Brooks School Recognizes MPA Graduates for Leadership, Service, and Engagement
During the Brooks Graduate Reception on May 21, the Brooks School recognized a group of graduating Master of Public Administration (MPA) students for their outstanding leadership, service, and engagement within the Brooks School and the broader Cornell community.
The Honors in Engagement and Service award recognizes students who have made meaningful contributions to the Brooks School through their leadership, involvement, and commitment to community. Recipients are selected for the lasting impact they have made on their classmates, the school, and the Cornell community during their time at Brooks.
Reflecting on this year’s recipients, MPA Faculty Director Matt Hall shared, “It’s been a privilege to watch this year’s recipients shape the Brooks School and the wider Cornell community in lasting ways: building community among their classmates, taking on leadership in earnest, and pushing forward serious and creative policy work. It is an honor to send them off with this recognition.”
Honors in Engagement and Service
The 2026 Honors in Engagement and Service recipients are:
- Syed Muhammad Abdullah MPA ’26
- Henry Deng MPA ’26
- Irene Gatimi MPA ’26
- Adrian Gomez MPA ’26
- Kharisma Cahya Pradana MPA ’26
- Angel Puder MPA ’26
Student Service Award
The Brooks School also presented the Student Service Award to Dalla Emerson EMPA ’26 in recognition of her contributions to the Executive Master of Public Administration program and service to her classmates.
In addition, the Brooks MPA community selected Emerson and Syed Muhammad Abdullah MPA ’26 to speak on behalf of their classmates during the reception.
Adams Leadership Award
The Brooks School also recognized Mouda Al Zayden MPA ’26 as the recipient of the Adams Leadership Award.
The Adams Leadership Award is presented to members of the MPA graduating class who have excelled academically and made extraordinary contributions to the field of public affairs at Cornell through service and enterprising leadership. The award was established by Dr. Samuel Adams MPA ’74 and his wife, Marlene Adams.
Congratulations to all of this year’s honorees.
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