December 16, 2024

By Katya Hrichak

The Graduate School welcomed 50 new Dean’s Scholars at a November event to honor students who were nominated and selected for this distinction for their demonstrated commitment to academic excellence and advancing aspects of diversity, access, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the academy and other communities.

At the ceremony, each scholar received a pin with a gold center containing the Cornell seal, representing the scholars’ achievement, surrounded by an outer ring of silver, representing their persistence.

“I am inspired by your stories, by the ways in which you have each implemented change here at Cornell and in other institutions and communities,” said Kathryn J. Boor, dean of the Graduate School and vice provost for graduate education, during the ceremony. She continued, “Each of you brings a special set of skills, accomplishments, and experiences, and I’m so glad that you have chosen to study at Cornell.”

Newly pinned students join a community of over 400 currently enrolled Dean’s Scholars, providing them with the opportunity to establish and maintain connections across graduate fields by engaging in professional and community development events offered through the Graduate School and campus partners.

Speaking at the event, information science doctoral candidate and Dean’s Scholar Aspen K.B. Omapang reflected on what this community has meant to her:

“Where else can I gaze into such a large audience and know I am being heard, I am being understood? Even though the people sitting around you may be strangers now, it doesn’t matter,” she told the new Dean’s Scholars. “Know that this is a place where you don’t need to know each other to be in each other’s presence, to know that you can be fully present and feel exactly what is happening in this world.”

Tyler Ward, a doctoral student in animal science, and Deepanjali Chowdhury, a doctoral student in materials science and engineering, were pinned at the Nov. 7 event. Each look forward to being a part of and learning from this community.

“This community will give me space to experience graduate school with support and a group of colleagues that will benefit my growth and experiences,” said Ward. “I look forward to how this community will encourage safe spaces with an emphasis in showing up authentically.”

Chowdhury has already begun to learn about the range of research areas, values, and beliefs of other Dean’s Scholars, and looks forward to getting to experience more of this during her time at Cornell.

“I have not only formed lasting friendships but also gained a deeper understanding of others, learning about the diverse research and the inspiring, beautiful people at Cornell,” she said. “Being in a community that values love and acceptance has been especially meaningful as I navigate the uncertainties of being a first-year Ph.D. student.”

The Graduate School Dean’s Scholars program is led by Associate Dean for Inclusion and Student and Faculty Engagement Sara Xayarath Hernández. Many Dean’s Scholars are recipients of competitive fellowships in support of diversity while others are funded via other internal or external sources.