Previously, he was vice president and professor of philosophy at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York.

Cornwell's scholarship and teaching lie in the areas of human rights, globalization, and liberal education.

[5] He is the author of Sugar Estates of St. Kitts: a Photo Essay of Plantation Heritage Sites.

[6] Cornwell has been involved with a number of initiatives and leadership groups in higher education.

He received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from College of Wooster in 2017, and a second from St. Lawrence University in 2022.