News

Stage showing a grand piano with someone playing it, and a singer standing at a microphone, wearing a long, full dress — Provided Daniel Anastasio Performing with his chamber music group, Agarita.

Alumni

Find classical music stuffy? This alum plays a different tune

9/17/2026 Cornellians

Pianist Daniel Anastasio ’11, who was a music and philosophy major in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences, is on a mission to make classical music welcoming.Through social media videos and live performances he breaks down classical music for new and casual listeners.

book cover: The Photographic World Picture

History of Art and Visual Studies

Photographer’s eye illuminates history of modern painting

9/17/2026 Cornell Chronicle

In his new book, “The Photographic World Picture: A New Prehistory of Photography,” associate professor Andrew Moisey describes how key aspects of photography’s “mechanical subjectivity” were present in early modern painting.

Government

Compassion over cruelty: a call for empathy in incarceration

9/17/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Cornell College of Arts & Sciences professor Joseph Margulies advocates forgiveness over punishment in the new book, "Cast Out: A Call for a Forgiving Society in an Age of Incarceration." Drawing on decades of criminal defense work, he argues for a more humane criminal justice system rooted in compassion.

Person working to adjust a very complicated piece of machinery — Chris Kitchen/College of Arts and Sciences Using a new technique, Paul Malinowski and other researchers in Kyle Shen’s lab found that iron selenide’s superconducting “dome” is more closely linked to resistance caused by imperfections in its crystal lattice than to the number of electrons flowing through the crystal.

Physics

Disorder is key to tuning a high-temperature superconductor

9/16/2026 A&S Communications

Physicists in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences discovered that superconductivity in iron selenide is primarily controlled by disorder in the crystal lattice, not electron count. The finding adds to understanding of high-temperature superconductors and is guiding future superconductivity research.

Literary scholarship

When worldbuilding impulses merge with real world politics

9/15/2026 A&S Communications

“Reactionary Worldbuilding,” a book co-edited by Cornell College of Arts and Sciences scholar Anindita Banerjee, explores how speculative fiction and worldbuilding have influenced extremist ideologies and political movements. The collection examines links between imagination, reactionary politics and real-world social change.

Sociology

Leading scholar of extremism to give University Lecture

9/15/2026 A&S Communications

Cynthia Miller-Idriss ’94 will deliver a Cornell University Lecture examining links between misogyny and violent extremism. The leading scholar’s Sept. 30 talk, co-sponsored by departments in the College of Arts and Sciences, draws on her book “Man Up,” exploring gender-based violence as a predictor of radicalization.

Lettters "A" and "I" on a field of purple — Steve A Johnson/Unsplash

Psychology

Can AI boost open-mindedness? Team wins $1.49M grant to find out

9/15/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Cornell University received a $1.49 million grant to study how artificial intelligence can measure and increase open-mindedness. The College of Arts & Sciences-led project will examine cognitive, ethical and social factors that influence belief change and intellectual openness.

An instructor leans on a table to share something with four students — Serge Petchenyi/Cornell University Center for Teaching Innovation Alexandra Werth, assistant professor of biomedical engineering and member of the Duffield Engineering Education Research Institute, teaching a seminar in biomedical engineering

Education research

NSF grant to explore whether AI can support students’ critical thinking

9/14/2026 A&S Communications

Cornell has received a $750,000 NSF grant to study AI-powered reflection tools that build student critical thinking skills. Researchers in biology and physics in the College of Arts & Sciences, as well as in engineering, will evaluate whether personalized AI prompts improve learning.

Curriculum

A&S offers new science, technology and society major

9/14/2026 A&S Communications

An innovative major in the College of Arts & Sciences is being expanded and refined to highlight its combination of science, social science and the humanities and its relevance to careers today.

Cornell's central campus with lake beyond

Government

BRICS, not Washington, is shaping the global agenda says Cornell expert

9/11/2026 A&S Communications

Allen Carlson, a political scientist on Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences, argues that the expanded BRICS bloc, led by China and India, increasingly shapes international affairs over Washington. BRICS leaders meet in India as experts assess shifting global power dynamics.

Illustration of red dots and boxes with lines connecting them, superimposed over a pixelatied photo of a sunny field under a blue sky with clouds — Laila Milevski/Cornell University

Neurobiology and behavior

Device gives first view of animal brain activity in the field

9/11/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Cornell researchers in the College of Arts and Sciences developed WILD, a tiny wireless device that records brain activity in animals moving through natural environments. The open-source technology enables long-term neuroscience studies of social behavior beyond traditional laboratory settings.

