10th Anniversary: Skorton Center for Health Initiatives

Named for David J. Skorton, MD — Cornell University President (2006–2015) — the Skorton Center for Health Initiatives reflects his steadfast advocacy for making health central to higher education’s mission and his enduring vision of Cornell as a caring community.

Since its founding in 2015, the Skorton Center has been a catalyst for transformative change at Cornell University—advancing student and campus health through:

• Institutional Leadership: Infusing health and well-being into systems and structures (e.g., leadership for campus initiatives, university policies and practices).
• Education: Delivering programs that empower students, faculty, and staff in supporting well-being.
• Research: Generating and applying evidence to inform change on campus and beyond.
• Public Engagement: Contributing to national conversations and advancing the fields of college and public health.

Key events informing focus areas

Rooted in 35 years of campus health promotion at Cornell (see below), the Skorton Center was founded on a legacy that began in 1980 with the hiring of the university’s first health educator, Janis Talbot, and was cultivated by visionary leaders like Timothy Marchell ’82 and Julie Edwards.  (View Skorton Center Leadership, at right, and link to current Skorton Center team members.) 

The Center's key topics have involved: 

• Alcohol and Other Drug Misuse
• Sexual Violence Prevention
• Hazing Prevention
• Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention

Spotlight on impact

Addressing critical issues through innovation:

• Hazing Prevention: Cornell’s data-informed Hazing Prevention Model, developed by staff in the Skorton Center, is nationally recognized. After implementing this public health approach to hazing prevention from 2011 to 2015, survey results showed the first measurable decrease in hazing associated with prevention efforts in the literature. The model and the results were published in the Journal of American College Health (2022). Additionally, the Skorton Center was the first to apply a social norms approach to hazing prevention (in 2015).  
• Mental Health Promotion & Suicide Prevention: Drawing on campus data and theory-informed practices (e.g., prosocial bystander approach, the Skorton Center created key bystander education programs equipping the community to notice signs of distress, intervene with care, and foster resilience.
  The Skorton Center also championed evidence-based suicide prevention strategies at Cornell such as installing means restriction on multiple bridges on or near Cornell’s campus. The Skorton Center also rigorously evaluated the impact of this specific means restriction intervention and found a statistically significant reduction in lethal suicide jumps among all Cornell enrolled students.  Learn more: Skorton Center’s evaluation of means restriction on preventing jumping suicides at Cornell University.
• Health Promoting Campus Movement: Leadership and advocacy from the Skorton Center advanced Cornell’s adoption of the Okanagan Charter, providing early frames and staff expertise to embed well-being into the fabric of campus life—and advance our vision as a Health Promoting Campus.

Looking ahead

The next decade holds promise. As the Skorton Center continues to cultivate partnerships on and off-campus, expand its campus leadership and public engagement, and continue to evaluate what works, we remain committed to President Skorton’s legacy and to the health and flourishing of future Cornellians.

Share your thoughts

This is an important time in higher education and in public health. We invite campus, community, and national partners to reflect on successful collaborations from the past 10 years, and help share priorities for the future! You can share your thoughts through this form. Thank you!