Dr. Luvelle Brown, Ithaca City School District Superintendent
Dr. Luvelle Brown is an educational leader with a strong commitment to social justice. As the superintendent of the Ithaca City School District, he has made substantial improvements in the graduation rates, attendance, and academic performance of students through his mission to “Engage, Educate, and Empower.”
Dr. Brown presented his leadership strategies and methods for community stakeholder engagement through an interactive question and answer session with students from Cornell’s Masters in Public Health Program. Students were curious about the connection between health and educational outcomes in the local community. As described by Dr. Brown, one significant barrier to achieving a healthy lifestyle in Ithaca is the weather. The cold and often snowy climate makes it difficult for people to exercise outdoors, and access to indoor gym facilities are not always affordable.
Students were inspired and engaged by Dr. Brown’s narrative about his interactions with President Obama during his visit to the White House, anecdotes about his experience of being a father, and tales about his childhood teachers who supported and inspired him. Dr. Brown’s collaborative leadership style and his commitment to the Ithaca community have yielded impressive results, which have contributed to better health and educational outcomes for local youth.
Sarah Wasser, Cornell University MPH Candidate ’19
This exposé was written by Sarah Wasser, a student in the Masters in Public Health Program at Cornell University. She graduated from the University of Rochester in 2009 with a BA in Health, Behavior, and Society, and Spanish. In 2013 she received a full tuition scholarship from the Urban Teaching and Leadership Program to complete her Master’s in Teaching and Curriculum from the University of Rochester Warner School of Education and Human Development. Sarah is pursuing a career in global health and international development, and hopes to empower young people to create change in their communities.