Letitia McCune
College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
Tell us about what you're doing with your life
After Cornell I went on to get an MS focused on plant lipids and a PhD focused on medicinal plants and diabetes from McGill. Once that was complete, our family moved to Tucson, AZ. We went from extreme temperatures of -20 to those of 120! After doing postdoc work in nutrition on cancer and antioxidants (UA), I worked with a seed conservation organization and started my own consulting company, BotanyDoc. In those capacities I’ve concentrated on Indigenous Peoples’ rights and the nutritive and medicinal properties of native plants. I’ve come full circle as I’ve been working part time for the last 3 years for Cornell University facilitating online courses on medicinal plants (eCornell)! We’ve been lucky to do a fair amount of traveling over the years. While Cornell is a family legacy (see below), my husband Dave and daughter graduated from Dartmouth and our son from UA.
What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found most useful?
I always enjoyed the laboratory courses more than lectures and that surely led to my 20 plus years in lab work. I will never forget the plant anatomy ambidextrous professor who would use both hands to simultaneously draw opposite sides of a flower or other plant structure. In daily life “Wines and Spirits” as well as “Scientific Writing for the Public” continue to be useful. It’s surprising how often the nuances of flavor that I learned come up in discussions of foods and wines, as well as how to create a brochure or tailor something to key points.
What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?
It’s the pride in Cornell’s caliber of academics as well as family legacy. I have a great aunt, aunt and uncle, and cousins that all graduated from Cornell. I’ll never forget watching a cousin as “chimesmaster” using both hands and feet for the many pedals/handles in McGraw Tower. Personally, having gone to Cornell has opened many doors, helped get me into grad school, and even into intriguing lectures in Tucson at fellow Ivy League school club gatherings (e.g. Yale). At those, and Cornell club gatherings, I’m proud to wear my Ag and Life Sciences pin “we grow the ivy”.
What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell?
I don’t expect a student of that age to take my advice, especially this tidbit, but pay attention to your health! Get enough sleep, plan ahead for projects, and take less courses your first year. Get to know your teachers and advisor (mine invited me to Thanksgiving!). They can help with your Cornell life and potentially write letters of recommendation. Stay at least one summer on campus so you can experience the full beauty of the place and find some job opportunities on campus related to your interests. Realize those will help you land a job once you graduate.