A professor from Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, will visit campus March 7 to deliver a lecture examining the history of activism among sexual minority groups in Zimbabwe. Marc Epprecht, professor of Global development studies, History and Cultural studies will offer “Reflections on the Struggle for Sexual Minority Rights in Zimbabwe” at 4:30 p.m. at the A.D. White House.“Cornell and the…
Up to 10 undergraduate students from the Ithaca campus will spend their summer doing research on the new Cornell Tech campus as part of a new partnership between Cornell Tech and the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Engineering.Students will work with Cornell Tech faculty and postdocs, or partner organizations/companies associated with the campus, over a 10-week summer program. Leaders in arts …
What impact does communicating science have on knowledge? In a talk delivered to the Cornell Association of Professors Emeriti at Boyce Thompson Institute Feb. 20, Bruce Lewenstein argued that public communication is fundamental to science and that public disputes about reliable knowledge are not unique to our time.Climate change, evolution and vaccines are all areas in which scientific consensus…
Nelson G. Hairston Jr., Frank H.T. Rhodes Professor of Environmental Science in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, has been elected a Fellow of the Ecological Society of America (ESA) for “outstanding contributions” in advancing ecological knowledge.The committee cited Hairston for his “influential experimental, conceptual, methodological, and synthetic contributions to our…
When he arrived as a graduate student in 1984, Vincent Boudreau, Ph.D. ’91, thought he would study African politics and perhaps join the diplomatic corps. Then he walked into a class taught by Professor Benedict Anderson, an expert on the politics, history and languages of Southeast Asia.“It was magical,” he says. “They weren’t just ordinary graduate students in that class: There were two Thai…
Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico this past fall, and the slow recovery has left scholars and politicians wondering how to best help. On March 5, alumna Rosa Ficek ’03 will explore colonialism in Puerto Rico after this destructive hurricane in a public lecture, “Infrastructure, Colonialism and the State of Puerto Rico after Maria.” The talk, at 3:30pm in Cornell’s Morrill Hall, is free and…
When NBA star Lebron James criticized President Trump on ESPN, Fox News host Laura Ingraham told him to “shut up and dribble.” Historian Amy Bass will discuss what happens when professional athletes speak publicly about political issues, in this year’s Harold Seymour Lecture in Sports History, "Listen to Athletes for a Change: Race, Politics, and Sports," March 8 at 4:30 pm in Lewis Auditorium in…
Robert Morgan, the Kappa Alpha Professor of English, will appear in the first episode of the new History channel docudrama, "The Men Who Built America: Frontiersmen” on Wednesday, March 7 at 9PM ET/PT. Morgan was tapped by the History Channel producers (who include Leonardo DiCaprio) for his expertise on Daniel Boone; he is the author of “Boone: A Biography” and “Lions of the West: Heroes and…
Trevor Pinch, Goldwin Smith Professor of Science & Technology Studies, has been awarded the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) 2018 John Desmond Bernal Prize, a lifetime achievement award for his “distinguished contribution” to the field of science and technology studies (STS).“Trevor is one of the founders of our field, and one of the most versatile scholars in it,” said Bruce…
The idea of binding and reshaping a baby’s head may make today’s parents cringe, but for families in the Andes between 1100-1450 AD, cranial modification was all the rage.
