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Basil Safi, M.Eng. ’24
Executive Director
Phone: (607) 254-5456
Email: bas363@cornell.edu

Basil is responsible for providing senior leadership, planning and strategy development in support of the Einhorn Center to shape a wide range of projects and initiatives in community engagement. He advises senior university leaders on key issues, provides recommendations for strategic planning and oversees coordination, analysis and reporting for the center’s activities.

Across the university, Basil plays a pivotal role in assisting all facets of campus to deepen service and community-engaged learning across the domains of curricular, research and co-curricular initiatives. By working collaboratively and creatively with all facets of the university, Basil brings vision, cohesion and financial sustainability to the community engagement initiative.

Basil is a first-generation American with 21 years of experience in the management, design and implementation of public health, strategic communication and community-engaged learning programs. He earned his B.S. in civil engineering from Virginia Tech, his M.P.H. in global environmental health from Emory University and is finalizing an M. Eng. in Engineering Management from Cornell (’24).

Prior to joining Cornell, Basil spent ten years with the Center for Communication Programs at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health on a range of international health programs to improve community outcomes. Basil helped establish five community-based organizations in Bolivia, Egypt, India, Indonesia and Pakistan that work with U.S.-based universities to serve the needs of local communities.

Basil is a registered professional engineer and former environmental public health leadership fellow at the CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health. He has experience working domestically and in Azerbaijan, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Nepal, Pakistan, Panama, South Sudan, Tajikistan, Tanzania and Uganda.

Basil has coauthored publications across the fields of health communication, public health preparedness, transmission, immigrant rights, social science and mobile health.

A quote that inspires Basil

“When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.” —Cherokee Proverb

The best part of Basil’s job

I’ve been driven by public service throughout my career and thrive in environments where I’m able to connect solutions or resources to challenges being faced.

Fun fact

Basil enjoys exploring new places with his lovely wife and quickly growing sons. He has competed in ten triathlons across the US and enjoys the swimming portion the most.

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© 2025 Cornell University

If you have a disability and are having trouble accessing information on this website or need materials in an alternate format, contact einhorncenter@cornell.edu for assistance.