Inaugural Rainbow Reception

04/05/2021 

SUNY Cortland seniors and graduate students are encouraged to register for the first annual virtual Rainbow Reception.

The reception, which will celebrate the successes and contributions of LGBTQ+ students and allies, will be held via Zoom at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 7. Current students should register online by Friday, April 9.

Faculty, staff, alumni, friends and guests may register online at any time before the event.

The keynote speaker is Jamie Piperato ’12, president of the SUNY Cortland Alumni Association Board of Directors. Founder of JPHigherEd, an identity-conscious professional development company that provides training and online courses, Piperato is a graduate assistant for the Center for Women & Gender Equity at West Chester (Pa.) University.

Other speakers include Vicki Wilkins, professor emeritus in Recreation, Parks and Leisure Studies, who will talk about the history of the Rainbow Reception. PRIDE President Alex Rheume ’20 will have an address. University President Erik J. Bitterbaum, Vice President for Student Affairs Greg Sharer and Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) faculty and staff committee co-chairs Kate Coffey and Erin Morris will also speak. 

The Rainbow Reception aims to recognize each student as a whole person and acknowledge academic, professional and personal accomplishments.

Graduating students who register will receive rainbow-colored graduation honor cords.

This event is sponsored by the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) faculty and staff committee, the PRIDE Club, SUNY Cortland Alumni Association and the Multicultural Life and Diversity Office.