Advocate for physics, literacy, wins Campus-Community Leadership Award | Cornell Chronicle

Abra Geiger ’26 won Cornell’s 2026 University Relations Campus-Community Leadership Award for volunteer outreach encouraging local children to learn physics and reading. She is a double major in physics and mathematics with a minor in astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences. She will begin a Ph.D. in physics at Stanford University in the fall. Cornell’s University Relations division recognizes graduating seniors for leadership, innovation, and engagement with the Ithaca community. Geiger joined the Cornell Steminist Movement to address the gender gap in STEM, serving as outreach co-director and organizing 10 outreach events at the Tompkins County Public Library and on campus. She also won a $2,500 grant to distribute 300 STEM activity kits to local youth, largely in underserved communities.

"Each year, Cornell's University Relations division recognizes one or more graduating seniors who has shown exceptional leadership, innovation and engagement with and service to the greater Ithaca community during their time at Cornell."

"In her freshman year, Geiger became involved in local science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) outreach when she joined the Cornell Steminist Movement, which fights the gender gap in STEM fields. As a freshman and sophomore, she served as outreach co-director, organizing 10 outreach events at the Tompkins County Public Library and on campus."

"After applying for and winning a $2,500 grant from Cornell's student-run Community Partnership Funding Board, she distributed 300 STEM activity kits to local youth, largely in underserved communities."

""It is a highlight of our academic year to honor an individual who ventured off campus to meaningfully contribute as member of the local Ithaca community during their time at Cornell," Kimball said. "We are so proud of Abra for her extraordinary undergraduate career, and pleased to recognize her as the 2026 recipient of Cornell's University Relations Campus-Community Leadership Award.""

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