News

crystal ball reflects a view of a river, upside down — Marc Schulte/Unsplash

Chemistry and Chemical Biology

In a first, system uses sunlight to power carbon capture

5/12/2025 Cornell Chronicle

Inspired by the mechanisms plants use to store carbon, researchers found that sunlight can power the capture and release of carbon dioxide, which could vastly lower costs and net emissions.

close up of a dog's mouth — Vidak/Unsplash

Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Drug found ‘remarkably’ effective in treating common canine oral cancer

3/19/2025 Cornell Chronicle

An FDA-approved drug used in humans has been found to inhibit the growth of oral squamous cell carcinomas in dogs - with one dog’s tumor nearly disappearing in a matter of weeks.

Peter Yarrow with guitar, tan jacket, white hair just at the back of his head, white beard and glasses in front of a microphone with three women and a child standing next to him — Lindsay France/Cornell University Peter Yarrow ’59 performs in Bailey Hall at Reunion 2019.

Alumni News

Folk icon Peter Yarrow ’59, of Peter, Paul and Mary, dies at 86

1/7/2025 Cornell Chronicle

Musician Peter Yarrow ’59, who drew early inspiration from his time at Cornell before joining the legendary folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, died Jan. 7 in Manhattan.

People with backpacks and jeans stand in front of a table, set outdoors, that's labeled "Cornell VOTES" — Jason Koski/Cornell University Students from the Cornell Policy Group, a nonpartisan student organization, help others register to vote on Ho Plaza.

Student life

Students look to cast their votes with enthusiasm – and nuance

10/23/2024 Cornell Chronicle

Cornell students are preparing to vote, many for the first time, by engaging with ideas and conversing across differences.

Person standing on the floor an enormous convention center that's mostly empty, next to a banner that says "Illinoi" — Provided Edgar Jared Vilchez '27 will speak on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, on Aug. 22.

Government

Undergrad to speak at Democratic National Convention

8/21/2024 Cornell Chronicle

Edgar Jared Vilchez ’27 will share his personal experience with gun violence on the convention’s final night.

Person in red shirt smiles, hands on hips, while speaking with a circle of other people — Jason Koski/Cornell University Alexis Boyce, center, mingles with attendees at a reception honoring her work on Aug. 8.

Asian American Studies Program

A&S program manager creates inclusive space for staff

8/15/2024 Cornell Chronicle

Alexis Boyce, program manager for the Asian American Studies Program, has been honored with the Employee Assembly's Award for Staff Inclusion and Integrity.

A mother helping a child with the hood of a parka — Sai De Silva/Unsplash

Neurobiology and Behavior

Mothers’ care is central factor in animal, human longevity

6/18/2024 Cornell Chronicle

The relationship between mother and child offers clues to the mystery of why humans live longer lives than expected for their size – and sheds new light on what it means to be human.

Two people, fencing — Noël Heaney/Cornell University Riley Xian '25 (right), Men's Fencing Club co-captain, led the épéeists to gold at the U.S. Association of Collegiate Fencing Clubs championships on April 13-14.

Student life

Diversity, empathy fuel national win for Men’s Fencing Club

5/14/2024 Cornell Chronicle

After rebuilding post-pandemic and with diversity as its strength, the Men’s Fencing Club clinched a surprise win at the 2024 U.S. Association of Collegiate Fencing Clubs championships.

Africana Studies

‘Not her first rodeo’: Beyoncé scholar weighs in on ‘Cowboy Carter’

4/26/2024 Cornell Chronicle

Professor of Africana studies Riché Richardson says reclaiming country music for the Black community and rebranding the genre as an inclusive space are triumphs of Beyoncé’s new album, “Cowboy Carter.”

group of women — Jason Koski/Cornell University The executive board of Women Leaders of Color, a student group dedicated to uniting and empowering female students of color, outside Kennedy Hall.

Student leaders

New group unites, empowers female students of color

11/29/2023 Cornell Chronicle

Women Leaders of Color at Cornell aims to increase representation of women of color in leadership positions across professions.

person sitting with records and other items around them — Provided Ben Ortiz, collection specialist of the Cornell Hip Hop Collection.

Special collections

From breaking to Beyoncé: Hip Hop Collection empowers students

8/31/2023 Cornell Chronicle

Cornell's collection is the largest hip-hop collection in the world.

Ryan Young/Cornell University Andy Shin '23, M.P.A. '25

Student veterans

Student veteran celebrates July Fourth as a new citizen

6/29/2023 Cornell Chronicle

After graduating high school, enlisting in the U.S. Army, and nearly finishing his undergraduate studies at Cornell – Andy Shin '23, M.P.A. '25 gained his citizenship last November.

