News

Person reading a book in grass at the top of a hill — Sreang Hok/Cornell University Reading on Libe Slope

Alumni authors

Your July 2025 reads

7/18/2025 Cornellians

This month’s featured titles include a look at the world’s first advice column, self-help for parents, and a scholarly book on Venezuela.

Montclair Film/Creative Commons license 2.0 Stephen Colbert

Media

Politics and punchlines: Cornell humor expert on ‘Colbert’ cancellation

7/18/2025 A&S Communications

Political satire—long a staple of late-night TV—plays a critical role in democracy, cutting through partisanship and exposing hypocrisies that traditional news often can’t, says philosophy professor David Shoemaker.

Person in black Cornell t-shirt reaches gracefully to hit a small white ball with a paddle — Provided Gina Fu ’28, a statistics and economics major in the College of Arts and Sciences and vice president of the Cornell Table Tennis Club, competes at the College Table Tennis National Championships in April.

Student life

Student table tennis champ heads to World University Games

7/17/2025 Cornell Chronicle

Statistics and economics major Gina Fu ’28 will represent Team Canada in international table tennis competition.

Government and technology

Optimism about AI lowest in US, says A&S dean

7/17/2025 Cornell Chronicle

Peter John Loewen, the Harold Tanner Dean of Arts and Sciences, shared takeaways from his decade-long AI research during a lecture kicking off the Cornell University School of Continuing Education’s Summer Events Series.

illustration of a "wall" made of small dots – An illustration of a double-walled membrane formed by lipid and protein molecules. — Credit: bagus/Adobe Stock An illustration of a double-walled membrane formed by lipid and protein molecules.

Chemistry and Chemical Biology

‘Breakthrough Science’ grant supports disease-targeting lipid research

7/17/2025 Cornell Chronicle

A grant from the Ono Pharma Breakthrough Science Initiative, which supports bold new ideas in science, will help Cornell researchers study how chemical modifications to proteins play a powerful role in cell survival.

Alumni

How practicing yoga has helped me regain my flow

7/17/2025 Cornellians

A&S government alum Kevin Gibson '10 writes in a Chime In column that he was burned out from a career in law when trips to India and Sweden put him on the path to healing.

Philosophy

Philosophy Ph.D. candidate wins Newcombe Fellowship

7/16/2025 Cornell University Graduate School

Migdalia Arcila-Valenzuela is one of 20 recipients of Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships for 2025-26, selected from nearly 600 applicants.

People in red hard hats construct a structure on the floor of a large indoor space — Provided Cornell's Steel Bridge Project Team at the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)’s Student Steel Bridge Competition.

Physics

Partnership helps Cornell student team build a winning bridge

7/15/2025 Cornell Chronicle

Cornell’s Student Machine Shop at the Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics (LASSP), students have access to industry-standard equipment and expert guidance: “We have users from physics, chemistry, architecture, engineering, physical education — you name it.”

Abstract image in blue and green with lines running in parallel — Michael Dziedzic/Unsplash

Physics

Cornell–IBM collaboration advances quantum computing

7/15/2025 Cornell Chronicle

The researchers achieved two major breakthroughs, taking a step towards universal topological quantum computing (fault tolerant computing).

Mathematics

For microbes in harsh environments, it’s survival of the meekest

7/14/2025 Cornell Chronicle

Cornell researchers have found that peaceful microbes are more likely to thrive, and their more aggressive peers perish, if their environment is harsh or experiences violent disruptions.

Man with glasses and t-shirt working on complex electronic table-top machine — Orion Smedley Lead author Thow Min Jerald Cham, M.S. ’21, Ph.D. ’24 at work in the laboratory.

Quantum research

Physicists take step toward a holy grail for electron spins

7/10/2025 Cornell Chronicle

Their breakthroughs came in part by interweaving two fields: 2D materials and spintronics, also known as spin electronics.

