Assemblies Elections

Dara Brown (dpb73)

Personal Statement: Top Three Priorities: ENCOURAGE A MORE INCLUSIVE CAMPUS CULTURE, INCREASE CAMPUS SAFETY, PRESERVE THE LEGACIES OF CORNELL’S GRADUATE PROGRAMS. As a Graduate Student Trustee, I will do my best to: (1) Encourage a more INCLUSIVE campus culture by addressing campus discrimination, while continuing to promote freedom of expression. (2) Improve CAMPUS SAFETY by advocating for increased support for programs such as B.L.U.E., and by joining the Caring Community’s efforts to strengthen students’ mental health. (3) Preserve the legacies of Cornell’s Hotel School, Applied Economics and Management School, and Johnson Graduate School of Management, throughout the planning and implementation of the COLLEGE OF BUSINESS. Join the discussion on how we can maintain each school’s mission while combining the programs.

Learn more about these priorities at http://www.darabrown.com/

Experience: Co-Director; DC Stop Modern Slavery � Oversaw planning and implementation activities for a national anti-human trafficking event � Managed 100+ volunteers across various work streams (logistics, communications, fundraising and sponsorship, partner management and outreach) � Resulted in highly successful event with 2,000+ participants and raising thousands of dollars for anti-human trafficking partners

Community Involvement: Cornell Law School: � Public Interest Law Union � Black Law Students Association � Women’s Law Coalition

Undergraduate (Cornell University): � Cornell Student Assembly- Arts and Sciences Representative � Cornell Women’s Issues Committee- Chair � Cornell Alternative Breaks Program- Co-Chair � Students Against the Sexual Solicitation of Youth- Co Chair � Delta Gamma Sorority � Kappa Alpha Pi- Pre Law Fraternity

Special Interests: Fostering more effective mentorship programs for undergraduate, professional, and graduate students that better target students’ academic interests and career goals � Promoting university initiatives to integrate climate-action strategies into campus culture and to become carbon neutral by 2035 � Supporting Cornell Graduate Students United’s efforts to provide graduate employees the same labor rights and legal protections granted to all university workers.

Amy Molitoris (amm534)

Personal Statement: Although many topics should and need to be addressed by the Board of Trustees, I consider their top three priorities to include finding solutions to the ever-increasing student loan debt, remaining committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2035, and becoming a fair chance employer. The student debt crisis not only influences those that carry the burden of loans, but also their families and communities. The Board of Trustees should set a precedent by discovering and implementing strategies to improve the situation and thus people’s lives. Additionally, the Board should ensure that Cornell, a worldwide leader in academics and research, sets an example by encouraging the on-going development of carbon neutrality approaches and technologies. Lastly, since Cornell is the largest employer in Tompkins Country and thus plays a critical role in the community, the Board should advocate for the University to remove the question concerning criminal convictions from its job applications. This would give many people with a criminal history a chance at “starting over.”

As a Trustee, I will improve Cornell by both communicating and collaborating with the Assemblies and ensuring that the Board’s decisions are democratic in nature. If elected, I will be fully committed to not only informing the university’s shared governance bodies of the Board’s activities, but also to consulting the assemblies on decisions that would have academic and non-academic implications for students.

Experience: By learning from my experiences as a class officer in high school to an executive board member for organizations in college, I have discovered that communication is one, if not the, most critical aspect in leadership. This past year, I have been honored to represent the College of Veterinary Medicine as a voting member on the GPSA. In this capacity, I have given my utmost effort to voice the concerns and viewpoints of veterinary students. Furthermore, I have served as the Graduate and Professional Student Programming Chair, where my committee and I plan various mingling events for the GPSA community. In these roles, I have met many amazing Graduate and Professional Students and have learned about the issues they consider important on a University-wide level. Additionally, my communication skills have developed greatly and my commitment to advocating for the needs of not only veterinary students, but students as a whole, is now deep-seeded in my mind, heart, and soul.

Community Involvement: As a veterinary student, I have the amazing opportunity to participate in Southside Healthy Pet Clinics. Every two weeks, veterinary students run a walk-in clinic at the Southside Community Center for pets owned by families whose income is less than twice the national poverty level. We provide care for dogs and cats that might not otherwise have access to preventative medical care, and therefore sustain the indescribable human-animal bond that propelled me to become a veterinarian. Not only am I able to practice my physical exam skills by participating in Southside, but I am privileged to meet and have discussions with members of the community.

Since the fall of 2015, I have volunteered for the Cornell Catholic Community by scheduling people to read at weekly masses. Through this role I have been very fortunate to meet not only an amazing group of undergraduate students, but also members of the Ithaca community that participate in the Cornell Catholic masses and events.