Literatures in English

How writer Jean Toomer envisioned an American race beyond color

9/10/2026 Cornell Chronicle

A new biography reveals how Harlem Renaissance writer Jean Toomer’s vision of a new American race shaped both the creation of his modernist novel "Cane" and his struggle with racial identity. The study, by Cornell College of Arts and Sciences literature scholar George Hutchinson, reexamines Toomer’s legacy and complex views on race.

blue-green statue of a seated person atop a stone pedestal — Sreang Hok/Cornell University A.D. White Professors-at-Large series

A. D. White Professors-at-Large

Environmentalist photographer kicks off A.D. White Professors-at-Large series

9/10/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Environmental photographer James Balog launches the 2026-27 schedule of Cornell's A.D. White Professors-at-Large Sept. 16-17 with a lecture on glacier retreat. The fall series also features visits from artists, scientists and public intellectuals across disciplines with many ties to the College of Arts and Sciences.

Person holding a microphone, gesturing and smiling — Mindy Tucker/Provided Leiby performing her one-woman show.

Alumni authors

'It's a love letter to all the terrible aspects of my personality'

9/10/2026 Cornellians

In her memoir, "I’m a Lot: Surviving Myself and All the People I’ve Been.," TV writer and stand-up performer Alison Leiby ’06, a Cornell College of Arts & Sciences alum, tackles comedy, tragedy, and more. The book is featured on the Cornellians website.

Kids in hats and jackets huddled together to look at something one of them is holding — Provided Ecology and Evolutionary Biology assistant professor Molly Womack holds Spotted salamander larvae (Ambystoma maculatum) for observation.

Community engagement

Engaged Opportunity Grants connect students with community partnerships

9/10/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Cornell students are gaining new opportunities to extend classroom learning beyond campus through the fall 2026 round of Engaged Opportunity Grants from the Einhorn Center for Community Engagement. Four of the five funded projects originate with College of Arts and Sciences faculty members.

Two people sitting on a blanket on a grassy slope, facing a golden and orange sunset — Sreang Hok/Cornell University Students on Libe Slope

Science and Technology Studies

Cornell Unplugged encourages mindful tech use, social connection

9/10/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Leading a university-wide Cornell Unplugged event Sept. 14-20 is Cornell College of Arts and Sciences professor Steven Jackson, Sustainable Computing Working Group chair and vice provost for academic innovation. He says the event promotes smart and thoughtful tech.

Awards and honors

Chemistry professor honored for work on biodegradable polymers

9/10/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Geoffrey Coates, a chemistry and chemical biology professor in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences, won the Balzan Prize for advancing sustainable polymers, The honor recognizes his developments of high-performance degradable and recyclable materials while supporting future research.

Person standing in front of a small class, gesturing — Sreang Hok/Cornell University Full Teaching Professor Brenda Schertz, coordinator of the ASL/Deaf Studies Program in Arts & Sciences’ linguistics department, teaches in Morrill Hall

Faculty news

Title of Teaching Professor and new award announced

9/9/2026 A&S Communications

Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences has created Teaching Professor titles to recognize excellence in teaching, advising and academic leadership. The change supports faculty career advancement and expands recognition through new annual awards for pedagogical excellence.

Awards and honors

Peter Katzenstein receives triennial James Madison Award

9/9/2026 A&S Communications

Peter Katzenstein, professor in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences, has received the APSA James Madison Award for distinguished contributions to political science. The honor recognizes his influential scholarship, mentorship and leadership across international relations, political economy, culture and national security.

Colored world map with pins in it — Leandro Barreto/Unsplash

History

Cornell experts on the politics of maps and Trump's renaming proposals

9/9/2026 A&S Communications

Trump’s proposals to rename geographic landmarks highlight how maps and place names are often used to advance political agendas, territorial claims, and national identity, say Cornell experts Christine Leuenberger and Raymond Craib. Such renaming efforts, they argue, can undermine cooperation and credibility.

2026 New Faculty

The College welcomes new faculty for 2026-27

9/8/2026 A&S Communications

Twenty new faculty have joined the College of Arts & Sciences this year, strengthening departments and programs with their wide-ranging expertise and filling numerous leadership roles for the College and university.

Economics

Economist Kerwin Charles, Ph.D. ’96, to give 2026 Staller Lecture

9/8/2026 A&S Communications

Yale economist Kerwin Charles will deliver Cornell University’s 2026 Staller Lecture on racial labor market inequality Sept. 22 at 4:30 p.m. in Olin Hall. The event highlights Charles’ influential research on economic inequality and his leadership as dean of the Yale School of Management.

Provided Medina Tovar

Molecular biology and genetics

Medina Tovar joins Weill Institute to study cellular evolution, pathogenesis of fungi

9/4/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Edgar Medina Tovar joins the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology and the College of Arts & Sciences as an assistant research professor in September. He will begin as an assistant professor in January 2027.