A curved stone building with a row of colums on the facade — Carol M. Highsmith Columns on the Internal Revenue Service Building, part of the Federal Triangle in Washington, D.C

Sociology

Pulpit politics? Cornell expert questions IRS filing

7/9/2025 A&S Communications

Prof. Landon Schnabel comments on the new IRS filing regarding political endorsements by religious institutions.

A white haired man and a woman in bright red shirt and sweater stand leaning against a cow with a painting of a cow on it, with a barn in the back and sunflowers and grass on its legs. — Provided Jerry Elbaum ’61, JD ’64 with wife Judith Brody Elbaum ’62.

Alumni News

Udderly Delightful: Meet the Alum Behind ‘CowParade’

7/8/2025 Cornellians

Jerry Elbaum ’61, JD ’64, founded the organization that mounts bovine-themed public art shows in cities around the globe

Older man with glasses and gray hair talking with his hands. — Jake Cornelius lvaro Soto, director of the Chilean National Center for AI (CENAI), was one of some 40 leading AI scholars and researchers at “Thought Summit: LLMs and Society” held May 19-21 at Cornell University’s Ithaca campus.

Linguistics

‘Summit’ on LLMs rallies leading AI experts

7/7/2025 Cornell Bowers CIS

Linguist Marten van Schijndel co-led a session on “Responsible LLMs & Issues” at the summit.

A pile of hand-made scrapbooks — Joe Wilensky/Cornellians Cornell scrapbooks created by students in the First American University, a one-credit American Studies course

Alumni

Ticket stubs & COVID tests: 2020s Big Red life, in scrapbooks

7/3/2025 Cornellians

As a final project, a popular course on Cornell history lets students create miniature time capsules for future generations.

Round formation (a cell), luminescent against a dark background — Kai Dahms/Unsplash

Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Natural sensors help in mapping out cells’ own biology

7/2/2025 Cornell Chronicle

Cornell chemistry and chemical biology researchers have found a new and potentially more accurate way to see what proteins are doing inside living cells — using the cells’ own components as built-in sensors.

person at a desk with computers, looking thoughtful — Ryan Young/Cornell University Semiconductors are at the core of the economy and national security. Their importance makes them a target. Sarah Kreps, director of the Tech Policy Institute in the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, discusses how Cornell is helping to keep the semiconductor supply chain safe.

Cornell Matters

From halting cancer to protecting soldiers, Big Red research is at risk

7/2/2025 Cornellians

A look at some projects imperiled by federal funding cuts — and how you can support your alma mater through "Cornell Matters."

Temple of Zeus party for Zeus manager, Lydia Dutton; Pictured left to right: A.R. Ammons, Cecil Giscombe, Lydia Dutton, David Burak, Phyllis Janowitz, James McConkey, and Tony Caputi — A party in the Temple of Zeus for retiring Zeus manager, Lydia Dutton. Left to right: A.R. Ammons, Cecil Giscombe, Dutton, David Burak, Phyllis Janowitz, James McConkey and Tony Caputi.

A&S broad impacts

Throughout history, poets find inspiration at Cornell

7/1/2025 A&S Communications

Visit the Poetry Foundation website, type in “Cornell,” and you’ll find 405 results.

Faculty excellence

A&S honors 13 faculty with endowed professorships

6/27/2025 A&S Communications

The professorships are made possible because of gifts from alumni, parents and friends.

Person wearing red sits for a portait, backed by an image of a galaxy — Carnegie Institution for Science Archives Rubin in a 1980s-era portrait

Astronomy

Alumna’s namesake observatory takes a deep dive into the cosmos

6/27/2025 Cornellians

The facility, which honors astronomer Vera Cooper Rubin, MS ’51, has released its first images—and they’re mind-blowing

Book cover: The Greater Second World War

History

Global perspectives reframe timeline and scope of WWII

6/25/2025 Cornell Chronicle

This summer marks the 80th anniversary of the “official” end of World War II, but a new book co-edited by Ruth Lawlor, assistant professor of history, extends the war’s timeline back to 1931 and into the mid-1950s.

