M. Cornejo

M. Cornejo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). Holding a PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara (2022), Cornejo’s work examines interpersonal communication among legally objectified migrants, particularly undocumented individuals and those impacted by U.S. immigration incarceration systems. Their research bridges communication studies with health, migration, and critical race theory.

• Research Focus: Dynamic family socialization messages, structural barriers in immigration systems, and communication strategies for humanization.
• Teaching Philosophy: Challenges assimilationist frameworks, prioritizing critical pedagogy to dismantle Eurocentric epistemologies and reconstruct agency for marginalized communities.

Cornejo’s publications appear in leading journals like the Journal of Communication and Health Communication, emphasizing advocacy theory and resilience frameworks. Their work has earned recognition such as the Top Paper Panel award (Health Communication Division, 2023) and a $148,000 Migrations Initiative Grant at Cornell. Cornejo remains active in academic outreach, participating in panels addressing migrant worker precarity and power dynamics.