A second year graduate student in the ILR School, Anne Davis is known for her hard work and friendly demeanor. Born in Utica, NY, not far from Ithaca, Davis went from T.R. Proctor Sr. High, Utica’s public high school, to the State University of New York at Binghamton, where she self-financed her studies. Davis graduated magna cum laude in May of 2000, earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Management, with a dual concentration in Finance and Human Resource Management.

As an undergraduate student, Anne balanced her time between her studies and working as a Resident Assistant for two academic years and serving as the President of both the Student Society for Human Resource Management and Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society. Additionally, Anne held the office of Vice President for Golden Key National Honor Society and was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society. As an undergraduate student Anne also worked as a tour guide, a library assistant, a tutor, and a Peer Assistant for the university’s Career Development Center. She worked as a teaching assistant for “Financial Accounting,” and volunteered her time in the local Binghamton community by helping to plan holiday events for underprivileged children through the United Way.

The ILR School’s outstanding reputation drew Anne to complete her graduate work here. After researching programs for advanced studies in human resources and labor relations, she “fell in love” with Cornell University’s ILR program and set her sights on attending in the Fall of 2000. Since arriving at ILR, Anne has become a member of the Graduate Student Association and has worked as the Alumni Bulletin Coordinator for the ILR Office of Career Services. This semester Anne will be a teaching assistant for the Organizational Behavior Department. Anne spent her summer working as an intern for General Mills, a position she found through on-campus recruiting. Though she had several other offers, “General Mills seemed like the best fit.” Anne says she “very much enjoyed the experience,” especially working in a plant.

“So much about the ILR School impresses me, all the time,” Anne shares. “The faculty are fantastic and I have the opportunity to learn from them as well as [from] my very bright classmates.” Anne also credits the ILR staff with helping to create a great graduate experience, as well as the many “extras” that the School offers. “I really appreciate opportunities unique to our ILR program,” she says, citing CAHRS, lectures with prominent guests, and the heavy recruiting volume as a few examples. Davis also cites the benefits of taking classes that incorporate labor studies, something that her undergraduate program didn’t cover. “It’s refreshing to learn about an issue I enjoy from many perspectives.”

—ILR Connections, Winter 2002