Brian Lukoff '04 loves math.This is not true for many Americans (30 percent according to a recent survey), who say they're just "not good at math."Lukoff thinks there's a way to change that statistic, believing that part of the problem is the way students are learning in math and other disciplines as well. He has developed a tool that helps teachers and professors gauge what their students know and address gaps right away.
The fearless honey badger steals lions' prey and gobbles cobras for dinner. Tenacious and determined, it devours honeycombs despite countless bee stings. This is the totem animal of Sally Wen Mao, MFA '13, and an inspiration for her first book of poems, "Mad Honey Symposium," published in May by Alice James Books.
“Welcome to Cornell Ruins National Park,” Adam T. Smith tells his students. “We’re lucky today. We have a cache of objects to examine discovered in the ruins of McGraw Hall.”This “Rise and Fall of ‘Civilization’” class examines traditional archaeological topics, like kingship and the origins of cities, partly by looking at our current civilization through the lens of a single site – the Cornell campus as it would look 1,000 years from now.
The scene is straight out of a disaster movie: melting glaciers wreaking havoc on the ecosystem, and a tundra-like wasteland where once forest reigned. Thirteen thousand years ago or so the spruces, firs and birches of central New York state vanished; dendrochronology researcher Carol Griggs '77, Ph.D. '06, is using ancient wood to figure out what happened when they finally reappeared.
Dana Bottazzo '03 has done her share of traveling. Raised in London and Kuwait, she attended school in Ithaca, worked for a law firm in Paris and Milan, and then fell in love with South America.
A poor childhood in Guyana spent watching his mother get pushed around gave Frank Douglas, Ph.D. '73, M.D. '77, an early awareness of injustice. At age 12 he was challenging his school principal on fairness, despite the risk to his academic future.
As a recent college graduate, Marisa Boston, Ph.D. '12, was enjoying her new job teaching English to Mexican immigrants in 2001, but she really wanted to go deeper -- to know the science behind language.Why was it easier for some people to learn? What was going on in the brain when people were learning a new language? How could she make it easier for them?
Captain Lauren Morgens '02 stands on the quarterdeck surveying her ship, red sash around her waist and a tall feather in her pirate hat. It is a cloudy August afternoon in Lewes, Del.; her crew has finished scrubbing the Kalmar Nyckel's deck, and the last sailor has come off the rigging. Once the tall ship clears the shallows, Morgens' command to "set the mizzen" rings across the ship in a sing-song cadence that seems as old as the sea itself.
*//*-->*/James R. Michaels '68, a member of Cornell's 100th graduating class, always knew he wanted to be a rabbi. He dutifully chose a philosophy major when he entered Cornell but found that the department's emphasis then on linguistic evaluation wasn't a good fit.
David O. Brown '83 has filmed orca whales feeding on sharks and underwater lava flows. He traveled to Alaska just a few days after the wreck of the Exxon Valdez to document its impact on wildlife and worked for the Cousteau Society, visiting the most remote and animal-rich places on the planet.
Fourteen new faculty members join the College of Arts & Sciences this year, bringing a wide range of expertise across diverse disciplines to strengthen our research profile and continue our tradition of collaboration, innovation and discovery.
Cathy Choi '93 entered Cornell with numbers on her mind. But an English class cross-listed with theater turned Choi away from her planned math major. "I had never read a play before in my life, but I got bitten by the bug and really fell in love," says Choi. "I ended up as a theater major."
Nine-year-old Valencyah walks down the hallways of Hazlehurst Pre-K-8 School in Mississippi toting a Ziploc bag filled to the seam with six books. She has three more in her backpack, all checked out from her classroom library. Valencyah is a straight-A student of Kathryn Ling '11 and hopes one day to become a doctor.
*//*-->*/Had it not been for the beauty of Cornell and a memorable weekend back in 1980, this story about Kathy Savitt '85, chief marketing officer for Yahoo, might very well be appearing in a publication for Harvard alumni.
A U.S. delegation arrived in Taiwan to show support for the nation this week. Allen Carlson, associate professor of government and an expert on China, says Taiwan was on edge even before Russian President Vladimir Putin began his assault on Ukraine.
In the last post of November, senior Sydney looks back at the many ways Cornell has surprised and changed her for the better. By Sydney Mann '18, American Studies major, English minor
Happy March! You may have noticed that we at the Ambassadors blog took a quick break in February - we've been working hard to recruit new ambassadors, as well as find replacements for those executive board members who will be graduating in May (including me!). But rest assured, we're back and as excited as ever! For the next two months, we'll be talking about "The 'Who' and the 'What' of Arts & Sciences." Who studies the "Arts" and what do they study?
This week, junior Sam Cohen '18 discusses how her sociology major at Cornell (on East Hill) inspired her to apply for a summer internship in Washington, D.C., (on Capitol Hill), and how that experience helped her discover a new appreciation for politics and government. By Samantha Cohen '18, Social Chair
By: Sarah Marie Bruno '16 Cornell is a big school. When I arrived on campus as a freshman, I had no idea how I would possibly decide where to eat dinner, let alone what to study. Over time, though, I've found my niche here, and this big school has started to feel like a much smaller community.