Looking through a stone and brick archway at another, more elaborate archway, free-standing — Michael Lammli/Unsplash Piazza del Colosseo, Rome

Classics

Trump's triumphal arch revives a symbol of empire rule, says Cornell expert

9/4/2026 A&S Communications

A classics professor in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences says Trump’s planned triumphal arch revives imperial symbolism tied to military conquest and centralized power. The scholar argues the monument contrasts with American founders’ preference for republican ideals over Roman emperor imagery.

People gathered near a garage with boxes and carts of food nearby — Provided

Community engagement

Einhorn Center launches new staff fellowship program and welcomes largest cohort of new engaged fellows

9/3/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Cornell College of Arts and Sciences scholars are among the 42 faculty members and staff from 19 Cornell schools, colleges and units named Engaged Fellows for 2026-2027, the largest cohort since the program’s launch in 2013.

Ryan Young/Cornell University Peter Enns

Government

Midterm forecast strongly favors Democrats to win House majority

9/3/2026 Cornell Chronicle

A forecast model developed by Cornell College of Arts and Sciences government professor Peter Enns and graduate students predicts that Democrats have an 8 in 10 chance of securing a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives this fall. The model has correctly predicted winners of the previous 14 congressional elections.

Person smiling as he leans in to look at a laptop screen — Mark Anbinder/Provided David Kornreich, Ph.D. ’01

Astronomy and physics

Cornell science educator David Kornreich, Ph.D. ’01, dies at 52

9/2/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Cornell College of Arts & Sciences physicist and astronomer David Kornreich, Ph.D. ’01, died Aug. 30 in a plane crash near Ithaca while piloting his aircraft. He was researcher and science communicator known for galaxy studies and astronomy outreach.

Small ship crossing a channel toward a city — Tsuyoshi Kozu/ Unsplash

History

Foreign frigate competition highlights Navy's struggles with fleet expansion, modernization

9/2/2026 A&S Communications

Amid shipbuilding challenges, the U.S. Navy is considering foreign-designed frigates to accelerate fleet expansion. Cornell College of Arts and Sciences historian David Silbey says the move reflects decades of struggles to modernize warships while China continues advancing naval capabilities.

Faculty book shelf

India’s economy, heritage forensics, WWII mobilization examined

9/2/2026 Cornell Chronicle

New books by Cornell scholars examine India’s economy, cultural heritage and global conflict. College of Arts & Sciences authors analyze development challenges in India and document endangered South Caucasus heritage.

Two large rivers intersect with steep, foliage-covered banks and some construction equipment — Krish Dulal/Creative Commons license 3.0 Rivers (Bhotekoshi / Trishuli, left, and Lende Khola, right) that flow from China to Nepal, pictured in 2013

Government

Nepal-Tibet flood puts China's regional role to the test

9/1/2026 A&S Communications

A flood at the Nepal-Tibet border is testing regional cooperation, says Allen Carlson, a government professor in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences. The disaster raises questions about China’s transparency, long-term relief role in Nepal, and the future geopolitical dynamics of the Himalayan region.

Alumni

A veteran journalist on why 'the art of the obit' is alive and well

9/1/2026 Cornellians

New York Times obituary writer and Cornell College of Arts and Sciences alumnus Sam Roberts explores obituary journalism in his new memoir, Are They Dead Yet?. As a piece on the Cornellians website explains, the book examines how notable lives are chronicled and reflects on the enduring value of life stories.

Performing and media arts

Marvel actor Dominique Thorne ’19 visits campus for screening, talks

9/1/2026 A&S Communications

Cornell University alum Dominique Thorne '19 will visit campus Sept. 9-10 for film screenings, discussions and meetings with students. She’s the 2026 Heermans-McCalmon Distinguished Guest Artist, a program of the Department of Performing and Media Arts (PMA) in the College of Arts & Sciences.

Illustration of a space telescope with long, purple panels on teach side — NASA/JPL-Caltech/Arizona State Univ./Space Systems Loral/Peter Rubin An artist's-concept illustration depicting the spacecraft of NASA's Psyche mission near the mission's target, the metal asteroid Psyche. Psyche Mission PI Lindy Elkins-Tanton will speak at Cornell Sept. 11.

Astronomy

Psyche Mission leader to give public lecture Sept. 11

8/31/2026 A&S Communications

NASA’s Psyche mission principal investigator Lindy Elkins-Tanton will deliver the 2026 Terzian Lecture, hosted by the astronomy department in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences. She will discuss the spacecraft’s journey to the metal-rich asteroid Psyche and upcoming discoveries.

A few people in a relaxed outdoor setting; one wearing a 'Freedom Party' t-shirt — Heather Ainsworth/Provided A feature of the Freedom Party is the community knowledge corner, which offers books free of charge to community members of all ages.

Community engagement

Second annual “Freedom Party” to celebrate joy, freedom, and learning

8/28/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Cornell’s Freedom Party returns Sept. 19 with live music, free books, social service resources and food. Organized by the Center for Racial Justice and Equitable Futures, and the Africana Studies & Research Center in the College of Arts and Sciences, the event promotes community connection and academic freedom.

