and is now a U.S. Navy ensign, meeting mustangs helped instill a belief that college and commissioning were viable options. “Cornell had people and processes in place to give me the best possible chance of success, even if I didn’t believe it myself at first,” said Anop. “As an officer, I hope to put people in situations to succeed and give them the resources they need to accomplish anything. That’s exactly what Cornell did for me.”

Read more about their stories: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2026/05/first-mustangs-among-cornell-rotcs-newly-commissioned-officers?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=ilr-ilr-anop-mustang-rotc-2026

05/27/2026

“Nothing dampens the spirit of the mighty Class of 2026.” 🎓🐻

Despite the rain, our ILR students shone bright on Commencement day! We hope you enjoyed every moment with friends and family, and no matter where the future takes you, we hope you’ll come back and visit us on the Hill. ❤️

05/23/2026

Rain or shine, the ILR Class of 2026 always works it! 🎓🫶 Congratulations, ! ❤️

05/20/2026

🎥 Club Spotlight: Climate Jobs Club

Earlier semester, we caught up with Charlotte Klein, President of the Climate Jobs Club (CJC), for a quick chat about how the club explores the intersection of climate and labor. 🌱

05/15/2026

Yesterday, we gathered to celebrate Kate Bronfenbrenner’s 33 years of teaching at the ILR School. At the retirement luncheon, ILR faculty spoke about the incredible impact Bronfenbrenner has had on labor studies, the labor movement, and the many students and scholars she has mentored and collaborated with.

Thank you for everything, Kate! ❤️

05/14/2026

Earlier this month, Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan officially declared May 7 as ILR Day in Buffalo! 🤝

Since the Buffalo Co-Lab’s founding in 1946, the ILR School has played a vital role in western New York, working in partnership with business, union, government, education and community organizations.

On May 7, this partnership was honored at an event attended by SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr., students and faculty from ILR and Buffalo State University, and other state officials.

“The partnership between SUNY - The State University of New York and the Cornell ILR School represents the very best of what higher education can do when institutions work together toward a shared purpose,” said Cathy Creighton, director of the Buffalo Co-Lab.

Read more: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2026/05/community-engaged-learning-celebrated-buffalo-co-lab-honored?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=ilr-buff-education-in-action-event-2026

05/14/2026

Get to know Claire Daviss, assistant professor in the Department of Organizational Behavior at the ILR School!

Daviss joined the ILR faculty in fall 2025, and her work focuses on labor markets, organizations and gender inequality. Her recently published research has covered topics such as the influence of remote work on motherhood penalties in hiring decisions, and the effect of employers’ interactions with workers on their gender preferences in hiring.

Read the full Q&A: https://www.ilr.cornell.edu/news/faculty/get-know-claire-daviss?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=ilr-marcomm-claire-daviss-q&a-2026

05/13/2026

🎥 Club Spotlight: ILR Global Affairs Club

Earlier this semester, we caught up with Isabella, President of the ILR Global Affairs Club (IGAC), to learn more about the club’s annual activities and global perspective. 🌎

05/13/2026

Undergraduate Global Scholars from the Einaudi Center for International Studies, including the ILR School's Jonathan Lam '27, spent the year brainstorming how to build effective, community-engaged international aid. 🌏 Students recently presented their projects at Einaudi's annual showcase, highlighting country-specific perspectives on aid and exploring new options for the future!

Read more: https://einaudi.cornell.edu/news/ugs-building-what-comes-next?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=ilr-marcomm-einaudi-global-scholars-2026

05/12/2026

After graduating from ILR, Scott Alter '01 spent several years working in investment banking and real estate investment. Then the financial crisis of 2008 happened.

Instead of pivoting away from real estate, Alter and his friend Jeff Jaeger decided to lean in: they founded Standard Communities with a focus on providing affordable housing. 🏠

“I kept running into an uncomfortable gap between what was available in the market and what people actually could afford,” Alter says. “Studying labor economics and industrial relations at Cornell, I first really grasped that the combination of work and housing really shapes everything else in a person's life. A safe, stable home and job are the foundations everything else is built on. That idea has never left me.”

Standard Communities is now among the largest affordable housing owners in the country, with more than 30,000 units across 22 states and more than 160 employees.

Read the full alumni feature: https://alumni.cornell.edu/snack-bar/the-good-cornellians-can-do-scott-alter-01/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=ilr-aad-scott-alter-2026

05/11/2026

On May 6, Wendy Strobel Gower, executive director of the K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Institute on Employment and Disability at the ILR School, provided testimony before the New York State Senate at a public hearing.

The hearing aimed to examine barriers to employment for individuals with disabilities in New York and assess the effectiveness of existing state policies in promoting equitable employment opportunities.

"New York has powerful levers to … strengthen economic security for people with disabilities and protect civil rights," Strobel Gower explained. "By building on existing initiatives and continuing strong cross-agency leadership, the state is positioned to become a national model."

Individuals with disabilities face numerous challenges in the workplace, but the state can help, according to Wendy Strobel Gower, executive director of the ILR School’s Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability.