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Cornell awards Netra Shetty for community leadership
Shetty has spent her undergraduate years engaged in community-centered public health work.
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Bhavana P - Tue, 20, May 2025
- 14:46 EDT
- 10
Campus Community Leadership Award winner Netra Shetty ’25 (center-left) poses with (from left) Marla Love, the Robert W. and Elizabeth C. Staley Dean of Students; Alec Brown, program manager of the Hunter R. Rawlings III Cornell Presidential Research Scholars Program; Monica Yant Kinney, interim vice president for university relations; Sarah Bartlett, volunteer and outreach manager at the Ithaca Free Clinic; and Taili Mugambee, lead program coordinator of Ultimate Reentry Opportunity, outside of / Ryan Young / Cornell University
Cornell University has presented research scholar Netra Shetty the 2025 University Relations Campus Community Leadership Award.
She was recognized for her outstanding service to the Ithaca community and her advocacy for those affected by incarceration and substance use across New York State.
Also read: Indiana Univ honors Debolina Ghosh with ‘Building Community Award’
A biology and society major in the College of Arts and Sciences and a Hunter R. Rawlings III Cornell presidential research scholar, Shetty has spent her undergraduate years engaged in community-centered public health work. Since her first year, she has worked with Ithaca-based Ultimate Reentry Opportunity (URO), an organization dedicated to supporting individuals impacted by incarceration and breaking cycles of recidivism.
“Netra did not shy away from any of the tough realities,” said Taili Mugambee, URO lead program coordinator. “If anything, it seemed like that was the substance that kept her coming back.”
Reflecting her passion for community service at her time from URO, Shetty said, “From the countless meetings and hours we spend discussing and working on our plans, we’re able to create initiatives that emphasize this shared vision, involve diverse perspectives and work seamlessly with other organizations that impact the Ithaca community.”
In addition to her work with URO, Shetty volunteered with the Ithaca Free Clinic and conducted research focused on harm reduction and the opioid crisis. Her studies highlighted racial and ethnic disparities in access to prevention tools—insights that could prove valuable to policymakers tackling the opioid epidemic.
“It is without a shadow of a doubt that Netra will be a person leading in whatever field she chooses to embark upon. She will be a lifelong fighter for justice in the medical profession or something related,” Mugambee added.
The award, presented annually to graduating seniors who exemplify a commitment to community engagement, was bestowed during a ceremony in Day Hall on May 14. Monica Yant Kinney, interim vice president for university relations, presented the award.
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