Like Chinese foot binding, the practice may have been a marker of group identity. Its period of popularity in the area that is now Peru, before the expansion of the Inka empire, was marked by political upheaval, ecological…
The female a cappella group Sweet Honey In The Rock has used the power of music to advocate for justice, freedom, and democracy since the 1970s. Their performances of spirituals, blues, gospel, and related world musics, have garnered three Grammy Award nominations. They will visit Ithaca March 2-3 and offer two free public workshops and a concert at Bailey Hall, sponsored by the Cornell Concert…
Two Arts & Sciences students have started a new community to help students tackle what they’re calling “side projects” — ideas for books, blogs, campaigns, businesses or social justice ventures.Patterned after Google’s “sprints” and other progressive tech company practices, Tina He ‘19 and Maya Frai ’20 named their organization Backyard and hope it will help students turn an idea into a…
Social activism efforts of professional athletes such as Chris Long, who recently donated his entire $2.25 million salary to support educational equality efforts, will be the focus of a Feb. 27 visit by former NBA player Etan Thomas. Thomas, author of “We Matter: Athletes and Activism,” will also discuss his new book at the free lecture at 4:30 p.m. in Kauffmann Auditorium in Goldwin Smith Hall…
The number of Americans over age 65 is expected to double by 2060, to 24 percent of the population, intensifying concerns about end-of-life care. In a talk on Feb. 23, sociologists Holly Prigerson and Libby Luth will speak on “Psychosocial Influences on End-of-Life Care: Leveraging and Application of Social Constructs,” at 3:30 pm in Rm. 302, Uris Hall. In the first part of the talk, Prigerson…
A group of Wall Street executives, who also happen to be Arts & Sciences alumni, will visit campus later this month to give students the inside track on preparing for Wall Street interviews.“We know that Arts & Sciences students who secure jobs on Wall Street or in consulting perform really well,” said Carl Contiguglia ‘89, Managing Director and Global Head of natural resources within the…
The Cornell Contemporary Chamber Players (CCCP) will host The Switch Ensemble for a five-day artistic residency Feb. 26 to March 3 that will include workshops, a lecture recital, a recording session and two concerts.The concerts will feature pieces composed by Cornell graduate students and faculty, and performed by the Switch Ensemble.“The ensemble is eager to collaborate with young composers and…
Twenty-five hundred years after they were written, Plato’s dialogues continue to yield insights that resonate with current philosophical discussions. In her new book, “Plato’s Moral Psychology: Intellectualism, the Divided Soul, and the Desire for Good,” Rachana Kamtekar, professor of philosophy, examines Plato’s approach to human motivation.According to the mainstream interpretation of Plato’s…
When Reed Van Dyk ’07 happened to listen to a 9-1-1 call as he was conducting research for a graduate school film, he realized the story he was hearing was one he wanted to share with others.That 9-1-1- call would lead him to explore what happened that morning in 2013 at the Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Center in Atlanta, Ga. between a gunman and a school receptionist, which would lead him…
“Rule of Thumb,” an international theatre production directed by Beth F. Milles, opens Feb. 23 at The Cherry Arts in Ithaca. The play reflects both her own and the Cherry Arts commitment to bringing international theatrical voices to our communities, says Milles, associate professor of performing and media arts.The play, written by Berlin-based Serbian playwright and screenwriter Iva Brdar, was…
Geoffrey W. Coates, the Tisch University Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, has received the 2017 Newcomb Cleveland Prize of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for the best paper published in Science each year. Papers are chosen based on scholarship, innovation, presentation, likelihood of influencing the field, and wider interdisciplinary…
Despite the bad rap snakes often get, they are more central to ecology than most people realize. New research reveals that snakes might even play a key role in dispersing plant seeds.It’s long been known that some plants disperse their seeds by “hitchhiking” on animals, with the seeds clinging to fur or feathers, or stored in a cheek pouch or a bird’s crop. Sometimes, seeds are swallowed whole…
Eleven Cornell students joined a professor and two residence life staff members for a trip to Cuba over winter break that they say forever changed their views of the island nation.Now many of them are setting out to change the views of others, whether they be students or members of their own families.“I was able to right all of the misconceptions that Americans have about Cuba,” said Andrea…
Nine current or former Arts & Sciences faculty members have designed and will lead on-campus seminars or workshops this summer through Cornell’s Adult University (CAU).At CAU, participants take courses in subjects ranging from art, politics and literature to birding, biking and sailing. Courses offered by Cornell faculty this summer include “Not Just a Game: Sports and Politics in American…
Mariana Wolfner ‘74, Goldwin Smith Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow, has been awarded the 2018 Genetics Society of America Medal for her work on reproduction. The Genetics Society of America (GSA) awards the medal to investigators who have made substantial advances in genetics in the past 15 years. The prize will be presented at the 59th Annual…
Two undergraduate music students are having their pieces performed by major Cornell ensembles this semester.Chris Worden ‘19 had his arrangement of Cole Porter’s All of You performed by the Cornell Jazz Ensemble on Feb. 11. This was the first time that Worden, a music major, had one of his pieces performed in a concert, although he has had compositions performed by other students in classes.When…
David Feldshuh’s new play “Dancing with Giants” is a family affair. It stars his sister, award-winning actor Tovah Feldshuh; features cartoons projected on the set by his son Zach and the song “The Song of the Low Blow Champion” written by his son Noah, founding member of the band X Ambassadors. But the choice of Tovah was made as much for her acting skills as her family connection, says Feldshuh…
Is democracy at risk in America today? What are democracy’s prospects around the world? These questions and more will be examined in a semester-long, in-depth series of lectures on “The Difficulty of Democracy: Challenges and Prospects,” hosted by the College of Art and Sciences’ Program on Ethics and Public Life (EPL). The series features six eminent social scientists and will take place in…
After Experimental Music, a symposium to explore current perspectives on experimental music studies, will bring scholars, performers, and artist-practitioners from across North America to Cornell University Feb. 8-11. In addition to academic presentations in Lincoln Hall, the symposium will feature two concerts of experimental music. All events are free and open to the public.
