Student Leadership
Student Leadership
The Global Health Program at Cornell University embraces and utilizes undergraduate student knowledge, lived experience, passion and commitment to sustain and strengthen programmatic partnerships, curriculum and activities. Students are encouraged to take on leadership roles, such as the Global Health Student Advisory Board, which focuses on community engagement, fostering alumni relations, and organizing major events such as the Experiential learning Symposium.
The Global Health Student Advisory Board (GHSAB) facilitated an environment of growth and created an uplifting community on campus for me to explore my interests in health equity and implementation science. I deeply cherish the long-lasting friendships and connections I have formed as a part of this community. Serving as the co-president and working in leadership roles in the Cornell community more broadly have helped me grow as an individual and, more importantly, as a team member. Since graduating, I have been using many of the academic and professional skills I gained in the Cornell Global Health community as a clinical research coordinator at the UCSF School of Medicine. I am confident I will continue using these experiences in my future medical career.
Meet Our Student Leaders
Meet Our Student Leaders
College: Human Ecology
Major: Global and Public Health Sciences
Minor(s): Health Policy and Inequality Studies (Health Equity Track)
Description: My name is Nicole Caguano, and I am a sophomore Global & Public Health Sciences major in the College of Human Ecology. My interests in public health focus on racial inequities within oral health, community nutrition, and access to healthcare. On campus, I am the Co-President of the Ecuadorian Students' Association, the Vice-President of Communications of the Pre-Dental Society, and a GlobeMed member. I am also involved in research through the Odoms-Young Nutrition Liberation, Food Sovereignty, and Justice Lab. In my free time, I love to run, cook, bake, and spend time with loved ones.
Experiential Learning Opportunity Description: I look forward to completing my ELO after this fall semester. I hope to explore different ELO experiences that connect my interests in Dentistry and Public Health.
College: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Major: Biology & Society
Minor(s): Global Health and Inequalities Studies
Description: Hi! My name is Bella Capuano and I am a senior studying Biology & Society with minors in Global Health & Inequality Studies. My public health interests are community nutrition, chronic disease management, and healthcare disparities! Aside from GHSAB, I am involved in CALS Ambassadors, PhiDE, the FIG Lab, LSC General Chemistry tutoring and the Women's Club Soccer Team. I have really enjoyed being a member of GHSAB and collaborating with others who are passionate about Global and Public Health and promoting activities on campus! In my free time, I love running, baking, and going to different coffee shops!
Experiential Learning Opportunity Description: For my ELO, I worked with the FIG Lab on campus researching Food as Medicine initiates and Farm Food Procurement!
College: College of Human Ecology
Major: Global and Public Health Sciences
Minor(s): Human Development
Description: Hi! My name is Jenna, and I am a junior GPHS major from outside of Boston, Massachusetts. My public health interests include examining the social determinants of under-represented communities to promote their overall well-being and limit health inequities. On campus, I have continued to conduct research in the Wells lab and am also a PRYDE scholar in CHE.
Experiential Learning Opportunity Description: For my ELO, I worked under Dr. Nancy Wells (DEA Department in CHE) to study the effects of the natural environment on the psychological well-being of youth with profound autism.
College: Human Ecology
Major: Global and Public Health Sciences
Minor(s): Health Care Policy
Description: Hello! My name is Rachel, and I am the president of the Global Health Student Advisory Board. I am passionate about promoting nutrition, shaping healthcare policy, reducing maternal mortality, and implementing early childhood interventions to improve health outcomes on a local and global scale. Outside of GHSAB, I am the Co-President of PATCH (a pre-health club), a teaching assistant for Introduction to Global Health, and a member of the Human Ecology Ambassador program. As an undergraduate research assistant in the FIG Lab, I focus on nutrition and equitable health in priority populations. Off-campus, I am a volunteer at Ithaca Community Childcare Center. In my free time, I enjoy running and exploring the outdoors and local parks in Ithaca.
Experiential Learning Opportunity Description: I completed my ELO in the FIG Lab under Dr. Figueroa in the College of Human Ecology, where I focused on access to nutrient-dense foods and food sustainability in New York City.
College: Cornell Graduate School, Masters in Public Health, Concentration: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Description: I am a graduate student specializing in public health: infectious disease epidemiology with a background in medicine, immunology, microbiology and infectious disease pharmacology. My interests focus on antimicrobial resistance, vaccinology, and disease prevention. I engage in research on antimicrobial stewardship and contribute to public health initiatives aimed at improving health access and equity. Outside, I enjoy reading, arts, and visiting museums.
Experiential Learning Opportunity Description: I work on research at the Caddy Lab, analyzing the immune responses of infants vaccinated with the Rotavirus vaccine; as well as at the Goodman Lab, where I work on antimicrobial resistance patterns and the development of antibiograms. I’m also working on pandemic influences on a housing analysis project with Cayuga County Health Network. Additionally, I collaborate with Weill Cornell Medicine on a project focused on antimicrobial stewardship for hospitals and infectious disease clinicians, and we inform its development based on personal experiences!
