Rooted and thriving at JMU

Michele Cornaire, a relatively new transplant to JMU, has already made a name for herself in the College of Arts and Letters. In the fall of 2024, Cornaire relocated to Harrisonburg from upstate New York to be closer to family.

“I kept hearing great things about JMU and needed a job, so I applied for every opening,” she explained. She took a temporary position in Philosophy and Religion and applied for the full-time position as soon as it became available. Since then, she has made an indelible impression on the CAL community and was named the 2026 College of Arts and Letters Excellence in Service Award winner.

The award is based on nominations and letters of support from college administrators, faculty, and staff. “Michele has been a breath of fresh air for our department,” shared Mark Piper, Professor of Philosophy. “She is always thinking about how to improve the student and faculty experience; she is amazing!”

“I’m humbled,” Cornaire replied when offered congratulations on the award. “Making their jobs easier, more efficient, so they can be the best professors for their students, I feel like that’s my job,” she added. “I’m a problem solver. I really enjoy finding the most effective, cost-efficient solutions to problems and I love interacting with people.” Cornaire credits other CAL and university admins for being generous with their time and advice.

A departmental administrative assistant handles everything from budgets to human resources, classroom management to event planning, and more. Cornaire gained a good understanding of these systems in a short amount of time despite the steep learning curve, meeting each challenge with determination and positivity.

One of her biggest projects was to create a system that streamlined the departmental budget to access information quickly and easily, making things more efficient for the Academic Unit Head, Kenny Pearce.

“Michele always approaches problems in a collaborative fashion, recognizing the concerns of every department and administrative office and trying to find solutions that work for everyone,” praised Pearce.

Cornaire also enjoys interacting with students in the department. She surprised Philosophy Club and Philosophy Honor Society students with a new gathering place, repurposing space in Cleveland Hall and decorating it with surplus furniture. She also renovated the lobby to create a space where students can hang out and study.

In her free time, Cornaire enjoys being outdoors and spending time with family and friends. Back in New York, she taught horseback riding and fostered animals, and at one point had a horse rescue with twenty-one former thoroughbred racehorses. Her favorite was Secretariat’s granddaughter.

Almost two years in, Cornaire is fully rooted at JMU. “I’ve had many jobs over the years and I have to say, I look forward to coming to work. I’m just really happy to be here.”