“This event is…
“Monish,” by I.L. Peretz, is the story of an irascible Satan, his irresistible wife Lilith, and a young Jew who just wants to be left alone with his books. The Cornell Jewish Studies Program and Cornell Department of Music will present an evening of music and dance, inspired by Peretz’s classic poem at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 in Barnes Hall. Created and performed by Big Galut(e) Jewish Music Ensemble,…
Annelise Riles, professor of anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Jack G. Clarke ’52 Professor of Far East Legal Studies at Cornell Law School, has received the Anneliese Maier Award for lifetime achievement across the social sciences and humanities from the German government and the Humboldt Foundation.According to the committee, the Maier Award is in recognition of Riles’ …
A new performative sound kinetic installation by Assistant Professor Marianthi Papalexandri-Alexandri will premiere at the ECLAT Festival in Stuttgart, Germany on February 3. Titled "Distanz," the work invites the audience to a refined and focused exploration of objects and sounds, carefully shaped and placed at different distances. The performative installation setting allows the performer to…
In the center of a busy Calcutta roundabout stands a 12-foot bronze statue of a celebrated freedom fighter, hanged by the British in 1909. The British called this man, and others in a violent nationalist movement trying to force the British from India, “gentleman terrorists” because of their education and high caste status.In her new book, “Gentlemanly Terrorists: Political Violence and the…
Three Cornellians were among those celebrating Jan. 23 when nominations were announced for this year’s Academy Awards.Reed Van Dyk and Trevor White, both ’07, received nominations, Van Dyk for his writing/directing on the documentary “DeKalb Elementary,” and White for production of “The Post.” David Greenbaum ’98 is co-head of production for Fox Searchlight Pictures, which had two nominated films…
Why does misogyny persist, even in supposedly post-patriarchal parts of the world, like the U.S.? asks Kate Manne in her timely book, “Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny” (Oxford University Press, 2018). Despite social progress toward equality, says Manne, the stories exposed during the #MeToo movement demonstrate that misogyny and wrongful, entitled male behavior is an enduring problem in our…
Economic inequality in advanced industrial societies has been growing in recent years, and so has the demand for recognition by stigmatized minority groups. Sociologist Michèle Lamont offers evidence of these intertwined facets of inequality and recommendations for public policy in her Feb. 2 talk, "Addressing the Recognition Gap: Destigmatization and the Reduction of Inequality." Her lecture,…
Kristaly Rodríguez literally dropped off her belongings in her room at Risley Hall Sunday before making her way to Clark Atrium in the Physical Sciences Building for a Bienvenidos dessert reception and orientation for new students from Universidad de Puerto Rico (UPR).