Faculty honors

Colanzi wins Zinklar Award for short fiction

6/24/2025 A&S Communications

Liliana Colanzi’s award is the first Zinklar Prize to honor Spanish language fiction.

Government

Iranian nuclear project may be more dangerous now than ever

6/24/2025 A&S Communications

Professor of government Uriel Abulof: “In the aftermath of recent regional escalations, there’s a growing risk of repeating a familiar—and dangerous—pattern: ceasefire, self-congratulation, and strategic blindness

A sign sticks out from a crowd of people, saying "the Earth is flat) — Kajetan Sumila/Unsplash

Psychology

Conspiracy theorists unaware their beliefs are on the fringe

6/24/2025 Cornell Chronicle

Overconfidence is a hallmark trait of people who believe in conspiracies, Cornell psychology researchers have found.

Person sitting on grass, reading a book propped on knees — Sreang Hok/Cornell University Summer reading on the Arts Quad

Alumni

Your June 2025 reads

6/23/2025 Cornellians

This month’s featured titles include the latest from A&S faculty Ishion Hutchinson and Charlie Green, plus A&A alumni Chris Pavone '89 and Sarah Spain '02.

Bright green sprout in dark soil — Daniel Dan/Unsplash

Research support

SPROUT Awards cultivate early-stage engineering research

6/20/2025 Cornell Chronicle

From designing a reversible male contraceptive to detecting life on distant ocean worlds, the latest Cornell Engineering SPROUT Awards are cultivating breakthroughs across medicine, space exploration, robotics and environmental sensing.

Book cover: Child of Light — Provided In "Child of Light," an experimental historical fiction set in 1890s Utica, Jesi Bender-Buell '07 tells the story of a young girl as she tries to understand her world through the interests of her parents: Spiritualism for Mama, electrical engineering for Papa.

Alumni

Why experimental art is more important than ever

6/20/2025 Cornellians

When we focus on making our work marketable, it’s no longer the creative endeavor that our society so desperately needs, alumna Jesi Bender-Buell '07 writes in a Chime In column.

White plate, broken in half on a wood floor — Elanchezhian Narayanasamy/Unsplash

Psychology

Emotion – not just action – helps brain define, divide events

6/20/2025 Cornell Chronicle

Study participants who watched scenes from popular movies showed emotion plays a larger role than previously understood in establishing event boundaries that help structure attention and memory.

two people standing in front of a statue — Kathy Hovis Mehler, left, and Rosenberg, right

Alumni experiences

Reunion 2025: The view from five years out

6/17/2025 A&S Communications

Members of the Class of 2020 remember their journeys at Cornell.

A telescope in space: topped by a circular yellow mirror, the object is boat-shaped, with a background of stars — Northrup Grumman An illustration of the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope

Astronomy

Cornell astronomers win time on James Webb Space Telescope

6/17/2025 A&S Communications

“It’s the cutting edge of what we can achieve, with better precisions and resolutions than other instruments.”

Computer screen showing images of three newspaper ads from a long time ago — Devin Flores/Cornell University Enslavers posted as many as a quarter-million newspaper ads and flyers before 1865 to locate runaway slaves. Ed Baptist is leading the public crowdsourcing project, Freedom on the Move, that has digitized tens of thousands of these advertisements in an open-source site accessible to the public.

History

Research at risk: Records of enslaved people seeking freedom

6/17/2025 Cornell Chronicle

A research project collecting records of freedom-seeking enslaved people in the pre-Civil War U.S. came to a halt in early May.

Basketball going through a net — Markus Spiske/Unsplash

Physics

Better basketball through theoretical physics?

6/16/2025 Cornell Chronicle

Cornell researchers are applying a theory about the movement of electrons to a much taller, human system – the National Basketball Association.

Music

Dallas Morse Coors Concert Series announces 2025-26 Season

6/13/2025 A&S Communications

The season will include explorations of timeless classics, as well as concerts highlighting new frontiers in music.

