Everyone Knows Her Name (and Smile): Cheryl Vossmer
2000–2010
If you’ve been working at MIT for any time at all, chances are you know Cheryl Vossmer. Vossmer, MIT Police Administrative Captain, has been working at MIT for more than 30 years, and with each passing year the list of activities in which she partakes to make MIT a safer, kinder, and gentler place has grown.
This isn’t about just being a “good cop,” which no doubt Vossmer is—she was promoted to Captain in 2015. It’s also about being a friend and champion to the students and employees. In other words, Vossmer is the epitome of a true MIT citizen.
Some might know Vossmer as the person whose session can’t be missed during freshman orientation. Others might know her for her partnership with the LBGT and graduate student communities to advance MIT’s inclusion efforts. And still others know her as the friendly police officer who brought her dog to campus to offer some pet therapy to stressed-out students during finals week. Over the years, she has provided support, fun, and perspective to countless students and employees.
Whether she’s tending to MIT’s community gardens, organizing pancake breakfasts for students, or teaching self-defense to women across campus, her passion for the MIT community is immeasurable. Indeed, it was Vossmer’s deep involvement in the development of the Collier Medal and Collier Memorial that helps to ensure that MIT Policeman Sean Collier will be remembered for decades to come.
Not surprisingly, MIT has recognized Vossmer in various ways over the years, including a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership award in 2002, an MIT Excellence Award in 2007, and an honorary membership in the MIT Alumni Association in 2009. As then-Alumni Association President Toni Schuman noted when awarding Vossmer’s honorary Alumni Association membership: “Cheryl is not only the face of Campus Police for many, she is also the smile of Campus Police.”
Photo: MIT Police
Next 2010–2016: Tina Chen
Presented by Human Resources at MIT
Sources
The Tech. “Nice People Lurk All Over MIT.”
The Tech. “Breakfast Celebrates MLK Day.”
MIT Division of Student Life. “RAD: Empowering Women at MIT Since 1990.”
MIT Rewards and Recognition. 2007 MIT Excellence Award.
MIT Alumni Association. “Tech Day Lunch 2009.”
MIT Division of Student Life. “MIT Students and Staff Serve Up Flapjacks for Finals.”
MIT News. “Gardeners on the Roof.”