Once there, she and friend Elizabeth Rivera collected a colorful hat and scarf, a water bottle and bag and, by the end of the…
Two distinguished alumni will visit campus this spring for lectures, class presentations and talks with students, thanks to an alumni gift from the family of James H. Becker, a 1917 graduate of the College of Arts & Sciences.The Becker Grant, established in 1976, helps departments within the College of Arts & Sciences bring alumni to campus to share their experiences with students.This…
The 2017 winners of the Mabati Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature have been announced by Abdilatif Abdalla, chair of the prize’s board of trustees.The poetry prize winner is Tanzanian poet Dotto Rangimoto, for “Mwanangu Rudi Nyumbani.” The fiction category winner is Tanzanian author Ali Hilal Ali, for “Mmeza Fupa.”Rangimoto and Ali will each receive $5,000 awards. The prizes will be…
Babies are adept at getting what they need – including an education. New research shows that babies organize mothers’ verbal responses, which promotes more effective language instruction, and infant babbling is the key.It’s long been known that babies modify their sounds to become more speech-like in response to feedback from their caregivers, and that they learn things have names by caregivers…
The Creative Writing Program of Cornell’s English Department launches its Spring 2018 Barbara & David Zalaznick Reading Series with poet Julie Sheehan on Thursday, February 1, 4:30pm, at the Hollis E. Cornell Auditorium in Goldwin Smith Hall. Sheehan is the author of three poetry collections: Bar Book: Poems & Otherwise; Orient Point; and Thaw. A Whiting Writers’ Award winner, her poems…
Therapy sessions can be dramatic, but normally take place behind closed doors with only the therapist and client as witnesses. “Therapy as Performance,” a new interdisciplinary series premiering Jan. 19 at The Cherry Artspace in Ithaca, turns that convention on its head. Performance artist and creator Leeny Sack will appear as the “Constant Client” in two public – and unscripted -- therapy…
Jonathan Lunine, the David C. Duncan Professor in the Physical Sciences and director of the Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, was selected as the American Geophysical Union’s (AGU) 2017 Carl Sagan Lecturer. The lecturers chosen by the AGU, said the nominating committee, “represent some of the most innovative minds in their fields and are selected for meritorious work or…
Four new alumni gifts to the Winokur Future Faculty Initiative have helped the College of Arts & Sciences to create three new professorships and fund a new graduate student position.The $40 million initiative, launched in May with a $10 million challenge gift from Barton and Susan Winokur, both Class of ’61, will support the creation of 15-25 new endowed positions within the college.Gifts…
In a theatrical season marked by debate over the representation of women onstage and off, and by controversy surrounding male critics’ assessments of women’s stage artistry, Sara Holdren has emerged as a powerful and uncompromising new critical voice in the theatre. Her debut review essay, “The Revolution Will Not Be Hashtagged: A Misguided 'Joan of Arc' at the Public Theatre,” published in the…
“Global Africa: Into the Twenty-First Century” offers an image of Africa at odds with the Western narrative of an impoverished, backward continent. This Africa is a vibrant, diverse place, its 12 million square miles and 2,000 languages offering an “extraordinary” dynamism that has transformed the world’s music, cuisine, politics, art, technology and philosophies, say the editors in their…
Using the now-complete Cassini data set, Cornell astronomers have created a new global topographic map of Saturn’s moon Titan that has opened new windows into understanding its liquid flows and terrain. Two new papers, published Dec. 2 in Geophysical Review Letters, describe the map and discoveries arising from it.
Creating the map took about a year, according to doctoral student Paul Corlies,…
With the new emphasis on hands-on, active learning throughout higher education, lab courses would seem to have an advantage – what could be more active than doing experiments? But surprising new research reveals traditional labs fall far short of their pedagogical goals.In a paper published Jan. 2 in Physics Today, “Introductory Physics Labs: We Can Do Better,” Natasha Holmes, Cornell assistant…
The magic of the circus comes alive in Running to Places’ (R2P) “Pippin.” From jugglers to unicycles to acrobatics, the musical is a comedic extravaganza in the spirit of the recent Broadway revival. The production, with backstage support by Cornell staff, runs Jan. 12-14 at Cornell’s Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts and is a collaboration with Ithaca’s Circus Culture school.The idea for…
The collaboration between Cornell’s Jewish Studies Program and the Center for Jewish History in New York City continues with two upcoming events on January 8 and March 26.“Cornell Jewish Studies is thrilled to be working with the major independent Jewish research institution in the United States, and to be part of the university’s growing presence in New York City,” said Jonathan Boyarin, Paul…
The forensic methods taught in Matthew Velasco's lab-based Human Osteology course can apply both to archaeological studies as well as contemporary forensic investigations. Human bones, said Velasco, are virtually the same no matter how long they’ve been buried. In early December, Velasco took his students to New York City to engage with practitioners in the field of forensic anthropology and to…