Person sitting in an outdoor setting with a thin tower behind — Provided Youngdong Cho, linguistics doctoral student, received a CV Starr Fellowship

International studies

Announcing 2026-2027 EAP fellowship and grant recipients

8/28/2026 Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies

Graduate students connected to Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences departments — history, linguistics, Asian studies, history of art and visual studies, government, comparative iiterature, Romance studies and music —have received Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies East Asia Program fellowships and grants for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Person lunging with a racket after a small white ball, in action on a squash court — Provided Playing for the Big Red in the national championship finals

Alumni

One of the world's top squash players, he's aiming for L.A. in 2028

8/28/2026 Cornellians

A standout squash player since childhood in India, former Big Red star Veer Chotrani ’23, BA ’24, who majored in psychology in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences, hopes to compete in his sport’s first-ever Olympics. He is a professional squash player, ranked 38 in the world.

complicated and very large piece of machinery, folded into an aerodynamic pointed shape standing on one end in a brightly lit, white-walled hangarr — NASA/Jolearra Tshiteya NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope on Aug. 7, after engineers and technicians at Kennedy Space Center had mated the observatory to a payload adapter, before it was secured to the second stage of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

Astronomy

NASA telescope gives hidden exoplanets chance to shine

8/28/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Targeting launch Aug. 30, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will attempt to directly image a set of exoplanets selected with help from Cornell faculty member Dmitry Savransky. Cornell College of Arts and Sciences astronomy doctoral students supported the work.

Neat houses in a row with a city behind: an iconic view of San Francisco — Joshua Sortino/Unsplash San Francisco

Sociology

California tax bill would likely be an ‘orphan’ with ‘surprising’ financial and political consequences

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

California's proposed billionaire tax is a one-time revenue fix that raises concerns about feasibility, taxpayer impact and broader wealth-tax policy, says Cornell College of Arts and Sciences professor Cristobal Young. The measure faces growing Democratic opposition as debate intensifies over taxing extreme wealth.

Africana studies

Locksley Edmondson, scholar of the African diaspora, dies at 92

8/26/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Locksley Edmondson, professor of Africana Studies, emeritus in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences, died Aug. 18 in Ithaca, NY at 92. A political scientist and influential scholar of the African diaspora, Edmondson joined the Africana Studies and Research Center faculty in 1983, retiring in 2017.

2026 New Faculty

New Faculty: Kristina Rogahn

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Kristina Rogahn, assistant professor of Asian studies

2026 New Faculty

New Faculty: Nicola Denzey Lewis

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Nicola Denzey Lewis, Professor of Classics

2026 New Faculty

New Faculty: Dillon Laaker

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Dillon Laaker, assistant professor of government

2026 New Faculty

New Faculty: Diana Fu

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Diana Fu, Associate Professor of Government, Director of the Levinson Program in China and Asia-Pacific Studies

2026 New Faculty

New Faculty: Sanchit Chaturvedi

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Sanchit Chaturvedi, assistant professor of mathematics

2026 New Faculty

New Faculty: Ciaran Seath

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Ciaran Seath, assistant professor of chemistry

2026 New Faculty

New Faculty: Melissa Sands

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Melissa Sands, associate professor of government in the College of Arts & Sciences

2026 New Faculty

New Faculty: Mal Ballinger

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Mal Ballinger, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology

2026 New Faculty

New Faculty: Jesse L. Boring

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Jesse L. Boring, associate teaching professor of psychology

2026 New Faculty

New Faculty: Yiming Chen

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Yiming Chen, assistant professor of physics

2026 New Faculty

New Faculty: Kennia L. Coronado

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Kennia L. Coronado, Assistant Professor of Government and Latina/o Studies

2026 New Faculty

New Faculty: Christian Cox

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Christian Cox, assistant professor of economics

2026 New Faculty

New Faculty: Nilanjan Das

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Nilanjan Das, assistant professor of philosophy

2026 New Faculty

New Faculty: Daniel de Kadt

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Daniel de Kadt, associate professor of government

2026 New Faculty

New Faculty: Katherine Irajpanah

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Katherine Irajpanah, Assistant Professor of Government

2026 New Faculty

New Faculty: Camille Louis

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Camille Louis, assistant professor of anthropology

2026 New Faculty

New Faculty: Ignacio M. Sánchez Prado

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Ignacio M. Sánchez Prado, Emerson Hinchliff Professor of Hispanic Studies, Department of Romance Studies

2026 New Faculty

New Faculty: Bonnie Teece

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Bonnie Teece, assistant professor of astronomy

2026 New Faculty

New Faculty: Amilcar Velez

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Amilcar Velez, assistant professor of economics

Gabriella Carini, standing in front of a very large room full of scientific equipment in the form of long pipes — Provided

2026 New Faculty

New Faculty: Gabriella Carini

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Gabriella Carini, Professor of Physics and Director, Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS)

Anthropology

‘Heritage Forensics’ investigates cultural heritage caught up in war

8/26/2026 A&S Communications

Researchers from Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences have developed a forensics framework to document cultural heritage destruction. Their new book, "Heritage Forensics," examines threats to historic sites and advances methods for protecting endangered cultural heritage in war zones.

woman with white crown — Courtesy: Marvel Studios/Swank Motion Pictures Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022, dir. Ryan Coogler).