Grobe, a PhD student in English language and literatures, takes an interdisciplinary approach to teaching spurred by his research focusing on documentary poetry and film.
Eliza Baird-Daniel '15Major: Biological SciencesHometown: Seattle, WAWhy did you choose Cornell?I wanted to explore a new part of the country and was specifically drawn to Cornell because of the strong research community, outdoorsy culture, and diversity of studies. When I came to visit, I was not only so impressed by the caliber of research but also that undergraduates were deeply involved in it.
Sydney, one of our graduating seniors, discusses how Arts and Sciences has instilled in her a true passion for learning, a quality she hopes to take with her to whatever field she ultimately decides to pursue.By Sydney Mann '18, American Studies major, English minor
Dagmawi WoubshetAssociate Professor, Department of EnglishEthiopia, 1989: the Communist regime was beginning to crumble; schools were shut down. That proved the last straw for the parents of Dagmawi Woubshet, who deeply valued education.
This week, sophomore Dean discusses how Arts and Sciences' language requirement and Asian Studies department helped him explore his heritage and culture as a Korean American. By Dean Kim '20, Chemistry major, East Asian Studies minor
Here in Ithaca, we've just finished classes for the semester and are hard at work studying for final exams. For high school seniors interested in Cornell, however, December means something a bit different. While some are waiting to hear back about their early decision applications, many other seniors are polishing their own applications to submit for the January 2nd regular decision deadline. Here at the Ambassadors blog, we're focusing on why we love being at Cornell so much.
We've made it to May! As seniors approach graduation and underclassmen look forward to summer break, we at the Ambassadors blog have decided to focus on "Looking Forward." Senior Samantha Briggs starts off the month with a post about her experience deciding on her next step: Columbia Law School. By: Samantha Briggs '16
Roger Michaelides '15 Majors: Physics & Science of Earth Systems Hometown: Libertyville, ILWhy did you choose Cornell?I choose Cornell because of its exceptional physics and geology programs, diverse student body and academic programs, and its world class planetary science research groups. After growing up in the midwest, Ithaca'a local geology and natural preserves were also very appealing!
Mingkun Ding '16Major: Math and Philosophy (Minor: Music)Hometown: ShanghaiHow did you decide on your major? Have your plans changed since you started Cornell?
By: Isabel Caro '18 As a student in the College of Arts and Sciences, I am expected to take some math/science courses to fulfill certain requirements. I decided to choose these courses wisely and have some fun – so I enrolled in Astronomy 1195: Observational Astronomy. ASTRO 1195 is an introductory course that gives students (like me!) the opportunity to learn about the intricacies of outer space.
I'll be honest with you: I think of myself as a true Cornellian. "Big Red Blood flows through my veins" (well, technically my arteries). Basically, I love almost everything about this place.Finals are an exception.
Happy March! This month, ambassadors will be writing about academic research they conduct on campus. For the first post of the month, I am sharing a little bit about my experience completing a psychology honors thesis! By Suzy Park '18, Economics and Psychology double major, Law & Society minor
This week, junior Emma Bryan talks about how the flexibility of the Arts and Sciences curriculum helped her discover her passion for French and reconfirm her interest in Economics, setting her up for an exciting junior year. By: Emma Bryan '19, French and Economics double major
Happy Halloween! In our last post for October, senior Anna Ravenelle discusses her experiences with the creative writing program within the English department. For her and for many others, creative writing classes provide an opportunity to explore the arts while earning credit and getting feedback from esteemed authors and poets. By: Anna Ravenelle '17
This week, Renee explains why she chose Cornell, after a visit to campus in high school.By Renee Girard '20, Government, Law and Society and Public Policy major
This week, senior Samantha tells us about her challenging yet incredibly rewarding five months in Sevile, Spain, through which she learned to embrace the uncomfortable. By Samantha Cohen '18, Sociology major, Business minor
This week, meet junior Suzy Park, an economics and psychology double major who was recently inspired by her experiences in Arts & Sciences to pursue a career in law. Suzy will be taking over the Ambassadors blog next year - see what she has to say below! By: Suzy Ji Soo Park '18, Economics and Psychology double major, Communications minor When I introduce myself as an economics and psychology double major, 99 percent of people say, “Oh, that’s cool!
The last member of our Arts & Sciences Ambassadors E-board is Kasey Han '18. After spending most of her summer conducting molecular and cellular neuroscience research at Stanford University, Kasey returned to campus early for training to be a Student Assistant on West Campus. It's fitting that Kasey's post closes out our September collection just after Homecoming Weekend here in Ithaca - her post strongly emphasizes how it feels to leave summer behind and "return home" to Cornell!
Welcome back! As our Ithaca campus comes alive again for the spring semester, we here at the Arts & Sciences blog will begin posting weekly material once again. Good luck to all the seniors who recently submitted applications - as you wait for college decisions, enjoy senior Maddy Finkelstein's post about the beauty of Cornell's campus - even in the winter! By: Maddy Finkelstein '16