College: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Major: Global & Public Health Sciences
Minor(s): Entomology
Description: I am passionate about the intersection of public health and ecology. I enjoy studying vector-borne diseases, with a particular focus on ticks and mosquitoes. I have conducted research under Dr. Harrington on tick surveillance in Suffolk County, Long Island, and on mosquito insecticide resistance.
Experiential Learning Opportunity Description: I participated in the Cornell Summer Global Health Program and did a research project on cataracts in Mysore, India.
College: Human Ecology
Major: Global and Public Health Sciences
Minor(s): Health Care Policy
Description: Hi, my name is Britney, and I am a sophomore studying Global and Public Health Sciences with an intended minor in Health Policy. My interests within public health are nutrition, health policy, infectious diseases, and ultimately to intersect my passion for public health with a medical career. On campus, I am the Event/Programming Lead for Collective X Magazine, a member of GlobeMed, and a member of Forté. I am also an Undergraduate Research Assistant for the Mehta Research Group and a Fitness Monitor for the Cornell Fitness Centers! Outside of academics, I love swimming, watching movies, eating food, and anything music related!
College: Human Ecology
Major: Global & Public Health Sciences
Description: My interests lie in the intersection of global health and nutrition. Outside of GHSAB, I am part of leadership for the Dietetics Association at Cornell University, Animal Advocacy at Cornell, and a student ambassador for the Better Food Foundation. I am also part of the Center for Precision Nutrition and Health under Dr. Mehta's lab, as well as a student coordinator for the Division of Nutritional Sciences Throughout these roles, I work to make positive change within Cornell's food system, promoting plant-based diets to improve public health.
Experiential Learning Opportunity Description: During summer of 2023 I was the Farmers Market Nutrition Program intern for Cornell Cooperative Extension. Through nutrition education at markets and digital material development, I worked alongside communities to improve nutrition security among WIC-eligible families and income eligible seniors across upstate New York.
College: Human Ecology
Major: Global & Public Health Sciences
Minor(s): Business
Description: Hi my name is Joycelyn Vu, and my public health interests are oral health advocacy, science communication, and health equity. Within Human Ecology, I’m a DNS first-year student advisor and TA for NS 2060. I’m also involved in the Affect & Cognition Lab, where I work on the Community Nostalgia Initiative which connects Cornell & Ithaca communities through food, culture, and memory. I love to spend my mornings and afternoons on Cayuga Lake as a coxswain for the Men’s Lightweight Rowing team. In my free time, I enjoy exploring the trails and new eateries around Ithaca.
Experiential Learning Opportunity Description: As an Undergraduate Student Researcher in the Figueroa Interdisciplinary Group, I researched the correlation between Head State parents’ food assistance benefit enrollment status and preschool students’ adherence to the dietary guidelines. Specifically, I looked at the organizational factors, parental empowerment and practices, and parent-child dyad nutrition outcomes within Head Start preschools in the United States.
College: Human Ecology
Major: Global and Public Health Sciences
Description: Hi! My name is Katrina, and I am a senior from Los Angeles, California. My public health interests include chronic diseases, health equity, and epidemiology. Outside of GHSAB, I am involved in research with the Levitsky Lab, and I am a member of Big Red Buddies and KDSAP. In my free time, I love to bake, hike, and try new restaurants!
Experiential Learning Opportunity Description: For my ELO, I completed a research internship at iHealth where I studied the effects of remote patient monitoring on hypertension and diabetes as well as its impacts on healthcare costs and accessibility.
College: Human Ecology
Major: Global and Public Health Sciences
Minor(s): Fine Art & Anthropology
Description: I am passionate about pursuing global health through an artistic and humanities-based lens, such as using art as a tool to navigate cultural barriers and to promote public health education. At Cornell, I built an intervention and research, reviewed by David Gere, Ph.D. and Deena Thomas, PhD, MPH, toward a mental-health-focused public health art installation combating stigma and social isolation in college students. I have also been working with UCLA Art & Global Health Center as an intern on various arts-based global health projects, the most extensive being “Through Positive Eyes”. I am currently pursuing art & public health research with Dr. Jeanne Moseley at the MPH graduate school. On Cornell’s Campus, in supplement to the GHSAB, I am a part of the Cornell Healthcare Review, GlobeMed, the Cornell running club, and the Cornell triathlon club team.
Experiential Learning Opportunity Description: For my experiential learning opportunity, I worked at the Art & Global Health Center Africa (ArtGlo), located in Zomba, Malawi. During my time there, I was granted the remarkable opportunity to implement “Art4NthakaYathu (Art4OurLand)”, a climate justice project that works to hold artistically engaging, educational, and discussion-based workshops with youth climate activists in Jali-Zomba, an area in southern Malawi troubled by the effects of climatic changes.