Kelly E. Cunningham joined Cornell Tech as special counsel to the dean in September 2024 to help lead critical initiatives and strategic priorities for the next phase of the campus’s development.
Previously, Cunningham served as special counsel and chief of staff to the president of Cornell University, providing advice on matters affecting the institution’s mission and goals. As a member of the president’s cabinet, she partnered with vice presidents, deans, and other leaders across all Cornell campuses to advance the president’s priorities and the administration’s goals.
Cunningham joined Cornell from the University of Michigan, most recently as special counsel to the provost, with responsibility for issues management and advising on approaches to proactively address policy and reputational matters. Prior to her work with the provost, she served as director of U‑M’s public affairs and internal communications office and as the university’s chief spokesperson.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Texas Christian University and a law degree from Albany Law School. Before entering higher education, she practiced federal Indian law in Washington state.