UAlbany's Downtown Campus Gives Alumni Awards, "Mayor" of the Pentagon to be Keynote Speaker

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When the "Mayor" speaks, the Pentagon listens. David O. Cooke Sr. (M.S.'42), director of administration and management for the office of the secretary of defense and known by many as the "Mayor" of the Pentagon, will deliver the keynote address when the University at Albany's Downtown Campus presents its 2001 Distinguished Alumni Awards. The event will be held on Wednesday, November 28, at 6:30 p.m. at the governor's executive mansion, 138 Eagle St. in Albany.

Cooke, who will also receive the Nelson A. Rockefeller Distinguished Alumnus Award in Public Service, acquired his nickname because of the power his office wields over the day-to-day life in the department's huge headquarters. He oversees the operation, maintenance and protection of the entire Pentagon Reservation, which spans 280 acres and includes the Pentagon, its power plant, the Navy Annex and numerous other department buildings. Other award winners are:

Christine A. Varney (B.A.'77) a partner at Hogan and Hartson, L.L.P., will receive the Distinguished Alumna Award in Political Science. She rejoined the firm after five years in government service. She served as a Federal Trade Commissioner from 1994-97, where she was the administration's leading official on a wide variety of Internet issues. Varney also served as an advisor to former President Bill Clinton and secretary to the Cabinet.

Judith R. Saidel (M.A.'73, Ph.D.'90) will be honored with the Distinguished Alumna Award in Public Affairs and Policy. She is executive director of the Center for Women in Government and an assistant professor of Public Administration and Policy at UAlbany. The center promotes equity in public service. Saidel is also co-principal investigator of "Appointed Policy Makers in State Government," a multi-year project funded by the Ford Foundation. Her research interests include interdependence issues between public agencies and non-profit organizations, and representative bureaucracy.

Edmund F. McGarrell (M.A.'81, Ph.D.'86) will receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award in Criminal Justice. He is director and professor in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. He was also director of the Crime Control Policy Center at the Indianapolis-based Hudson Institute, where he is currently an adjunct senior fellow. McGarrell is working with a number of courts on developing evaluation capacity in the areas of juvenile intervention programs and drug and alcohol treatment programs.

Carol A. Desch (M.L.S.'77) will be given the Distinguished Alumna Award in Information Science and Policy. She is director of the division of Library Development at the New York State Library. Working in partnership with the 74 library systems, the division brings cost effective, modern library services to the millions of people who use New York's 7,000 academic, public, school, and special libraries. She has contributed several articles to professional journals.

Patricia P. Pine (Ph.D.'93) will receive the Distinguished Alumna Award in Social Welfare. She is director of the New York State Office for the Aging, where she oversees approximately 150 people and directs a $300 million statewide network delivering community-based services to older New Yorkers. She served as a Governor's Delegate to the 1995 White House Conference on Aging. Throughout her career, Pine has taught extensively about aging issues.

The awards recognize and celebrate the dedication and achievements of outstanding alumni who represent the University's tradition of strength in social sciences and public policy.

For more University at Albany information, visit our World Wide Web site at https://www.albany.edu.

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November 21, 2001

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