Cornell Cinema

From high school hijinks to film noir: Cornell Cinema unveils Fall 2026 season

8/25/2026 A&S Communications

Cornell Cinema’s Fall 2026 season launches Aug. 27 with a diverse lineup of restored classics, Hollywood hits, international films, documentaries and special events that showcase a century of global filmmaking. Highlights include screenings of Thelma & Louise, Project Hail Mary, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with alumna Dominique Thorne ’19, alongside silent film events, the “Too Cool for School” and “Noirvember” series, and partnerships that connect film with research, culture and community dialogue.

Two people talking in a wood-paneled room — Jason Koski/Cornell University Cornell behavioral economist Suzanne Shu, left, and Cornell Chronicle writer Laura Reiley discuss "Why Don't We Do the Things We Know We Should?" in the first episode of season two of the Research Matters video podcast series.

Cornell's research podcast

Research Matters returns, following ideas from the lab to real life

8/25/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Season 2 of Cornell's Research Matters podcast launches Aug. 25 with 18 episodes on how academic discoveries translate into practical insights that shape everyday life and society. Cornell College of Arts and Sciences faculty from astronomy, government, physics and psychology will be featured in the new season.

Physics

Gabriella Carini named CHESS director as facility readies for the future

8/25/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Gabriella Carini, a Brookhaven National Laboratory leader, will begin as director of the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) Oct. 1. She will oversee facility expansion, advanced synchrotron research initiatives and new X-ray beamlines supporting interdisciplinary scientific discovery.

Large lake with rocks in the foreground and a stretch of trees in the distance — Zarif Ali/Unsplash Lake Ontario

Science and Technology Studies

Trump’s Lake Ontario renaming proposal could threaten US-Canada water cooperation

8/25/2026 A&S Communications

Trump’s proposal to rename Lake Ontario has drawn concerns from Cornell College of Arts and Sciences expert Christine Leuenberger about impacts on U.S.-Canada water cooperation. The analysis highlights risks to cross-border resource management and notes any name change would have limited international recognition.

person watching a film — Provided Jeffrey Palmer watches one of the films he created at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.

Performing and media arts

Professor, students produce films for Obama Presidential Center

8/25/2026 A&S Communications

Jeffrey Palmer, associate professor in the Department of Performing and Media Arts in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University, worked with President Barack Obama and his advisers to create two films for the new Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. Three recent Cornell graduates were part of his production team.

person speaking to a crowd of people — Alexandra Bayer/Cornell University Dean Peter John Loewen speaks to new students and their families at the 2026 A&S New Student Convocation.

New students

A&S Dean to new students: ‘Ithaca isn’t the end of your journey, only the beginning’

8/21/2026 A&S Communications

Cornell College of Arts and Sciences dean Peter John Loewen, welcomed new students to the College during an Aug. 18 convocation for the students and their caregivers, challenging them to form their own opinions and be open to those of others.

Person standing in front of a bookshelf — Provided Dr. Dan Cohen

Biology

On TikTok, ‘Dr. Dan’ Cohen ’91 eases health anxiety with humor

8/21/2026 Cornellians

Cornell College of Arts and Sciences biology alumnus Dan Cohen ’91 has found online fame as “Dr. Dan Pediatrician.” With an online following of more than 500,000 on TikTok and another 340,000 on Instagram, his posts give no-nonsense advice and have saved lives, too.

Robot driving on wheels down a row of vines in a vineyard — Provided Emma, a robot developed by Budbreak, starts work on the vineyard before sunrise

Alumni

Meet the alums using robots and AI to improve crop health

8/20/2026 Cornellians

Budbreak, an agritech startup founded by Cornell College Arts & Sciences alumnus Jonathan Moon ’21, MS ’24, and Cornell doctoral grad Ertai Liu, PhD ’24 helps growers monitor crops and access data more quickly and easily. Launched for vineyards, the company works with growers of berries, citrus, almonds, and more.

Laurent Saloff-Coste and Gennady Samorodnitsky — Provided Conference co-hosts Laurent Saloff-Coste, the Abram Rogers Bullis Professor of Mathematics in Cornell’s Department of Mathematics and Gennady Samorodnitsky, the Charles W. Lake, Jr. Professor in Productivity in Cornell’s School of Operations Research and Information Engineering.