Person speaks, holding a microphone — Credit: Sheryl Sinkow/Provided Left to right: Charles Walcott PhD ’59; Holger Klinck, the John W. Fitzpatrick Director of the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics; and K. Lisa Yang ’74 at the center’s advisory council meeting, where Yang honored Walcott with the establishment of the Charles Walcott Graduate Research Fellowship in Conservation Bioacoustics. Photo by Sheryl Sinkow.

Neurobiology and Behavior

New $1.5M graduate research fellowship honors former director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

6/13/2025 Cornell Chronicle

A new $1.5 million gift from philanthropist K. Lisa Yang ’74 has established the Charles Walcott Graduate Research Fellowship in Conservation Bioacoustics to fund graduate research at the Lab of Ornithology.

Alumni

Why our attempts to avoid emotional discomfort often backfire

6/13/2025 Cornellians

"As a clinical psychologist, I’ve learned that moments of anxiety can be golden opportunities to learn to tolerate distress," A&S psychology major Alissa Worly Jerud ’08 writes.

People in an audience applaud one person standing — Sreang Hok/Cornell University Jamila Walida Simon, MA ’10, standing, just completed her doctorate in global development.

Staff accomplishments

Staff graduates recognized for academic achievements

6/12/2025 Cornell Chronicle

More than two dozen staff members who earned degrees at Cornell or other institutions this year while also working at the university were celebrated in a ceremony June 10.

three people singing from a stage — Simon Wheeler for Cornell University Gunpoets

Summer series

Cornell SCE offers free outdoor concerts, lectures this summer

6/12/2025 Cornell Chronicle

In the 2025 Summer Events Series, A&S Dean Peter John Loewen will give a lecture on AI; and beloved alumna author Diane Ackerman, M.F.A. ’73, M.A. ’77, Ph.D. ’79, will talk about her research trips.

Person sitting at a white piano on a stage, giving an "okay" sign with hand — Takahiro Kyono/Creative Commons license 2.0 Brian Wilson in 2012 in The Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Reunion

Music

‘End of a hopeful era’: Cornell expert reflects on Wilson and Stone legacies

6/11/2025 A&S Communications

The deaths of Brian Wilson, co-founder of The Beach Boys, and funk and soul pioneer Sly Stone, of Sly and the Family Stone, mark the end of a pivotal era in music, says professor Judith Peraino.

Person wearing pink headphones, walking outdoors in a city — Devon Divine/Unsplash

Psychology

Study shows how city life shapes music choices

6/10/2025 A&S Communications

Living in a metropolis broadens our musical horizons, and makes our playlists less alike.

people in military fatigues stand by the side of a street — Levi Meir Clancy/Unsplash

Military history

Military use in Los Angeles coming right up to Insurrection Act

6/10/2025 A&S Communications

History professor David Silbey points out restrictions on and risks of using active-duty military to respond to protests.

Two people standing on a stage, holding a certificate between them — Diogo Lopes de Oliveira/Provided PCST Network President Sook-kyoung Cho presents Bruce Lewenstein with the 2025 Award for the Advancement of Science Communication as a Professional Field (PCST Award).

Science and Technology Studies

Lewenstein wins science communication prize

6/10/2025 A&S Communications

The inaugural Award for the Advancement of Science Communication as a Professional Field from the International Network on Public Communication of Science & Technology recognizes outstanding contributions to the development of science communication as a field.

church building with a green-blue bell tower — Provided St. James A.M.E. Zion Church

Ithaca community engagement

History Center exhibit chronicles excavation at Ithaca’s ‘Freedom Church’

6/10/2025 Cornell Chronicle

The exhibit on Ithaca’s St. James A.M.E. Zion Church will open on Juneteenth with a community event scheduled for 4 p.m.

three people at a table — Kathy Hovis From left, faculty members Alexandra Kleeman, Philip Milner and Talbot Andrews presented their work at the June 6 panel.

Reunion 2025

Professors address climate change from multiple disciplines

6/10/2025 A&S Communications

The panel, during Reunion 2025, was called "Beyond the Apocalypse: New Narratives and Innovations for Climate Action."