Steven Strogatz in front of a blackboard with "small world" and an illustration on it showing a circle and interconnected lines inside — Jason Koski/Cornell University

Networks

Mathematical model that ‘changed everything’ turns 25

5/31/2023 Cornell Chronicle

The work, along with a few subsequent papers, ushered in the modern era of network science – the results of which are ubiquitous in today’s world.

Three people wearing matching yellow t-shirts look at two laptop computers — Ryan Young/Cornell University Florencia Ardón (center), founder of Neurodiversity @ Cornell and staff member in the Learning Strategies Center, with neurodiversity ambassadors Carol Anne Barsody M.A. ’23 (left), master’s student in archeology, and Becca McCabe, doctoral student in mechanical engineering, in Duffield Hall

Cornell community

A movement brings community, visibility to neurodiversity at Cornell

4/10/2023 Cornell Chronicle

Students and staff are finding support, community, visibility and a voice through Neurodiversity @ Cornell.

Fireworks burst under a colorful night sky

Student experiences

Cornell admits ‘extraordinary’ Class of 2027

3/31/2023 Cornell Chronicle

“True to Cornell’s founding vision, these extraordinary students will bring a diverse range of ideas and experiences to enrich campus life together.”

Two people looking at a white board — Ryan Young/Cornell University Doctoral student Shikhar Prakash, right, and Madhur Srivastava, assistant research professor in chemistry and chemical biology, work at a white board in the Physical Sciences Building.

Energy

Cornell, NYSEG pilot app to help consumers moderate electricity use

1/25/2023 Cornell Chronicle

The app was inspired by an A&S researcher's own electrical bills.

six women on steps of Goldwin Smith Hall — Ryan Young/Cornell University Members of the Women of Color Athletes executive board, clockwise from back left, Tia Taylor ’25, track and field; Emily St. John ’23, soccer; Sydney Waiters ’24, soccer; Maddie Packer ’25, track and field; Aviva Muńoz ’23, swimming; and Sydney Moore ’24, volleyball, in Goldwin-Smith Hall. Not pictured: Meilee Key ’24 track and field.

Student athletes

Student group, Women of Color Athletics, creates space

10/26/2022 Cornell Chronicle

A new group provides female athletes of color at Cornell with a community of women who understand their challenges.

Person standing in a field, surrounded by green, yellow and red plants — Noël Heaney/Cornell University Matthew Dallos, doctoral student in the field of history, designed the Libe Slope Wild Garden for the Biennial, to “insert a moment of wildness” on campus.

Cornell Biennial

From fabric arts to human waste: Student Biennial projects transcend

10/17/2022 Cornell Chronicle

More than a dozen students are taking part in the Cornell Biennial, which aims to serve as an anchor for the arts at Cornell.

People sitting in a college classroom — Serge Petchenyi / Cornell University Students participate in an in-class discussion.

Educational verve

Active Learning Initiative, at 10, elevates teaching and belonging

10/3/2022 Cornell Chronicle

The initiative has supported classes in the humanities, the social and natural sciences, mathematics, information science and engineering.

Student experiences

Student veteran Roland Molina continues to serve

4/26/2022 Cornell Chronicle

As a student at Cornell and president of the Cornell Undergraduate Veterans Association, Molina has dedicated himself to strengthening the veteran community on campus.

Red-tinted image of a stage from the performers point of view, looking out at a large crowd outside

Music

Big Red Icon aims to unite, celebrate student musicians

3/3/2022 Cornell Chronicle

Big Red Icon is a competition for student bands from across the university that is designed to help rebuild, uplift and connect musicians from all musical traditions. Winners will be given an opportunity to perform at Slope Day Events.

Education Innovation

New approaches to teaching revolutionize the classroom

10/22/2019 Ezra Magazine

Teaching at Cornell is in the midst of a transformation, with faculty applying the latest research and technologies across disciplines to excite and engage students.

Academics

Courses continue transition from Blackboard to Canvas

9/3/2019 Cornell Chronicle

Cornell has entered the second semester of its transition from Blackboard to Canvas, with more than half of all courses now using the new learning management system. Blackboard will be unavailable after the fall 2019 semester.

Innovative teaching

Provost’s seminar celebrates innovation in teaching

5/2/2019 Cornell Chronicle

The Provost’s Seminar on Teaching and Learning brought nearly 75 faculty and instructors together to share and celebrate innovations in teaching at Cornell.

Music

Revisiting the Time of J.S. Bach

8/17/2018 Cornell Research

This Cornell Research story focuses on Bach scholar and accomplished organist/pianist, David Yearsley, who is exploring not only Bach’s music but also the music of Bach’s wife and their world.

Chemistry & Chemical Biology

Catalysis—Focusing in to see the action

6/7/2018 Cornell Research

This Cornell Research story focuses on the work of Rong Ye, one of the first Cornell Presidential Postdoctoral Fellows, who is working in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology.

