From pandemics to personal wellbeing, health has been a cornerstone of campus life across the world. The pieces in this student-curated exhibit detail the way health and student lives have been interwoven throughout Cornell’s history, looking at case studies from the HIV and COVID-19 public health crises, and various artifacts from student life across the past century. Public Health on the Hill explores the multifaceted role students play in learning from health practices, and contributing to them in return.

This exhibition features items from across Cornell University Library's Rare and Manuscript Collections, ranging from the 1900s to the 2020s. Materials on view include documentation from the Chi Alpha Medical Honors Society, photography from vet school procedures, COVID-19 masks, HIV epidemic outreach news clippings, and so much more, highlighting the various ways that health and wellbeing touch student lives.

Public Health on the Hill was curated by Jeffrey Ho, a biological sciences major in the class of 2026, as part of his capstone project for the Humanities Scholars program. The exhibition will be on view in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections’ Michael T. Sillerman ‘68 Rotunda from April 9th to June 10th, 2026. Rare and Manuscript Collections is open to the public weekdays 9 am to 5 pm.