Person sitting in front of a chalk board that has circular "smal world" diagrams on it — Jason Koski/Cornell University Steven Strogatz, the Susan and Barton Winokur Distinguished Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and Mathematics in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Public engagement

New York Times series features math by Prof Steven Strogatz

6/9/2025 A&S Communications

Strogatz has been busy with outreach activities as the inaugural Susan and Barton Winokur Distinguished Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and Mathematics.

Person standing on th edge of a vineyard, hodling a glass with a little red wine in it — Provided Victor Schwartz ’80

Alumni

'Wine is not fungible': How an alum's firm made global headlines

6/5/2025 Cornellians

The small, family company founded by Victor Schwartz ’80, an A&S econ graduate, became the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against import tariffs—and won.

A decorative boulder in a shady stone plaza, with Cornell's McGraw Tower in the background — Lindsay France/Cornell University McGraw tower in summer from the Alpha Phi Alpha Centennial Memorial bench.

Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability

Cornell Atkinson awards catalyze solutions in food, climate, clean energy

6/5/2025 Cornell Chronicle

Atkinson Venture Fund awards have distributed $21.7 million to 223 projects spanning every college on Cornell’s campus over 15 years.

Cornell leadership

Thomas A. Lewis named Graduate School dean, vice provost

6/4/2025 Cornell Chronicle

A professor of religious studies at Brown, Lewis will also hold a faculty appointment as a professor of religious studies and German studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.

person holding newspaper — Provided Colette Rose Jarrell

Student research experiences

From posters to precedent, humanities scholars showcase their research

6/3/2025 A&S Communications

Projects spanned topics from Confederate cemeteries to Korean textiles.

A huge ring with electronic wiring going into the center, along with a ladder-like stairs. — Provided The muon g-2 ring sits in its detector hall amidst electronics racks, the muon beamline and other equipment at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.

Physics

One tiny particle could complicate predictions of physics theorists

6/3/2025 Cornell Chronicle

The international, interdisciplinary team measured the magnetic anomaly of the muon – a tiny, elusive particle that could have very big implications for understanding the subatomic world.

In memoriam

Savely Senderovich, scholar of Russian literature, dies at 89

6/3/2025 Cornell Chronicle

A mainstay of the Department of Russian Literature from 1977 until his retirement after the department closed in 2010, Senderovich oversaw the establishment of a comprehensive graduate program in Russian literature, expanding Cornell’s graduate offerings in the field.

people on a stage taking a bow — Casey Martin YAMATO The Drummers of Japan played Feb. 2 in Bailey Hall as part of this year's Concert Series.

Alumni support

Gift creates new Dallas Morse Coors Concert Series at Cornell

6/2/2025 A&S Communications

A $2 million gift from the Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts will rename the Cornell Concert Series and allow it to continue its efforts to bring world-class musicians to campus.

Reunion 2025

US Rep. Beth Van Duyne ’95, Brooks School dean to discuss policy at Reunion

6/2/2025 Cornell Chronicle

The discussion will explore the intersection of public policy, politics and civic engagement.

Dan Moren, mostly bald with a beard and a smile, standing at the Jeopardy podium with the word "Dan" on it — Provided Dan Moren '02 on the “Jeopardy!” podium.

Literatures in English

I’ve Always Been a Generalist—and on ‘Jeopardy!,’ It Paid Off

5/30/2025 Cornellians

Dan Moren ’02 explains why becoming a two-time champion on the legendary quiz show felt like ‘a vindication of a life full of eclectic interests.’

Beth Ryan with big glasses, a smile and a lab coat standing in front of a white board with equations and a lab frame with hoses and things hanging on it — Provided Beth Ryan

Chemistry & Chemical Biology

Graduate Student Invited to Prestigious Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

5/30/2025 Cornell Chronicle

The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings bring together Nobel Prize recipients and approx. 600 exceptional young scientists from around the world for a week of “interdisciplinary exchange” aimed at fostering scientific collaboration across generations and national boundaries.

