Jeffrey Russ
Jeffrey Russ hasn't been at Weill Cornell Medical College very long, arriving from the University of Pennsylvania, via Denver, Colorado, in 2008. But Russ has made the most of his time, first winning a spot on the Medical Student Executive Committee and then helping start the Student Green Initiative.
Russ, a second-year MD-PhD student, was recently selected for another position by his fellow students, this one the most prestigious. This fall, Russ will begin his term as the student representative to the Weill Cornell Medical College Board of Overseers.
Russ will attend the four annual overseer meetings, serving as the voice of the medical and graduate students and determining how to better advance their vision for the Medical College. He will serve as the student overseer for three years.
"What are the most pressing student issues and how can I present them to the board and specifically to the people who can most readily address those issues?" he said. "I will try to get a general view of what's going on in the school, what the administration is doing, and where it is plausible for students to push their views."
Russ, who ran on a platform rooted deeply in environmental and sustainability concerns, was chosen by the medical and graduate students in a late-April election. Five students sought the position.
Already a member of the Medical Student Executive Committee, the student overseer also has an unofficial seat on the Graduate Student Executive Committee. He will serve as a conduit of communications between both committees and the overseers.
Russ arrived at Weill Cornell with an immediate goal of becoming involved with student leadership. His new position is another step toward building a strong relationship between the students and administration.
"I thought this would be a really good way to implement some of the projects that I've been working on with people who can really make changes," Russ said. "New York is pretty cramped and there aren't a lot of places around school that we can claim as our own. I know we can't build new places but we can improve the existing places."
Russ' first meeting of the Board of Overseers will take place in September.
"Serving as the student overseer for the last two years has been an amazing experience, and I'm confident that Jeff will do a great job representing our diverse student body," said Russ' predecessor, Ankit Patel.
Photography by Weill Cornell Art & Photography.