Marielena Hincapié, a national leader on immigration reform and immigrant justice, and Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, former Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe, have been named the 2024-25 John W. Nixon ’53 Distinguished Policy Fellows at the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy.

As Brooks School Nixon Policy Fellows, Hincapié and Hodges will visit the Cornell campus in Ithaca over the course of the academic year to guest lecture, participate in symposia, host student office hours to talk about careers in public policy and contemporary policy issues, and connect with faculty on research aligned with their expertise.

“We are thrilled that Marielena and Ben have agreed to participate in our second year of our Brooks Nixon Policy Fellows program,” said Brooks School Dean Colleen Barry. “As widely-respected leaders in their fields, they will bring distinctive viewpoints to campus conversations about the pressing policy issues we face as global citizens and engage our community with new ways to foster democracy through democratic practices and civil discourse.”

Hincapié, a legal and political strategist in the social justice movement and a leading voice in the national conversation on immigration, served as executive director of the Los Angeles-based National Immigration Law Center (NILC). She co-chaired the Biden-Sanders Unity Taskforce on Immigration, and helped lead the national conversation on the essential role immigrants play in shaping the future of the U.S. and safeguarding our democracy.

Hincapié has also played a key role in supporting youth leaders in the creation and successful implementation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and co-founded the Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF) coalition. As an immigrant from Colombia, she brings a bilingual and bicultural perspective to her work in the areas of equity, justice, and democracy. She is writing a forthcoming book Becoming America: A Personal History of a Nation’s Immigration Wars (Flatiron Books, 2026).

“I am excited for this opportunity to be part of the Brooks School, and to inspire and be inspired by the stellar students and faculty as we explore the critical role that public policy plays in our lives, and how we can build a more just and equitable world in which we can all belong and thrive,” Hincapié said. “I look forward to partnering and learning with Lt. General Hodges over the year.” 

Lt. General Ben Hodges is the former Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe and currently serves as NATO Senior Mentor for Logistics. Prior to assuming his Army leadership role in Europe, Lt. General Hodges commanded the 101st Airborne’s 1st Brigade during Operation Iraqi Freedom and later served as director of operations Regional Command South in Afghanistan.

Since his retirement, Lt. Gen Hodges has served as Senior Advisor to Human Rights First, as the Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and as a distinguished fellow with GLOBSEC.  Lt. General Hodges also consults for several companies on Europe, NATO, and the European Union, and he is co-author of the book, Future War and the Defence of Europe, published by Oxford University Press. A native of Quincy, Florida, Hodges graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1980.

“I’m looking forward to being a part of the Cornell University team and speaking with students and faculty about the global challenges facing our nation,” Hodges said. “I want to inspire young people to appreciate the importance and responsibilities of America’s role in the world and the relationship between effective domestic policy and effective foreign policy.”

The Nixon Fellows program contributes to the Brooks School of Public Policy’s Learning and Leading Through Difference Initiative, which aims to advance civil discourse, strengthen democracy and develop students’ capacity to be thoughtful, purpose-driven leaders.