Alumni excellence

Med student Grace Staes ’22 feels prepared for the work

5/29/2025 A&S Communications

Staes said her major in anthropology has proven to be an asset in medical school.

Dollar bills, some of them folded and crumpled, resting on a white surface — Emilio Takas/Unsplash What it would take to dethrone the dollar? Ryan Chahrour researches this and related questions

Economics

‘Expectations matter’: Cornell expert on today’s economic turmoil

5/29/2025 A&S Communications

Ryan Chahrour studies how people’s beliefs drive economic events and what makes the U.S. dollar special – and dominant – in world trade.

person smiling — Tony Rinaldo/Harvard Norton

Faculty honors

Norton honored with top alumni award from Harvard

5/29/2025 A&S Communications

The Centennial Medal recognizes alumni who have made fundamental and lasting contributions to knowledge, their disciplines, their colleagues and society

Several people gathered around a table with computer games — Provided Cornell Bowers students play the games they brought to life at the 2025 GDIAC showcase.

Computer science

Students got game at annual video game showcase

5/28/2025 Cornell Bowers CIS

The showcase was the final exam for students in Cornell’s game design courses

Person in academic robes shakes the hand of another person in academic robes — Alexandra Bayer/Cornell University President Michael I. Kotlikoff congratulates a doctoral candidate at the 2025 Ph.D. Recognition Ceremony on May 23 at Barton Hall.

Graduate student honors

Ph.D. graduates overcame obstacles to find success

5/28/2025 Cornell Chronicle

Cornell’s newest Ph.D.s found success even through the unexpected events of the last few years, President Michael I. Kotlikoff reminded nearly 400 doctoral graduates at the 2025 Ph.D. Recognition Ceremony on May 23 at Barton Hall.

two people talking to a group — Simon Wheeler Associate Professor Roger Moseley, left, is taking over as the new director of the Milstein Program, a job that Associate Professor Austin Bunn, right, has held for the past three years.

Academic innovation

Music professor named new director of Milstein Program in Technology & Humanity

5/27/2025 A&S Communications

Roger Moseley, associate professor of music, will begin in the new role July 1.

Person sitting on a bench under a tree, reading a book — Noël Heaney/Cornell University Graduate student Esther Kondo Heller (MFA, Cornell Poetry ’23)

Literatures in English

Your May 2025 reads

5/27/2025 Cornellians

This month’s featured titles include essays on womanhood by A&S alumna Nicole Graev Lipson ’98.

People on a stage; one in military uniform stands at attention — Devin Flores/Cornell University Marine 2nd Lt. Connor Eaton is pinned at the Cornell University ROTC Tri-Service Commissioning Ceremony, held May 23 in Statler Auditorium.

Student life

Cornell graduates aim to ‘lead from the front’ as military officers

5/27/2025 Cornell Chronicle

During a May 23 ceremony in Statler Auditorium, more than 25 members of Cornell’s Reserve Officers' Training Corps Tri-Service Brigade were commissioned as second lieutenants or ensigns in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Space Force.

A lacross player in white and red uniform holds a trophy aloft; he's surrounded by celebrating teammates — Provided The Cornell men’s lacrosse team celebrates after defeating Maryland in the NCAA Championship Game May 26 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Athletics

Cornell lacrosse wins national championship, first in 48 years

5/27/2025 Cornell Chronicle

The Big Red defeated Maryland 13-10 in the NCAA title game held at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

two plank-shapes, one with a stripe and one with a white root shape hover over neon color feather shapes — Yao Yang and Madeline Degroodt Artist’s rendering of watching energy materials in action.

Chemistry & Chemical Biology

Moving pictures: Researchers use movies to diagnose EV battery failure

5/23/2025 Cornell Chronicle

The technique enables them to watch chemistry in action and collect real-time movies showing what happens to energy materials during temperature changes.

