ON-LINE REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT IS CLOSED.  PLEASE, CALL MARGARET GRAF AT 732-979-7464 IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING

Keeping True to ‘any person, any study’:  Inclusion and Diversity at Cornell in 2018

Friday October 26, 2018
6:30 p.m. Wine & Cheese Reception | 7:00 p.m. Speaker  | 7:45 p.m. Buffet Dinner
Red Bank, NJ

One of two founding principles of Cornell University was originally spoken by Ezra Cornell at the inauguration of its first president, Andrew Dickson White.  “I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.”

How has the university supported this much-lauded principle over the years?  What are the emerging issues that affect the university’s climate including the responses to the highly publicized bias incidents of last year?  How can our alumni communities be part of making sure that Ezra’s founding words continue to be what sets Cornell apart from our peers? 

In 2018, we have welcomed our most diverse first-year class in the university’s history.  This presentation and discussion will serve as a survey of history, efforts, and ways to engage by highlighting:

• Efforts to diversify the student body (including changes to student demographics from New Jersey);
• Programs in place to promote inclusion at all levels of the university;
• Discussion of historical moments in Cornell’s history that support the notion of “any person, any study;”
• An overview of how our alumni are at the forefront of supporting these efforts.

TIME: 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
LOCATION: West Side Eatery, 2 Bridge Avenue, Red Bank, NJ 07701
COST: $30 per person Early Bird before 10/18/18, $35 after 10/18/18.
Tickets include food and beverage.

About Matt Carcella

Matt Carcella is the Director of Diversity Alumni Programs (DAP) which oversees and supports the diverse alumni associations (CBAA, CLAA, CAAA, CUGALA, and CNAAA) and Cornell Mosaic.  In addition, DAP serves as a liaison between Alumni Affairs and Development and our on campus diversity programs.  Additional areas of engagement include veterans, first-generation college student alumni, and COSEP alumni.  Matt and DAP seek to engage all alumni in issues of diversity and inclusion and support the inclusion of diverse alumni in all aspects of alumni engagement and giving. 

Prior to his role in Alumni Affairs, Matt has been in higher education administration for the past 15 years with every position focused on diversity and inclusion efforts.  Most recently, he was the Associate Dean of Students and Director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center at Cornell and previously held positions at Princeton University and St. Francis University Upward Bound.  Matt has a BA in political science from Allegheny College and an MA with a concentration in Women and Gender Studies from Rutgers University.  He has presented locally and nationally on topics ranging from online dating behavior to LGBT inclusion in human resource policy to diversity practices in engagement and fundraising.  Matt is based in Ithaca, NY with his husband Zach and their dog Duncan.