Mathematics

Cornell welcomes global leaders in probability for Stochastic Processes Conference

8/19/2026 A&S Communications

More than 100 researchers gathered at Cornell University in June for SPA 2026 probability conference co-organized by College of Arts and Sciences mathematics professor Laurent Saloff-Coste and Cornell Duffield Engineering professor Gennady Samorodnitsky.

colorful burst of light: purple, yellow, orange — NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/CXC/Univ. of Ariz. A superdense neutron star is spewing out a blizzard of extremely high-energy particles into the expanding debris field known as the Crab Nebula.

Astronomy

Public invited to ‘Friends of Astronomy’ symposium Sept. 17

8/19/2026 A&S Communications

Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences will host a free public astronomy symposium Sept. 17 featuring expert talks on astrobiology, exoplanets, stellar death and cosmic origins. The event will highlights astronomy research and graduate student discoveries.

Performing and Media Arts

Bunn named provost’s fellow for public engagement

8/18/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Austin Bunn, professor of performing and media arts in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences, has been appointed provost’s fellow for public engagement. He will work to advance Cornell’s public engagement mission and initiatives involving community-engaged learning and research.

Psychology

Distinct neurons drive mice’s social sounds and squeaks

8/17/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Mice use distinct neuron groups for squeaks and social vocalizations, psychology researchers from Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences have found. The study reveals how mammalian brains organize vocal communication and may inform research on speech impairments linked to neurological diseases.

Two soldiers in fatigues kneel on a beach holding large guns. A miltiary ship is in the background — Republic of Korea Armed Forces/CC lisense 2.0 South Korea-U.S. Marine Corps joint military exercises in 2013

International politics

Cornell military historian: South Korea drill cuts may have been ‘inevitable’

8/17/2026 A&S Communications

President Trump’s move to scale back U.S.-South Korea military exercises reflects military strain from the Iran conflict, says historian David Silbey, professor in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences. Also related, Silbey says, is reduced support for U.S. allies in Asia and Trump’s affinity for authoritarian leaders.

glowing blue blobs against a dark blue background, including one large blog with a yellow and green center — Takumi Matsuzawa/Provided Membraneless organelles known as “condensates” form and disappear every day to help organize the biochemistry in our cells. This image captures in vitro condensates dissolving after a specific chemical is injected from the right. The color represents the concentration of the protein that makes up the condensates.

Physics

Cell biochemistry beyond membranes: The physics of condensates

8/14/2026 A&S Communications

Physics researchers in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences developed a new framework to study how biomolecular condensates form and dissolve in cells. The tool reveals general rules of cellular organization and could help identify drug targets for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other condensate-related diseases.

person lying on back, reading a book on an architectural structure featuring large white bubbles rising out of concrete — Cornell University file photo Reading outside Milstein Hall

Alumni authors

Your August 2026 reads

8/14/2026 Cornellians

Books by Cornell College of Arts and Sciences alumni Gregory Dreicer, PhD ’93, John Hyland ’99, John Thaddeus Rutkowski '76 and anthropology faculty member i Stacey A. Langwick appear in Cornellians roundup of featured reading for August 2026.

Psychology

How is academia like punk rock? Ask Cornell prof David Rand '04

8/14/2026 Cornellians

Cornell professor David Rand '04, a graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences, advances misinformation research using AI tools that help counter conspiracy beliefs and improve accuracy judgments. The former MIT scholar and punk musician now leads cross-college initiatives on informed society applications.

Philosophy

New program turns minor cheating violations into a learning opportunity

8/13/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Cornell University will expand its Accepting Responsibility program campuswide this fall for minor, first-time academic integrity violations. Philosophy graduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences serve as facilitators, helping students address AI-related misconduct and build stronger academic decision-making skills.

Ryan Gosling in ski cap and sweater looking bewildered. — Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Inc. All rights reserved. Ryan Gosling in “Project Hail Mary.”

Cornell Cinema

‘Project Hail Mary’ at Cornell Cinema includes special talk, prize drawing

8/11/2026 A&S Communications

Project Hail Mary screening Aug. 28 at Cornell University features astronomers Lisa Kaltenegger and Abigail Bohl discussing habitable rocky exoplanets. Cornell Cinema’s special event also includes a prize drawing and Fuertes Observatory open house.

Person in red sheilding eyes; a stone house behind — Provided Penny Smith Eifrig ’90 now owns the home in Lozisca

Alumni

Why 'the shortest distance between two points might be three decades'

8/7/2026 Cornellians

Years after visiting Croatia while studying abroad, Penny Smith Eifrig ’90, an alumna of Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences ,lives there. She teachies pickleball and ponders the power of saying ‘yes,' as she writes in a Chime In column for the Cornellians website.

