The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), the largest and most comprehensive global information privacy community and resource, today announces its partnership with Syracuse University College of Law to present the new annual Kurt Wimmer IAPP Westin Scholar Award in memory of Kurt Wimmer, a longtime privacy professional and 1985 graduate of the College of Law who passed away earlier this year.
With the growing need for well-qualified privacy and data protection professionals, this award will support law students who consider a career in privacy and data protection.
Winners will receive:
Kurt Wimmer L’85
“Kurt Wimmer was an exceptional privacy leader and lawyer and has left an indelible mark in the field,” says J. Trevor Hughes, IAPP president and CEO. “We’re pleased to offer this award in Kurt’s memory at a time when developing privacy professionals is essential to the privacy industry, and we look forward to recognizing outstanding students and emerging lawyers with this honor.”
As a privacy and technology lawyer, Wimmer had a passion for working closely with clients including Facebook, Microsoft, Samsung and other multinational organizations, in addition to non-traditional clients such as the National Football League and National Hockey League. He provided invaluable counsel in navigating constantly evolving challenges with acumen and alacrity. Most recently, he had served as co-chair of Covington & Burling’s global data privacy and cybersecurity practice in Washington, D.C.
“Kurt was an exemplar for all students at the College of Law. His grace and generosity, his humility and kindness, and his depth of expertise in a field that continues to evolve in challenging and exciting ways have energized many of our students over the years,” says Dean Craig M. Boise. “While we miss Kurt—he was always willing and available to advance the mission of legal education and the success of College of Law students—the Kurt Wimmer IAPP Westin Scholar Award will remind us of the indelible mark he left on the College and inspire us always to continue the trails he blazed.”
“Kurt was an international leader in privacy, cybersecurity, technology and media law, among many other accomplishments during a career at Covington that spanned more than three decades,” says Doug Gibson, Covington’s chair. “He was a tireless pro bono advocate as well and embodied the very best values of the firm. He was a beloved friend, teacher and mentor to colleagues of all ages, and this award is a great way to keep his spirit of generosity alive.”
Wimmer, a proud alumnus of the College of Law, often served as a mentor to law students, lecturing in its classrooms, and volunteering to support and champion Syracuse lawyers.
“Kurt would be deeply moved by this honor and proud to bring together the field he was so passionate about and his alma mater,” says Kurt’s wife Stephanie. “Our children and I look forward to celebrating the Kurt Wimmer IAPP Westin Scholar Award recipients for years to come, knowing that Kurt will have inspired their journeys, as he did countless others. We are eternally grateful.”
The Wimmer family will participate in the presentation of the inaugural award, which is slated to be announced at the end of the spring semester.
For more information about the award and its requirements, please visit iapp.org/westin-research-center/higher-education.
