Sara Xayarath Hernandez

Liaison Community Engagement Coordinator, Equity in Graduate Education Consortium

Associate Dean for Inclusion & Student and Faculty Engagement

Cornell University – Graduate School

As the Associate Dean for Inclusion and Student and Faculty Engagement in the Graduate School at Cornell University, Sara provides strategic leadership to advance institutional goals related to access, equal opportunity, and inclusion in graduate education for the benefit of all students. She champions mission-driven, systemic change, focusing on holistic graduate admissions and inclusive mentoring practices and structures, and fostering positive academic environments.

Sara oversees the Graduate School Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement, leading a comprehensive portfolio of initiatives that promote academic success, a sense of belonging, student and faculty engagement, and professional growth for careers within and beyond academia. She serves on the university’s Academic Diversity Council, working closely with the Deputy Provost and campus partners to inform institutional policy and strategy. Beyond Cornell, she contributes to national conversations on graduate education through her service on advisory boards and external committees. She is also a member of the leadership team for the national Equity in Graduate Education Consortium, serving as the Liaison Community Engagement Coordinator.   

Sara is a first-generation college graduate who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Zoology from Ohio Wesleyan University and a Master of Regional Planning from Cornell University, where she focused on economic and community development. Navigating life in partnership with her husband and keeping up with their young daughter brings her great joy and keeps her grounded.