Special Interests: After two years of remaining an undecided undergraduate major at the University of Pittsburgh, I pursued majors in biological sciences, psychology, and religious studies. I have a deep passion for all three of these subjects, and I love listening to podcasts and reading anything that concerns interesting scientific studies or comparative religion. Additionally, I have played the cello for over ten years, and I thoroughly appreciate both performing and watching any sort of cultural event, from the symphony to musical theater to the opera. Lastly, growing up in a household with a father and brother who loved sports, I enjoy attending baseball, basketball, and hockey games in person and watching events on television.

Nate Rogers (ngr27)

Personal Statement: As student elected trustee, I will: Work to solve the lack of AFFORDABLE HOUSING by: (1) creating and improving connections between Cornell, the City of Ithaca, local business owners, and residents; (2) championing the creation of better web-based informational tools for students; (3) advocating for a student legal service that can provide legal advice to student tenants.

Improve ACCESS TO UNIVERSITY POLICYMAKERS by: (1) recruiting trustees to attend student events, and encouraging them to develop a greater presence in the community; (2) promoting better advertising of existing opportunities for student participation; (3) demanding greater transparency of university decision-making with confidentiality only in cases that truly need it.

Increase SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS by: (1) only approving increases in international enrollment with a corresponding increase in funding for the offices that support those students; (2) pushing the university to not consider international students as a financial resource to subsidize domestic students; (3) advocating for a student legal service that can provide tax and legal advice, especially to international students.

www.natefortrustee.com

Experience: Vice President for Operations of the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GPSA) - Represented the graduate and professional student community in meetings with the university administration. - Managed the appointments of graduate and professional students to 50+ GPSA and university committees. - Authored major changes to the GPSA charter and bylaws to increase communication between the GPSA and graduate students.

GPSA Liaison to the Faculty Senate -Represented the GPSA in meetings with faculty leaders regarding issues involving both graduate and professional students and faculty.

Community Involvement: BEAR Walk Organizing Committee Member - Created 20+ teams of Cornell staff, students, city officials, and non-student residents that discussed perspectives on Collegetown and walked door-to-door distributing informational material

LEGO Robotics Education Outreach - Took LEGO Mindstorms robotics kits to local elementary school children and taught them the fundamentals of robot design

Special Interests: Plans for additional university development, especially in the East Hill Plaza area. The creation of an actionable plan to reach a carbon neutral campus in a realistic, yet short timeline.

Tiffany St. Bernard (tas278)

Personal Statement: Top Three Priorities: BROADEN DIVERSITY & INCLUSION, INCREASE HOUSING, and IMPROVE ENGAGEMENT.

Enhance campus climate and student life through strong DIVERSITY & INCLUSION initiatives; increase safe, affordable HOUSING for all students and their families; and foster campus wide ENGAGEMENT through transparent dialogs among Cornell students, faculty, and administration.

BROADEN DIVERSITY & INCLUSION by making it a priority to the Board of Trustees. This will include promoting initiatives that lead to the recruitment and retention of an increased number of diverse faculty and staff; increasing targeted pipelines for students; and facilitating mentoring relationships among the Cornell community.

Use the results from the housing and climate surveys to INCREASE the number of safe, affordable, and accessible HOUSING available on and off campus that meets the dynamic and growing needs of all students and their families.

IMPROVE ENGAGEMENT by fostering opportunities for open dialog about changing the structure of shared governance and the concept of representation among all constituents in the Cornell community.

www.stbernard4trustee.com

Experience: Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer, ManyMentors.org

Venture Capital Analyst, Excell Partners

As the Chair of the GPSA DIVERSITY & INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE I have been able to grow the number of diverse and inclusive voices that direct the committee’s goals and accomplishments this past year. The committee is comprised of a broad range of students, faculty, staff, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and sexual orientations. Our Let’s Talk Diversity & Inclusion Dinner last Fall brought together students, faculty, and stuff to discuss shortcomings in the Cornell climate. Additionally, we brainstormed action items for our committee to tackle, which we have been diligently working on this year. This dinner did not only bring to light diversity and inclusion related issues, it also provided an environment that facilitated engagement and communication across the university. If elected as your Student Trustee, I hope to continue these efforts among many others.

Community Involvement: Chair, GPSA Diversity & International Committee Voting Member, Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Voting Member, General Committee for the Graduate School Community Service Chair, Black Graduate Professional Student Association Chief Financial Officer, Technology Entrepreneurship at Cornell Commissioner, GPSA Finance Commission MentorNet Mentor/Protege Advisory Council Association of Graduate and Professional Students with Disabilities Graduate School Recruitment Ambassador BEST Program Advisory Board Women in Tech OISE Leadership Council GPSA Operations Committee Student Fellow, Blackstone Launchpad

Special Interests: Promoting engagement and communication among the student body by leveraging my interdisciplinary background and social networks.

Passionate about connecting students with opportunities and resources that help them grow personally and professionally.