About Us

Dyson ODI is part of the SC Johnson College of Business Office of Diversity and Inclusion comprised of professionals in Dyson, Nolan, and Johnson. We work with students, staff, faculty, alumni, and corporate partners to support and strengthen Cornell’s core values as a university founded to be a place where “…any person can find instruction in any study…” Cornell values diversity and inclusion, and we strive to be a welcoming, caring, and equitable community.

Preparing Business Students from Everywhere to Lead Anywhere

A world-class business education means preparing students to lead with empathy, welcome diverse perspectives, and collaborate with colleagues from all backgrounds. Guided by the motto “Our Business Is a Better World,” Dyson ODI helps prepare graduates to address society’s biggest challenges in today’s diverse and interconnected world through curricular, co-curricular, and community impact initiatives.

We collaborate with the Dyson Student Experience Team (Student Services, Career, ODI) to support all Dyson students in their academic, personal, social, and career success. We host many co-curricular events including lunch & learns, professional development workshops, industry treks to NYC, alumni and corporate guest speakers, and programs with our ODI Faculty Fellows for Inclusive Excellence.

Dyson ODI supports and advises several student-led organizations including the Dyson Council for Impact and Community Engagement (DICE), Dyson-Nolan-Johnson Leadership Link,  A Seat at the Table, BlackGen Capital, Women Leaders of Color, Diversity and Inclusion in Real Estate, Association of Latino Professionals for America, Diverse Leaders for Tomorrow, and Diversity in Cornell Economics.

Dyson ODI also oversees the Accelerator Scholars program, a collaborative initiative with generous support from our founding corporate partner, KKR. The Accelerator Scholars program provides enhanced support, resources, and opportunities for first-generation Dyson and Nolan undergrads to further their success at Cornell.

Some of our signature programs include:

Faculty Fellows for Inclusive Excellence: The Faculty Fellows for Inclusive Excellence program is designed to help facilitate casual engagement between Dyson faculty and Dyson students. Faculty Fellows contribute to the intellectual and social life of the Dyson community by supporting opportunities for informal learning and engagement through scholarly, artistic, social, campus, athletic, cultural, and professional experiences.

Dyson Council for Impact and Community Engagement (DICE): Supporting both the ethos of the Dyson School, Our Business is a Better World, and the principles of Belonging @ Cornell, the Dyson Council for Impact and Community Engagement (DICE) works to strengthen meaningful connections, campus involvement, and social responsibility across the school, college, alumni network, and industry through a variety of events, initiatives, and professional development opportunities. DICE collaborates with sister councils in Johnson and Nolan to promote cross-college community and sense of belonging.

First Fridays Lunch & Learns: Bringing the Dyson community together each month for social belonging, professional development, and other relevant topics over lunch in the Belonging room in Warren Hall.

Dyson-Nolan-Johnson Leadership Link: The College of Business Leadership Link aims to foster community, build peer networks, and strengthen partnerships across schools. Leadership Link programs focus on cultivating mutual understanding, encouraging cross-school collaboration, and promoting a culture of belonging and respect within the College.

Heritage Month Lunch & Learns: Through educational workshops, we celebrate various heritage months (e.g. Black History Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, Women's History Month, Native American Heritage Month, amongst many others); faith-based occasions (e.g. Apples & Honey for Rosh Hashanah, Interfaith Roundtable, Diwali, amongst many others); as well as holidays and other awareness days (e.g. Veteran's Day, National First-Generation College Student Day, Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, etc).

Community Cafe Series: Informal opportunities for students and faculty to come together to discuss relevant topics of interest, sometimes with an invited guest speaker (alumni, corporate partners, etc). Past topics include entrepreneurship, AI, religion, mental health, sexual assault awareness, business analytics, executive presence, intellectual property, etc.

Annual NYC Symposium: Held at our space at 570 Lexington Ave or at Cornell Tech, this annual symposium brings students from the Ithaca campus to NYC to learn from industry professionals and alumni. Past themes include intersectionality in business leadership, social impact, and inclusive design in AI.

Professional Development Workshops: Designed to provide professional development workshops for Dyson students. Workshops include resume reviews, behavioral interviews, technical interviews, case interview prep, networking, negotiating, personal finance, personal tax, business etiquette, AI in the workplace, cultural intelligence, persuasion and influence, etc.

Social Belonging Programs: Designed to strengthen social belonging in Dyson and at the college level. Past events include Broadway trips to NYC, ski trips to Greek Peak, ice skating at Lynah Rink, movie nights at Regal Cinemas, trip to Niagara Falls, Valentine's card making over dinner, pumpkin carving, apple picking, outings to the Ithaca Farmer's Market, group paintings, Ithaca Chili Fest, Ithaca Apple Fest, Cornell athletics games (hockey, basketball, etc), local plays at the Kitchen Theater and Hangar Theater, etc.

Community Engagement: Opportunities for Dyson students to get involved with the local community. Past engagement opportunities include volunteering with the Golisano Autism Center, volunteering with the Youth Farm Project, volunteering with the STEP program, fundraising for and supporting NAMIWalks Finger Lakes, amongst others.

Dyson Snack Pantry: The Belonging @ Dyson snack pantry located in the Belonging room is sponsored by the generosity of Dyson alumni gifts to the Dyson Office of Diversity and Inclusion to help mitigate food insecurity for low-income, first-generation Dyson students. A lack of regular access to food is an issue that plagues approximately half of today's college students. Food insecurity negatively affects student health and the ability to succeed academically and graduate. We recognize that hunger should not be an obstacle for students to thrive academically and provide the snack pantry for any Dyson student to access between classes.

Leadership Retreat: Students have reported this retreat as being a high-impact, transformative learning experience. In addition to structured team building and leadership development activities, students cooked meals together and guest speakers facilitated roundtable discussions on topics of student interest including inclusive leadership, first-generation and low-income student support, health and well-being, navigating organizations, social impact, etc. The Leadership Retreat is the first time many students have experienced a concentrated professional and student development opportunity.

Accelerator Scholars: The Accelerator Scholars program provides enhanced support, resources, and opportunities for first-generation Dyson and Nolan undergraduate students to further their success at Cornell.

More information about the Office of Diversity & Inclusion can be found on the Cornell College of Business website.

The Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management Office of Student Services, Career Management Center, and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion strive to support and assist students participating in various events, activities or opportunities that enhance their overall student experience. There are also multiple opportunities throughout campus that support students financially. Click here to learn more about the various funding opportunities.

Belonging at Cornell is a framework designed to continue the progress towards making Cornell a more diverse and inclusive environment. Its mission is to focus our collective efforts on creating a campus community where individuals from diverse backgrounds and life experiences can both contribute and thrive. The intent of Belonging at Cornell is to improve the overall experience of faculty, staff, and students, not to solve every diversity or inclusion challenge, nor eliminate the effects of respectful, but challenging discourse. Belonging at Cornell is about fostering respect and appreciation for difference, having a shared purpose, and being a part of a community, while simultaneously being valued and appreciated for the uniqueness that each person brings to the community.

At Dyson, we foster a sense of belonging for everyone in our community through enrichment, engagement, and educational opportunities and support systems. Belonging is what unlocks the power and value of diversity. At Dyson, we:

• Create intentional connections;

• Help build trusting relationships;

• Invite diverse opinions and perspectives;

• Engage in opportunities that strengthen our community.