Chemistry & Chemical Biology

Happy together: Peroxide binds incompatible polymers for recycling

5/23/2025 Cornell Chronicle

“The dream is, if you can make a really rigid polymer that’s also really tough, then you can make packaging that uses less material, yet has the same sort of properties."

Illustration showing an outline of a brain in white electronic-looking wiring — Steve Johnson/Unsplash

Psychology

Brain-inspired AI model learns sensory data efficiently

5/21/2025 A&S Communications

With brain mechanisms as a guide, Cornell researchers are designing low-energy robotic systems inspired by biology and useful for a wide range of potential applications.

Psychology

Roper Center announces 2025 student fellows advancing public opinion research

5/20/2025 Cornell Chronicle

This year’s cohort includes the W.E.B. Du Bois Fellow and three Kohut Fellows. These emerging scholars will advance data-driven research by contributing original scholarly work that uses Roper iPoll’s extensive survey archive.

Brad Ramshaw, smiling, with very short mustache and beard, in a polo shirt in front of a tree

Awards and Honors

Physicist Brad Ramshaw awarded $2M as Brown Investigator

5/19/2025 Cornell Chronicle

“This grant will allow us to pursue some high-risk, novel ideas for how to measure material properties like elasticity and high-frequency conductivity that have previously been inaccessible in 2D materials.”

Glass figures shaped like a teardrop on top of a square glass base, red with black lines swirling down in parallel — Roger William Photography

Awards and Honors

Seventeen Receive Awards Recognizing Inclusive Excellence

5/19/2025 Cornell University Graduate School

Awardees were recognized for the significant impacts they have made to advance access, engagement and belonging through their service and leadership.

Rectangular glass award set among model planets on a table — Provided Changemaker Award

Astronomy

Changemaker Award goes to SPIF and Zoe Learner Ponterio

5/16/2025 A&S Communications

The Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways say Ponterio’s support “has been invaluable."

One person wearing graduation cap helps another with hers — Jason Koski/Cornell University Diana Ayubi helps Khurshid Hussainy with some finishing touches before a cap-and-gown photo shoot.

Student life

They fled Afghanistan together – and now they're graduating

5/16/2025 Cornellians

After escaping the Taliban, nine women matriculated on the Hill; the first to complete their degrees are in the Class of ’25

Owen Wetherbee: Physics, Mathematics & Computer Science

'I'm proud of my contributions to understanding the stability of insect flight'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Owen Wetherbee is a physics, mathematics & computer science major.

'I have learned to navigate academic spaces on my own terms'

"Her mentorship has reinforced my belief that academia is not just about producing knowledge but about transforming it — challenging existing paradigms and ensuring that scholarship remains accountable and accessible to the communities it represents."

Kendahl Wesley: Psychology & Africana Studies

Ashley Koca: Robert S. Harrison College Scholar, Near Eastern Studies & History of Art

'I understand truly how interconnected the world and its people are'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Ashley Koca is a Robert S. Harrison College Scholar and also majors in Near Eastern studies and history of art.

Kate Sullivan: History

'It's exciting to see how my research capabilities have expanded each semester'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Kate Sullivan is a history major.

Jeremiah Gorman: Biology & Society

'I've gained the ability to approach arguments from different perspectives'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Jeremiah Gorman is a biology & society major.

McKenna Norton: Asian Studies & Robert S. Harrison College Scholar

'My research gave me new perspectives on what community-building really means'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

McKenna Norton is an Asian studies major & a Robert S. Harrison College Scholar.

Ameya Kamani: Government

'I've been inspired to enter a public defense career to represent tenants'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Ameya Kamani is a government major.

Alyssa Mendez: Sociology

'My classes reshaped the way I think about justice, morality and what it means to be a part of humanity'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Alyssa Mendez is a sociology major.

Grace Elmore: English & Religious Studies

'The world really is your oyster'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Grace Elmore is majoring in English & religious studies.

Isabella Riano: American Studies & Government

'It's essential to view history considering multiple perspectives'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Isabella Riano is an American studies & government major.

