As Vice President for Enrollment Management, Cornell oversees the offices of admission and financial aid. He brings to Holy Cross over 20 years of experience in enrollment, serving most recently as Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions at Allegheny College. Previously, he served in a progression of leadership roles at Carnegie Mellon University for 14 years, where he earned a Master’s of Public Management, Concentration in Leadership in Higher Education. For his undergraduate studies, Cornell attended Hampton University and received a B.A. in Political Science.
Cornell has been extremely active in professional associations and in the community, having served on the steering committee for the Pittsburgh Science and Technology School, a magnet school for 6th–12th graders; as a committee chair for College Success 101, an outreach program geared towards inner-city youth; served on the board of directors for Meadville Medical Center, and currently serves as an elected National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) Board Director. In addition, Cornell participated as a long-standing instructor for College Exploration Experience and College for Every Student, two programs designed to assist high school students prepare for and navigate the college search process. He was also a faculty member for the PACAC College Counselor Leadership Institute geared toward assisting those interested in becoming a Director of College Counseling. While at Carnegie Mellon, Cornell was nominated for and received CMU’s Andy Award for outstanding commitment to students. He has also been a member of the International Association for College Admission Counseling and Pennsylvania Association for College Admission Counseling. Cornell has been published in The Chronicle of Higher Education,"The Post-Pandemic College” and has been interviewed by and featured in a number of publications including The New York Times.