Through the Plexiglass: Olivia Landes

By Katie Fehrenbaker

Tell me about yourself! 

My name is Olivia Landes and I am a junior at Cornell (Class of 2022). I am a Global and Public Health Sciences major with minors in Health Care Policy and Human Development.

Which testing site(s) do you work at?

I work at Willard Strait, Bartels, and the ILR Conference Center.

Why did you choose to become a surveillance tester?

I chose to become a surveillance tester because I saw it as the perfect opportunity to gain experience working in the field of public health. As tragic as COVID-19 has been for the country and the world, being a public health major throughout the pandemic has given me a lot of new perspectives on the field. It has been a great experience to be involved with keeping this campus safe and running.

What has your experience working at the testing centers been like so far?

I have found the experience extremely enriching. It feels good to know I am doing my part in keeping campus and the Cornell community as safe as can be. It has also taught me more about real world public health situations/responses and showed me more about what goes into COVID-19 research.

What do you like to do in your free time? Hobbies? Fun facts? Interests?

In my free time I enjoy spending time with my friends and going on walks/hikes in Ithaca (while the weather is still nice!). I am also very interested in the upcoming election and have been participating in phone banking several times per week. 

If you could say something to the Cornell community, what would you say? 

I would say that Cornell's current response to the pandemic seems to be working super well! We have less cases than most other campuses I have heard about and we just have to keep being diligent about testing and staying safe!