Matthew graduated from the College of Human Ecology with a major in Human Development and a minor in Gerontology and Nutrition. His academic progression has led him to find a true interest in the complex care of older adults, and he seeks to improve the system of care for them and their families.

During his time at Cornell, Matthew has developed into a servant leader. He is an individual who puts his constituents before himself. He was able to display this through his collegiate career, acting as captain of the Sprint Football team and as a teaching assistant for the Human Development course Aging and Adulthood. Matthew was also in Chi Phi Fraternity at Cornell where he was the house manager. In this position, Matthew was tasked with retrofitting the house infrastructure to fit COVID-19 guidelines and to keep members healthy and safe. He also informed members periodically of public health updates throughout the pandemic. These leadership qualities alongside a desire to better the health care experiences of others coincided with another of Matthew’s interests, researching our population’s most vulnerable members: older adults.

Matthew furthered his education in Human Development and gerontology through various research projects. He was a research assistant for Cornell’s Institute for Translational Research on Aging and was a member of the Healthy Aging Lab, led by Dr. Loeckenhoff. Similarly, he worked remotely with Weill Cornell Medicine’s Center for Research on End-of-Life Care. One of Matthew’s most rewarding experiences has been spending one of his summers working alongside Dr. Madeline Sterling, a Cornell graduate herself, researching the Home Health Aide population in New York City and their experiences with the COVID-19 Pandemic. Matthew is excited to continue this work in the future and promote innovation within the care of older adults.

Matthew will forever be influenced and inspired by the work and knowledge he has gained from his peers, professors, and mentors within the College of Human Ecology. Matthew will be attending medical school in the fall and plans to further his studies in geriatric medicine with an emphasis on public health and translational research. He wants to thank his mentors, Dr. Corinna Loeckenhoff and Dr. Karl Pillemer, as well as Dr. Madeline Sterling, Coach Bob Gneo, his friends and his family for helping him achieve all that he has during his time at Cornell.