Two brown and white moths on tree bark — Provided An adult European spongy moth

Ecology and evolutionary biology

Satellite imagery could protect trees from devastating moth outbreaks

8/3/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Researchers including Christine Goodale of Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences developed a satellite-based method to track European spongy moth defoliation and improve forest pest management. The study also found warm, dry summers may help predict larger moth outbreaks the following year.

Person holding a model of the planet earth — Cornell University file photo James Lloyd

Astronomy

James Lloyd, astronomer and spacecraft engineer, dies at 55

8/3/2026 Cornell Chronicle

James Lloyd, Cornell University astronomy professor, died July 15 at 55. The College of Arts & Sciences faculty member advanced exoplanet research, spacecraft instrumentation and astronomy education, mentoring students and leading innovative satellite missions.

NSF development awards

Thirteen early-career professors win NSF development awards

7/30/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Two researchers in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences are among 13 from Cornell to receive National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Awards. Yunan Yang works on mathematical and computational methods for solving inverse problems, and Yao Yang studies chemical catalysis.

Two people face each other in a comfortably appointed room. One is taking notes; the other looks slightly troubled. — Vitaly Gariev/Unsplash

Government

We need more therapists. They need more power.

7/28/2026 A&S Communications

In a USA Today op-ed, Isabel Perera of Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences argues that America’s mental health care shortage stems partly from weak political power among providers. Stronger unions could help expand access and strengthen the mental health workforce, she writes.

Martin Espiro Garcia Chucho Valdés’ 85th Birthday Celebration

Music

Dallas Morse Coors Concert Series announces dynamic 2026-27 Season

7/27/2026 A&S Communications

Cornell University’s 2026-27 Dallas Morse Coors Concert Series will feature global artists spanning Afro-Cuban jazz, classical music and cross-cultural traditions at Bailey Hall. The season schedule includes Chucho Valdés, Time for Three with the Cornell Symphony Orchestra, Isabelle Faust and Sunny Jain.

Center on Democracy

Deans discuss democracy on new podcast series

7/27/2026 A&S Communications

Cornell’s "Democracy Dialogues" podcast marks America’s 250th anniversary with a new series featuring Cornell deans exploring democracy’s legacy, challenges and future.

Person waving to a room full of people — Robert Barker/Cornell University Martie Young

History of Art and Visual Studies

Martie Young, ‘great hero’ of Johnson Museum of Art, dies at 96

7/23/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Martie Wing Young, art historian in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences, died at 96. He helped establish the Johnson Museum of Art, expanded Cornell’s Asian art collections and exhibitions, and shaped decades of teaching and museum leadership.

Illustration of a brain in watercolor-textured purple and pink with areas of yellow on either end of it — Laila Milevski/Cornell University

Neurobiology and behavior

Deep connections drive psychedelic research

7/23/2026 Cornell Chronicle

As psychedelic drugs gain more support from the medical community as a potential treatment for severe depression, Cornell researchers, including some in the College of Arts and Sciences, are making crucial discoveries that explain how compounds such as psilocybin work on the brain.

bright light points and streaks against a dark blue background, with a few silhouettes of people — Robynne O/Unsplash

Sociology

More social connections with weaker ties lead to greater polarization

7/22/2026 A&S Communications

Weak social ties, not close friendships, may drive polarization, Cornell College of Arts and Sciences sociologist Michael Macy finds with collaborators. Their study suggests status-driven dynamics among acquaintances reinforce social divisions as communication technologies expand social networks.

McGraw Tower against a blue sky — McGraw Tower

Physics

DOE Genesis Mission awards will advance AI-driven science

7/22/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Cornell University researchers secure $1.2 million in DOE Genesis Mission funding. Two AI-driven projects, one led by physics researchers in the College of Arts and Sciences, will advance energy system modeling and accelerate materials discovery by predicting electronic properties before materials are synthesized.

Two people at the center of a film set, with a camera person and a boom mic at the edges — Provided/National Geographic Cornell archaeologist Caitie Barrett is a guide to daily life in the ancient Roman world on Pompeii: Out of Time, a three-episode recreation of the famous disaster set to air on National Geographic July 22 at 8 p.m./7 p.m. C. It starts streaming July 23 on Disney+ and Hulu.

Classics

Classics professor plays guide to ancient Pompeii’s daily life on TV series

7/17/2026 Cornell Chronicle

In the three-part docudrama POMPEII: OUT OF TIME, Cornell archaeologist Caitie Barrett helps actor Tom Hiddleston uncover some of the secrets of the daily lives of people who were living in Pompeii when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 C.E.

History

Sandwell wins prize for book on South African anti-apartheid movement

7/16/2026 A&S Communications

Rachel Sandwell of Cornell’s College of Arts & Sciences won the Joel Gregory Book Prize for "National Liberation and the Political Life of Exile," her study of women’s leadership in South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement. The scholarship highlights how women in exile shaped African National Congress policies and national identity debates.

