Each year, the Northwestern Law Alumni Association recognizes the achievements and service of its alumni community at an awards event; this year’s event recently took place over Zoom. We are pleased to announce that one of this year’s award recipients is MSL alumna, Ana Cordova (MSL ’17): she received the Daniel B. Rodriguez Alumni Club Excellence Award. The award honors a law alum who is an active member of an alumni club and who demonstrates a commitment to enhancing the vibrancy of the Law School alumni community through philanthropic and volunteer support.
Those who know Ana know she is a proud Wildcat who is most deserving of this award – she is dedicated and committed to the Northwestern Law community. Ana serves as president-elect on the Northwestern Alumni Association of D.C., and as an alumni board member on the Northwestern Law Alumni Club of D.C. She is also actively involved as an alumni board member on the Master of Science in Law Alumni Club, working together with other MSL alumni to strengthen and promote the MSL alumni community. Ana has supported her fellow alumni both locally in D.C. and around the world in numerous ways, including by planning and hosting events and participating as a mentor in the MSL Alumni Board mentorship program.
In accepting the award, Ana talked about how excited she was to find a program that allowed her to combine her interests in science and law. She likened her fit with the MSL program to “finding a pair of shoes that fit perfectly in the store.” (And we all know how much Ana likes her shoes.)
When asked about her favorite part of being an alumna, Ana said: “It’s like a family! There’s always the opportunity for crossover between different departments. Everybody is open, engaged, and ready to partner with the other schools, departments, and programs to enhance their reach to the broader Northwestern alumni community.”
Ana shared the following advice for recent graduates and alumni, “Leverage the diverse Northwestern Alumni Community! Engage in your local alumni chapter events – it’s a great way to network and foster new relationships. The events and attendees are always welcoming and looking for new people, ideas, and approaches to engage the community. Be sure to update your Our Northwestern information so you can opt into different affinity groups, alumni clubs, newsletters, and events. I love keeping a finger on the pulse of what’s going on across our diverse alumni community and I highly recommend my fellow alumni do the same – it really helps open doors!”
Ana currently works at Digital Infuzion, a medical software company, in a hybrid role that combines her legal training and scientific background. Her previous professional positions took place at various research and educational organizations, including the AccessLex Institute, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Georgetown University School of Medicine, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and University of Texas-Houston. In addition to the MSL, Ana has a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from New Mexico State University and a master’s degree in human genetics and molecular biology from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
As a student in the Law School, Ana was actively engaged in her coursework, and also in many Northwestern activities, including LLSA, SBA, First-Gen, trivia, and others. Always doing special and creative things, Ana goes the extra mile to connect people and make them feel special. And we are not just saying this because of the numerous times she showed up with the most delicious and beautiful homemade baked goods, although that was certainly great for her classmates and the faculty and staff who got to partake.
Congratulations, Ana, and thank you for your outstanding service to the Northwestern alumni community! Check out Ana’s award acceptance here.
