Senior has helped encourage campus social, cultural and political dialogue

Umair Khan in the Andrew Dickson White Library in Uris Library. He is a government and Near Eastern studies major in the College of Arts and Sciences from New York City. Barry De Libero/University Photography

By Franklin Crawford

Umair Khan will spend his summer working as a congressional staffer in the U.S. House of Representatives -- a position for which this charismatic senior seems especially well-suited. A double major in government and Near Eastern studies with a double concentration in international relations and law and society, Khan is one of the most high profile students on campus.

While his family origins are in Pakistan, he was raised in Lubbock, Texas, and his family now lives in Manhattan. At Cornell, Khan, an American Muslim, took a leadership role, especially after Sept. 11, 2001, proactively encouraging dialogue across a spectrum of cultural and political issues. He's facilitated talks among Pakistani and Indian students, Arab and Israeli students, and students both for and against the war in Iraq. He also volunteered for community service in area high schools to help educate young people about Islam and Middle Eastern history and politics.

"Being here at such a tumultuous time forced me to deal with people, to learn to respect other people's opinions and not to just react to them, no matter how malicious," he said. "Since 9/11, my focus has been about education and awareness, helping and teaching in an effort to dispel not only the ignorance and lack of awareness of others, but my own ignorance."

Khan immersed himself in the social, political and public affairs life at Cornell, and while he concedes it took some edge off his studies, he is content with his Cornell experience. He served as a student-elected member of the University Assembly, a member of the International Students Programming Board, and he is past president and social chair of the Seal and Serpent Society.

A self-confessed news junkie, Khan found his voice as a columnist for the Cornell Daily Sun, one of the most rewarding aspects of his time here, he said. His column "More Than Two Cents," taught him to shape his ideas and substantiate his viewpoints.

"When I got here, I was just an opinionated kid," said Khan. "I still have my opinions. However, writing a weekly column has taught me how to think things through. When I express an idea now, I can tell you why I think that way and where I got the information that led to my point of view."

One of the memorable moments of Khan's final semester was attending his first Passover seder, at the home of Ross Brann, the Milton R. Konvitz Professor of Judeo-Islamic Studies and chair of the Department of Near Eastern Studies.

"I see great things for Umair," said Brann. "He's been a very good student, but his real claim to fame is that he's passionately public-service oriented. Umair could well become a diplomat or a businessman or a politician. I see him functioning very well in any or all of those venues."