A British-trained midwife, Joseph has spent nearly four decades in the U.S. working to ensure that every person experiences pregnancy, birth and postpartum with support and equity. Her groundbreaking JJ Way model delivers accessible care to those in materno-toxic zones, reimagining maternity care to center compassion and equity.
During her visit, Joseph hosted a public lecture; met with students and faculty; spoke in HE2000 Social Justice, Thriving and the Human Experience; engaged with the Ithaca community; and led a CHE community conversation. Her presence sparked dialogue across disciplines and generations.
“Jennie Joseph’s work is not only about improving outcomes. It’s about transforming systems,” said Eve DeRosa, the Mibs Martin Follett Professor in Human Ecology. “Her approach centers dignity, access and community, and her leadership continues to shape national conversations on maternal health equity.”
Each year, the college honors the legacy of Flemmie Pansy Kittrell, Ph.D. She was the first Black woman in the U.S. to earn a doctorate in nutrition and the first to receive a Ph.D. in any subject at Cornell. Joseph was selected because she embodies Kittrell’s spirit of trailblazing scholarship and social impact. Visiting scholars are awarded the Turner Kittrell Medal of Honor from the Graduate School, recognizing their significant social impact in academia, industry or the public sector at both national and international levels.
At a luncheon for graduate students representing diverse fields, including design and nutrition, the conversation ranged from personal experience to changemaking.
“This discussion was a truly eye-opening experience for me: to hear her first-hand experiences and the work she is doing predominantly with non-white women,” said Nandeep Ramesh, a Ph.D. student in Nutrition. “If you review medical or even nutrition studies, they were conducted on predominantly white populations. While in recent years it’s a little better thanks to institutional review boards, in our seminars, when we look at the papers and the population, we ask: is it representative? More often than not, they are not.”
Joseph also met with the Ithaca birthing community. With each audience, she emphasized the essential role of midwives, both historically and globally, and the critical signs that indicate a midwife may need to escalate care to an obstetrician.
“Jennie shows us that what is necessary is care, listening, dignity and empowerment. There’s a place for technology too, but what we need most is compassion and witness,” said Lauren Korfine, senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology. “We don't talk about those things as much in the academy, but we do in human ecology, which makes us special.”