A hand reaching for a book on a bookshelf — Photo by Guzel Maksutova on Unsplash

Alumni News

Your July 2026 Reads

7/14/2026 Cornellians

Cornellians’ July 2026 Reads highlights new books by Cornell University alumni, featuring nonfiction, historical fiction and mental health topics.
The roundup showcases authors Betsy Rubiner, Karen Lootens Odden and Bonnie Zucker, promoting recent alumni publications.

Young man with beard and hoodie drawn up standing with arms crossed, looking down depressed against a blackboard with big bulging muscled arms drawn behind him — Image by Schäferle from Pixabay

Philosophy

When the Male Gaze Turns on Men

7/13/2026 New York Times

An opinion essay by Kate Manne in the New York Times argues the male gaze increasingly targets men, fueling looksmaxxing culture and rising interest in cosmetic procedures among young males shaped by online appearance pressures. The article examines how beauty standards, social media, and insecurity are reshaping masculinity and self-image.

An Asian woman in a bright red dress with long hair and a smile, two smiling older men in suit jackets, and one young Asian man smiling in a suit jacket in front of digital displays, all smiling — Wesley Sine/Provided From left, Siyu Huang, Ph.D. ’12, Wesley Sine, MBA ’14, Héctor D. Abruña and Alex Yu, Ph.D. ’14, celebrate Facorial’s debut on the Nasdaq Sock Market.

Chemistry & Chemical Biology

How a Cornell startup scaled to $1.3 billion in battery tech

7/13/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Factorial Energy reached a $1.3 billion valuation after going public, a Cornell University startup founded by Siyu Huang, Alex Yu and chemistry professor Héctor D. Abruña.
Its solid-state batteries power next-generation EV partnerships and expansion.

A blindfolded bronze woman in a toga holding a set of scales — Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash Lady Justice

Graduate Student Grants

Center for Racial Justice and Equitable Futures funds 2026 graduate student research projects

7/13/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Cornell University’s Center for Racial Justice and Equitable Futures funded seven 2026 Graduate Student Research projects across multiple disciplines.
The awards provide research support for emerging scholars advancing racial justice, inequality, labor, identity and social change studies.

A drawing of two people holding hands and climbing an easy staircase, while a third person, alone, struggles to climb up huge steps. — Shea Oleksa/Cornell University

Sociology

The richer get richer – not just materially, but socially

7/13/2026 Cornell Chronicle

Cornell University sociologists Benjamin Cornwell, Barum Park and Cristobal Young of the College of Arts & Sciences found social connections are as unequally distributed as income, reinforcing economic advantage.
Their open-access book, Friends and Fortunes: Social Capital Inequality in America, shows wealthy Americans hold larger, more influential social networks.

Two people smiling — Provided Tabs cofounders Deepak Bapat ’11 MEng ‘12, left, and Ali Hussain ’11, right.

Alumni

Alums launch company to streamline cash flow processes

7/10/2026 Cornell Chronicle

The latest Entrepreneurship at Cornell podcast features Tabs cofounders Ali Hussain, an alum of Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences, and Deepak Bapat discussing AI-powered finance software. The episode highlights entrepreneurship, B2B accounting innovation, and founders’ connections to the Cornell startup community.

Several people lined up, the two in the center holding large certificates — Serge Petchenyi/Cornell University From left, Xi Yang, PhD '10, senior lecturer of finance in the SC Johnson College of Business; Christine Ye; Christine Ye Award recipient Margaret E. Foster, doctoral candidate in communication; Cornelia Ye Award recipient Naman Agrawal, doctoral candidate in neurobiology and behavior; Cornelia Ye; and Derina Samuel, associate director of graduate student development at the Center for Teaching Innovation.

Neurobiology and behavior

CTI announces 2026 winners of Ye Awards for graduate achievements in teaching

7/8/2026 Cornell Chronicle

This year’s Cornelia Ye Award recipient is Naman Agrawal, a doctoral candidate in neurobiology and behavior in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences. The award recognizes an outstanding international graduate teaching assistant.

Two people lying on a blue and white blanket spread over grass with a long view from Cornell's Libe Slope extending into the distance — Provided Koh sunning on the Slope with a friend

Alumni

One thing I never expected to feel as a new grad: Loneliness

7/6/2026 Cornellians

Cornell College of Arts and Sciences graduate Serin Koh '26, BA '25 says alumni connections can ease post-graduation loneliness and sustain a sense of belonging. In a Cornellians essay, she reflects on finding community through Cornell’s global alumni network after moving to New York City.

Illustration featuring data center equipment, building columns, a statue of Lady Justice, and a protester.

Research on Democracy

‘If you can keep it’: Cornell scholars tackle democracy’s modern threats

7/1/2026 A&S Communications

From the early days of Cornell’s founding to the present, scholars have studied the idea and the practice of democracy.