Events & WCM Community

WCCHR Fall Training 2026 (Date TBD)

September 19, 2026 - 8:00am

Please stay tuned for more details about WCCHR's upcoming training in Fall 2026!

Details will be updated soon.

Note: We will be offering in-person training to those located on WCM's campus and in NYC. We prefer that volunteers attend in-person if possible as this promotes easier discussion, and lunch will be provided. For those located outside NYC, we will offer a Zoom option for the same training. If you are unable to make either, please email wcchr@med.cornell.edu and we will send a separate asynchronous training.

WCM students are also invited to attend this training. If you are a WCM student and unable to attend the in-person training, please email wcchr@med.cornell.edu

Black History Month: Celebrating 100 Years

February 18, 2026 - 4:00pm

Speakers: Deirdre McIntosh-Brown, Administrative Coordinator, Microbiology and Immunology Wilfred Farquharson, Assistant Professor of Psychology in Clinical Psychiatry Calvin Merritt, Senior Patient Coordinator, Primary Care Embree M. Thompson, MD, OB/GYN Resident, NYP Columbia The Office of Culture, Inclusion, & Employee Experience invites you to a WCM employee-led virtual panel where our very own colleagues will share how Black History Month has shaped their lives and careers. They’ll reflect on pivotal moments in Black history, explore the balance between individual success and collective actions, and celebrate how far we’ve come and where we’re going next. We're also collaborating with the Medical Center Archives on a special exhibit showcasing WCM’s Black Alumni and Faculty, to be displayed at the 1300 York Avenue lobby.

Event Details

WCCHR Holiday Party!

December 10, 2025 - 6:30pm

Instead of our typical GBM format, please join us for a casual holiday party on Wed 12/10 at 6:30 pm in the Student Hearth! We'll celebrate all the amazing work our student board/volunteers have completed this year, welcome our new board, and get ready for the New Year. All WCCHR volunteers and interested students are welcome! We'll have snacks and warm beverages to share:) If you are able, please bring a fun mug so we can avoid single-use cups. Thank you!

WCCHR Speaker Series: Toppling Chad’s Dictator

November 10, 2025 - 6:00pm

Join WCCHR for a powerful conversation with Souleymane Guengueng and Reed Brody, the courageous duo whose relentless pursuit of justice brought down Chadian dictator Hissène Habré.

Souleymane Guengueng, a survivor of Habré’s prisons, founded the Association of Victims of the Crimes of Hissène Habré (AVCRP) and mobilized hundreds of survivors to document atrocities and demand accountability. Working alongside him, human rights lawyer Reed Brody of Human Rights Watch, also known as the “Dictator Hunter,” helped uncover secret police archives and led the international legal campaign that culminated in Habré’s historic 2016 conviction in Senegal for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and torture.

Together, they will share the inside story of how survivors and advocates achieved Africa’s first successful trial of a former head of state by another country’s courts, offering rare insight into how persistence, documentation, and grassroots mobilization can overcome impunity and inspire global movements for justice.

Event Details:
Belfer Building Third Floor, 302-C and D
November 10
6-7 PM

Please RSVP so we can get an accurate headcount for food!

WCCHR x SHAIP Speaker Event: Immigration Detention Centers

October 30, 2025 - 1:00pm

WCCHR and SHAIP are partnering for a speaker event featuring Dr. Chanelle Diaz, who will be discussing healthcare in the setting of immigration detention centers.

Information about the speaker:
Dr. Diaz is committed to using health care to fight for social justice, racial equity, and human rights. She trains physicians to provide immigration detention evaluations through the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest’s Medical Providers Network, and leads the multidisciplinary Montefiore Immigration Working Group, which is advocating for hospital policies to improve access & quality of care for undocumented patients.

WCCHR Events

WCCHR Pods

WCCHR Pods is a monthly discussion group discussing cases. WCCHR Pods session has ~5 clinician evaluators with ~10-15 students to learn about human rights advocacy, build skills for conducting forensic medical evaluations, and foster mentorship and community. We meet on the first Thursday of the month from 6-7 pm throughout the year. Please email wcchr@med.cornell.edu if you would like to be added to the listserv.

WCCHR Speaker Series

WCCHR Speaker Series are our monthly speaker events. In the past, we have invited speakers to discuss ethics in human rights and reproductive justice.

WCCHR Training

We hold Spring and Fall training sessions, once a semester, to train new evaluators and student volunteers.

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