Jenny Weil Malatras ’02 fondly remembers a pivotal moment during her time as a Cornell student. She was studying in the Botanic Gardens with a friend when the conversation shifted to their future.
“Working for Cornell wasn’t part of those conversations then,” said Malatras.
But the future has brought Malatras back to Cornell, where she will serve as the next executive director of Cornell University Cooperative Extension – New York City (CUCE-NYC) starting June 30, 2025.
Malatras brings a background that spans clinical practice, policy work, and academia, with experiences that have prepared her for this new role. The human development major worked as a health and human services policy analyst for Albany County, New York, after graduation, giving her experience collaborating across health care, social welfare and justice systems.
“This experience revealed both systemic inequities and the power of interdisciplinary collaboration,” said Malatras, adding that the experience propelled her to work towards her doctorate.
Malatras earned her Ph.D. in 2012 at the University of Albany and became a faculty member there. She was also a faculty member at Union College and, most recently, Harvard Extension School.
Her career path might have been very different if not for two courses she took during her sophomore year that, she said, changed everything: Ethics in Health Care and Human Development.
“I realized I wanted to understand the full complexity of the human experience — the biology, sociology and psychology of living,” said Malatras. To do that, she switched her major to human development.
That interdisciplinary understanding that Malatras gained as a Cornell Human Ecology student, coupled with her experience, is what she believes will benefit CUCE-NYC going forward. Malatras takes the reins of a program where Cornell researchers and educators provide evidence-based learning opportunities that enrich the lives of New York City residents, with a strong focus on nutrition, family and youth development, urban agriculture, and science/STEM education.
“I want to continue to support what we already do so well while also exploring innovative ways to further strengthen the connection between academic expertise and local needs,” said Malatras.
“Extension in New York City has a rich history and culture. The programs are embedded in a philosophy of extending Cornell research through partnerships and relationships,” said Andy Turner, director of Cornell Cooperative Extension and associate dean for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Human Ecology. “Jenny’s background in psychology and human development is a great fit for building connections across discipline areas and expanding the possibilities for collaboration from campus to all five boroughs.”
Malatras steps into the role with CUCE-NYC already having solid community partnerships in place. With the First Jamaica Community and Urban Development Corporation, CUCE-NYC hosts health and nutrition programming at the Tree of Life Center in Jamaica, Queens. Food and Finance High School is home to Cornell’s Hydroponics, Aquaculture and Aquaponics Learning Labs, where students learn about sustainable agriculture. And Weill Cornell Medicine’s Clinical and Translational Sciences Center (CTSC) partnered with CUCE-NYC to distribute COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic, and, currently has two CUCE-NYC 4-H’ers on its Community Advisory Board.
“While Cornell has expertise in research and academics, it’s community members and local organizations who are the experts on their neighborhoods and what residents truly need,” said Malatras. “Real change happens through these partnerships, and I’m excited to be part of it.”
One support that New York City residents are asking for is parenting skills, and Malatras wants to expand parenting education opportunities.
“I’ve heard parents and caregivers ask, ‘Why isn’t everyone taught these skills?’’ said Malatras. “CUCE-NYC is well-positioned to help bridge the gap between research and preventive community education, making evidence-based knowledge accessible to all families.”
This addition will further Malatras’ goal to keep CUCE-NYC’s programming adaptable to the needs of New York City residents and further the programming that CUCE-NYC already does well.
“Over a decade as an educator and mentor has equipped me to cultivate collaborative, inclusive learning environments, and I’m excited to foster connections between research, community outreach, and education in New York City.”
She recalls two former faculty members who helped cultivate this approach. One of her fondest memories was a graduation weekend barbecue attended by students and families hosted by Jeffrey Haugaard, professor emeritus of psychology. Malatras said Haugaard tried to make the large campus feel smaller, something she tried to emulate as a faculty member. She also points to a class, Foundations of Clinical Practice, where the empathy of the professor, Carol Maxwell Miller, resonated with Malatras.
“The feelings she inspired in me—empathy, wonder, and enthusiasm—are what I aspire each day to achieve in my own work.”
Now that work will be for her alma mater, albeit in New York City, instead of Ithaca, where Malatras was planning her future in the Botanical Gardens while listening to a Paul Simon CD.
“When I interviewed at CUCE-NYC headquarters at 570 Lexington, and the elevator doors opened, and I saw the big red wall and Cornell insignia, I felt like I was returning home.”
Homeward bound, indeed.
By Juan Vazquez-Leddon, Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research