The Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy celebrated its fifth graduating class on Saturday, May 23, 2026, as part of Cornell University graduation ceremonies. The afternoon celebration at Bailey Hall honored 250 graduates who received Bachelor’s degrees in Health Care Policy, Policy Analysis and Management, and Public Policy, and graduate degrees in Master of Health Administration, Master of Public Administration, and Ph.D. in Public Policy and in Economics.

In her remarks, Dean Barry urged students to use Cornell’s core values as guiding principles as they navigate their lives and careers and emphasized the importance of lifelong learning and flexible, analytical thinking.

“At Brooks, we have been committed to the notion that – in fact - the most significant policy problems we face here in the U.S. and as a global society cannot be solved within the bounds of a single scholarly discipline. Making meaningful change in our complex world requires us all to become boundary-spanners. You are being credentialed today at Cornell, but I don’t want you to ever feel bound by the confines of your specific degree,” Barry said.

Credit: Rachel Philipson/Cornell University

The commencement ceremony included the awarding of the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy John Siliciano Student Leadership Award, which recognizes graduating undergraduate and graduate students who display leadership through stellar academic achievement, high impact public engagement, and distinguished service to Cornell. The award honors Professor John Siliciano, who completed 18 years of service as Cornell’s Deputy Provost in 2022 and a term as Interim Provost in 2024. Among his many achievements and contributions to Cornell, Siciliano played an instrumental role in overseeing the creation of the Brooks School. 

The 2026 John Siliciano Leadership Award Winners are:

• Nikki Smith, Executive Master of Health Administration
• Darnisha Augustin, Master of Health Administration
• Quson Brown, Executive Master of Public Administration
• Paul Robert Caruso, Master of Public Administration
• Emma Lin, Bachelor of Science in Health Care Policy
• Emily Maya Snider, Bachelor of Science in Policy Analysis and Management
• Samuel Still, Bachelor of Science in Public Policy

“At their best, policy schools like ours can be the drivers, the mediators, and the critics of a continuously changing world. As you leave Cornell, I encourage you to seek out as many opportunities as you can to develop your voice and views and, also, your ability to listen with respect and openness to others,” Barry said.