The Ithaca, N.Y., region tops the 2013 list of metropolitan areas with the highest per capita number of Peace Corps volunteers, moving up from the national No. 3 spot it held in 2012. Cornell University is No. 4 among 2013 top Peace Corps volunteer-producing colleges and universities in the medium-size category.

Twelve currently serving Peace Corps volunteers call Tompkins County home, making it the top Peace Corps volunteer-producing metro in the nation per capita. New York ranked No. 2 among states with the highest number of Peace Corps volunteers, with 420 volunteers serving.

A Peace Corps representative based at Cornell serves the Ithaca area. President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961 to foster a better understanding among Americans and people of other countries. Since then, more than 215,000 Americans have served in 139 developing countries.