Africana studies

Unheard Voices, Made Known and Amplified

5/17/2018 Cornell Research

When Carole Boyce Davies, professor of Africana studies and English, first began studying African and African diaspora literature and culture, the field was dominated by male scholars and writers—both as teachers and subjects of study, according to this story on the Cornell Resarch website. Boyce Davies arrived at just the right moment to make significant contributions.

Philosophy

What is Metaphysics?

2/19/2018 Cornell Research

Metaphysics includes big, abstract questions about the nature of reality that can’t be fully answered or investigated empirically: questions about whether or not we have free will and the nature of consciousness; about how objects or people persist through time. Are we the same people as we were as babies? Is a table the same if you inscribe your name into its surface? And what about causation, which is so central to our thinking, on what terms does one event cause another?

Chemistry & Chemical Biology

Passionate explorers - a chemistry story

11/6/2017 Cornell Research

In the middle of the periodic table of elements, on the block that bridges the two jutting sides, is a series of elements known as transition metals. The electronic composition of transition metals makes them great catalysts for some of earth’s most life-enabling reactions. They mediate key reactions, for example, in photosynthesis and help convert nitrogen in the atmosphere so it can be used as a nutrient to sustain life.

Classics

Classical Art- Ideal Form, Copy, Illusion

10/24/2017 Cornell Research

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Physics

The social life of electrons

9/20/2017 Cornell Research

Like human social behavior, the behavior of electrons in relation to each other is difficult to predict. In strongly correlated systems, each electron impacts how those around it act, their orientation and movement, and this leads to diverse behavior in the whole. This Cornell Research story explores this behavior.

Government

Congress and political parties, a checkup

9/11/2017 Cornell Research

A government professor studies how Congress, political parties, and the electorate have shaped each other throughout history

Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Innovating with Single-Molecule Imaging

9/11/2017 Cornell Research

In 1989, W.E. Moerner—a Cornell University graduate and current professor at Stanford University—discovered a method that allowed researchers to see single molecules for the first time. It was a breakthrough that opened doors for the development of an entirely new technique that would impact scientific research across disciplines, and one that earned Moerner, as well as fellow Cornell alumnus Eric Betzig (Howard Hughes Medical Institute), a Nobel Prize in 2014.

Sociology

Work: Aspirations, inequalities, markets

7/7/2017 Cornell Research

This Cornell Research story focuses on Kim Weeden, the Jan Rock Zubrow ’77 Professor of the Social Sciences and director of the Center for the Study of Inequality, whose work focuses on inequality and opportunity in the United States and other industrialized countries.

Archaeology & Anthropology

The native archaeology of the Finger Lakes

6/16/2017 Cornell Research

Through his writing, archaeology, and outreach, Kurt Jordan, associate professor of anthropology, works alongside Native partners to better understand the indigenous history of the Finger Lakes region.

Economics

The Beauty of Logic and Rigor in Data

6/1/2017 Cornell Research

The research of Francesca Molinari, professor of economics, is explored in this recent Cornell Research story.

Philosophy

A political philosopher speaks

5/15/2017 Cornell Research

The research of Richard W. Miller, professor of philosophy and director of the Program on Ethics & Public Life, is explored in this recent Cornell Research story.

English

A Natural Storyteller Talks about His Art

5/5/2017 Cornell Research

Robert R.Morgan, professor of English, spoke about how writing and storytelling took over his life.

Mathematics

Shapes, Floppy and Squeezable

4/10/2017 Cornell Research

What does it mean to do research in math? According to Tara S.

History

Slavery and today's policing

3/13/2017 Cornell Research

After writing a book on slavery, Edward Baptist is creating a searchable database that will digitize runaway ads.

German Studies

The Anecdote: Capturing an Experience

3/3/2017 Cornell Research

Paul A. Fleming, German Studies/Comparative Literature, recounts an old story that’s been told and retold many times. It comes from Herodotus’ Histories, an account of the Egyptian King Psammetichus’ capture by the Persians. As part of the king’s humiliation, the Persians parade his family in front of him—first his daughter as a slave and then his son on his way to execution. While everyone else around him wails, King Psammetichus shows no emotion until a beggared old drinking buddy passes, upon which he begins to weep and lament.

Physics

The fun - and merit - of collaborative physics

2/6/2017 Cornell Research

Like all researchers, Itai Cohen, Physics, has a lot of questions. But unlike many, his questions make big, topical leaps. From fruit flies to mosh pits, from origami to cartilage—Cohen dreams of preventing stampedes in Mecca, understanding the complex neuromechanics of fruit fly flight, and making self-folding robots from a single sheet of atoms. How can all this happen in one lab? Well, the answer is: it doesn’t.

Psychology

Learning, memory, and the sense of smell

1/31/2017 Cornell Research

Walk by a bakery, and you’ll smell fresh-baked bread. But would you smell it, if you’d never learned what bread was? “Not necessarily,” says Thomas A. Cleland, Psychology.