Judith O’Rourke

Judith O’Rourke is the Director of the Offi ce of Undergraduate Studies at Syracuse University. In this position, Ms. O’Rourke is responsible for developing and implementing programs to support academic excellence at the University. A graduate herself of Syracuse University, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1975 and Master’s in Public Administration in 2010.

In February 2014, Ms. O’Rourke was invested as an Offi cer in the Order of the British Empire for her hard work and dedication with the Syracuse-Lockerbie Scholars program. This program, along with the Remembrance Scholars program at Syracuse University, was established in 1989 to honor the 270 individuals who tragically lost their lives in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in December 1988. Those lost include 35 Syracuse University students and 11 Lockerbie townspeople.

For the past 25 years, Ms. O’Rourke has been recognized as the American face of the program. She has served as the liaison between Syracuse University and the families of the Pan Am victims. Through her devoted leadership, she has mentored and advised the nearly 50 Lockerbie Scholars who each attend Syracuse for one year as visiting scholars following their graduation from Lockerbie Academy. The Lockerbie Scholars, along with the over 800 Remembrance Scholars honored since 1989, have kept alive the memories of those killed in the bombing and worked to better their communities and prevent terrorism.

Ms. O’Rourke spends her spare time doing what she loves - quilting. Currently, she leads Syracuse University’s Hendricks Chapel Quilters, where she devotes her time and talents helping students make quilts, which they donate to local children’s charities within the community.

Judy and her husband, Ed, a music teacher in the Syracuse City Schools, are the parents of three daughters who are all graduates of Corcoran High School (Syracuse) and New York State colleges. They are also the proud grandparents of Mason Edward Berlin.