Cooper Sirwatka is the Director of Civil Rights Compliance and Title VI Coordinator in the Cornell Office of Civil Rights where he is responsible for providing leadership and guidance to the Cornell community on the University’s equal opportunity and civil rights compliance obligations. Prior to joining Cornell in 2022, Sirwatka practiced fair housing law at a variety of nonprofit organizations across New York State. Through this work, he cultivated extensive experience navigating intersecting civil rights laws, conducting investigations, and evaluating reasonable accommodation requests. Sirwatka earned his B.A. in Literature from Purchase College and his J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. In his free time, Sirwatka enjoys spending time with his family, building LEGOs, and running. (Not usually at the same time). He believes one of the characteristics of a truly inclusive environment is having a space for people to show who they are and be celebrated for it. The ultramarathon running community creates that space, and this, along with the challenge of pushing the body to overcome physical extremes, attracted Sirwatka to the sport. He’s completed 50K, 50-mile and 100K races along the East Coast.