Ming Lowe ’89 receives Leadership & Service Award

Cornell is proud to acknowledge the outstanding accomplishments of Ming Lowe ’89 by awarding him the Leadership & Service Award. Following is his award citation, read during the Alumni Convocation at Homecoming 2019. (Come back soon for a video of the ceremony.)

Ming Lowe, Class of 1989, you are a social justice advocate based in Washington, D.C., working with various communities, with a focus on African American and Asian American safety and empowerment. Your work embodies the values and ideals we collectively hold here on the Hilltop.

You came to Cornell as a native Iowan who wanted to immerse yourself in the liberal arts. During your years here, you helped organize an anti-apartheid group that encouraged  Cornell to divest from businesses with interests in South Africa. You were active in many other ways on campus, including being proactive on global and local hunger, working part-time, and playing on the tennis team. You interned the spring of your senior year in the Department of Justice’s Civil Litigation Fraud Section. 

Following graduation, you earned a law degree from George Washington University, pursuing your studies while you worked full-time. Since then, you have played numerous roles: as legal counsel, consultant, social activist, organizer, and ally. You have spent thousands of hours in the community service space striving to make a better society by building better communities.

You have specialized knowledge in experiential education, with a particular focus on higher education and the arts. You are engaged in efforts to address the environment, advance equality for the LGBTQ community, encourage entrepreneurialism, and promote diversity. You were an active member of the NAACP and served on your local chapter’s executive committee. Over the past decade, you have been lobbying for action on environmental issues and statehood for the District of Columbia.

Even with a plate this full, you have been selfless in your support of Cornell, serving as a Class Agent, as co-coordinator of the Washington, D.C., Regional Alumni Club, and as a Purple Pride Ambassador.

You have made a huge difference in the communities and within the organizations where you work. Today we honor you for your Leadership and Service in your community and for your efforts in support of Cornell College.