Jasmine He: English

'I’ve grown confident in conducting independent research'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Jasmine He is an English major.

Rebecca Parish: American Studies

'My classes allowed me to look at the world around me in ways that I had never done before'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Rebecca Parish is an American studies major.

'My majors allowed me to see the deep interconnections between language, culture, science and societal structures'

"I’ve explored topics ranging from healthcare disparities to the socio-political implications of biotechnology. This interdisciplinary lens has helped me understand how scientific advancements affect — and are affected by — cultural and societal values. Together, these majors have given me a well-balanced and holistic education."

Salvatore Brancato: Biology and Society & Spanish

Yi Kai Ong: Mathematics & Computer Science

'I realized that not all challenges can be addressed with algorithms alone'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Yi Kai Ong is a mathematics and computer science major.

'Pursue curiosity without constraint'

"The beauty of Cornell lies in its vastness in academics, extracurriculars, professional opportunities, social activities and more. You don’t have to choose between interests; in fact, much of my fulfillment in my college experience has come from embracing the full range of my passions and running with it, whatever direction it takes me."

Emily Hong: Economics & German Studies

'I discovered the importance of asking questions'

"Not knowing something, being unsure and trying to find the answer is the best way to grow and learn. The process of seeking out the answer is just as important as the answer itself."

Rafaela Uzan: German Studies & Government

Caitlyn Sams: Biological Sciences and Chemistry & Chemical Biology

'Joining a lab confirmed my passion for cancer research'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Caitlyn Sams is majoring in biological sciences and chemistry & chemical biology.

Alex Bohler: Archaeology

'My thesis explores the threats of climate change to New York's coastal archaeological sites'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Alex Bohler is an archaeology major.

Iman Kiio: Information Science

'I am both capable and prepared to contribute to meaningful change'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Iman Kiio is an information science major.

Kimberly Bond: Statistics & Psychology

'The class challenged me to build a more intentional future'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Kimberly Bond is majoring in statistics and psychology.

Cristina Kiefaber: Classics

'I am prepared to approach life’s challenges with both curiosity and a sense of responsibility'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Cristina Kiefaber is a Classics major.

'I've been pushed to craft work that is both intellectually rigorous and deeply informed'

"My experience engaging with scholars across various disciplines has refined my ability to collaborate effectively within scholarship. I am grateful for the intellectual exchange and being exposed to diverse viewpoints from my peers."

Kaylani Williams: English

Neal Jerome: Astronomy

'I've worked on a code-based project characterizing exoplanets'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Neal Jerome is an astronomy major.

Michael Wu: Psychology

'I truly feel prepared for any challenge coming my way'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Michael Wu is a psychology major.

'My mother's resilience taught me that challenges are not roadblocks'

"Problem-solving, adaptability and collaborative leadership are among the most valuable skills I gained from my Arts & Sciences education. Above all, I learned how to think critically and approach challenges from a holistic perspective."

Elizabeth Goberdhan: Biological Sciences

'I started making connections between my classes that I never expected'

"One of the most valuable things I gained from my Arts & Sciences education is the ability to think through an intersectional lens. I honestly can’t overstate how important that’s been for me. The distribution requirements pushed me to take classes in areas I never would’ve explored otherwise, and that ended up being such a gift. It helped me realize how connected everything really is."

Mana Setayesh: Science and Technology Studies

Andrea Zarazúa: Biology & Society and Spanish

'My learning is limitless'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Andrea Zarazúa is majoring in Spanish and biology & society.

A pug dog leans out the window of a red car. It is very cute — Marina Raspopova/Unsplash

Jimmy Cawley: Government

'I studied the impact of COVID-19 relief funding on the performance of N.Y. public school students'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Jimmy Cawley is a government major.

Gaveal Fan: Robert S. Harrison College Scholar, Sociology & Information Science

'My research advisor let me develop my own projects'

5/15/2025 A&S Communications

Gaveal Fan is a Robert S. Harrison College Scholar and also majored in sociology & information science.