Sigma Pi - Cornell University

Page 3 SP M u alumnus and Foundation board member, Kurt Rasmussen '80, was chosen to serve as the Director of the Division of Therapeutics and Medical Consequences to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a part of the National Institutes of Health, on April 30. Kurt's career spans more than 30 years of research and leadership experiences in pharmacology and neuroscience therapeutics. The Educational Foundation commends Kurt for his hard work and for serving as an exemplary figure to both under- graduates and alumni alike. After graduating from Cornell with honors and distinction in 1980 with a bachelor of arts degree in biopsychology, Kurt attended Princeton where he received doctorates in neuroscience and psychology in 1985. He later completed his postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine. With the completion of his studies, Kurt began his career at Eli Lilly & Co., where he most recently served as a senior research advisor. As an in- ternationally recognized neuroscientist, he has more than three decades of experience in basic addiction research and drug development. Kurt has also displayed extensive knowledge of neuropsychiatric and neurological therapeutics and is known for his expertise in pharmaceutical discovery research from hypothesis production to clinical candidate evaluation. A great deal of his work has focused on identifying novel mechanisms for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, including addiction. With his new position, Kurt will lead a team that conducts studies to evalu- ate the safety and efficacy of pharmacotherapies, behavioral therapies, and devices to treat substance use disorders through peer reviewed grants, con- tracts, and interagency agreements. Kurt expressed how honored he is to join such a talented team at the National Institute of Drug Abuse and looks forward to addressing issues associated with substance use disorders. "My goal is to help bring new treatment options to the millions of patients suffering from addiction to opioids and other sub- stances." To find out more about the National Institute of Drug Abuse, please visit www.drugabuse.gov. T he Educational Foundation board and I would like to inform our loyal alumni and other supporters that Aaron Klein '12 decided to step down from his role as treasurer at the end of this fiscal year, which conclud- ed June 30. While we are sad to learn of and regretful to share this news, we are primarily thankful for his years of service to the Education Foundation and that he will continue to serve as a Foundation board member beyond the end of his term as treasurer. Aaron served in multiple chapter leadership roles before graduating in 2012 with a degree in industrial and la- Board Members in the News Kurt Rasmussen '80 Welcomed into New Position at the National Institute on Drug Abuse T he Educational Foundation is excited and proud to announce that Family & Children's Service of Ithaca (F&CS) recently renamed its outstanding volunteer award after Sandy True '78, presenting the Sandy True Award for Ex- ceptional Volunteerism at its annual meeting on May 17. Sandy is a Cornell alumna, Sigma Pi sweetheart, and current member of the Mu Chapter of Sigma Pi Educational Foundation's board of directors. Sandy has long been involved in leadership roles with F&CS, having served two terms on its board, chairing 1997-99, and providing lead- ership for multiple promotional and fundrais- ing campaigns. "This was especially important when demand for mental health services at F&CS exceeded the capacity of our old house. Sandy heard this loudly, and she co-chaired the Opening New Doors capital campaign. The cam- paign was a huge success and helped F&CS pur- chase the beautiful building that we call home today," a representative of the F&CS said. She also chaired the Cayuga at Twilight Committee, which was the 2018 recipient of the Sandy True Award. This committee and event have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars—all in support of children's mental health services. The newly named award is "presented when there is a volunteer, or committee of volunteers, through exceptional volunteerism have demon- strated devotion and commitment to advancing the mission of F&CS, and the volunteerism, long-lasting impacts have been realized." Sandy has spent more than 25 years as a volun- teer for non-profit agencies in Ithaca in the areas Local Non-Profit Names Award for Long- time Sigma Pi Supporter, Sandy True '78 Aaron Klein '12 Finishes Another Chapter in His Service to Sigma Pi Article originally provided by Tom Silver '81 and featured in the spring 2018 issue of The Muse. of fundraising, event planning, major gift program develop- ment, and capital campaigns, including the last three years assisting Sigma Pi alumni in bringing the College Mentors for Kids program to Cornell University and serving as the liaison between the Ithaca City School District, Caroline Elementary School, Ca- yuga Heights Elementary School, College Men- tors for Kids National, and Sigma Pi. In 2015, the Cornell Fraternity and Sorority Awards selected Sandy True as the recipient for the Distinguished Alumni Service Award for her work with the Col- lege Mentors for Kids program. To learn more about Family & Children's Ser- vice of Ithaca, please visit www.fcsith.org. To learn more about Sigma Pi's work with College Mentors for Kids, please visit musigmapifoun- dation.com/foundation-initiatives/college- mentors. (Continued on page 6)

• Cover