News
July 2005
Index to all monthsFor the full text of any story, click on the headline. Electronic queries may be made to cunews@cornell.edu.
Kornegay and Staiano-Coico named top minorities in science
Science Spectrum magazine has named the top minorities in science for 2005, which includes two Cornell researchers: Kevin T. Kornegay, Cornell associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of Cornell Broadband Communications Research laboratory, and Lisa Staiano-Coico, dean of the College of Human Ecology. (July 29, 2005)
Rare bird 'sings' with its feathers to attract a mate
Similar to how a cricket chirps by rubbing together sound-making apparatus in its wings, male club-winged manakins use specially adapted feathers in each wing to make a violinlike hum, according to a Cornell University ornithologist in the July 29 issue of Science. The sound and how the bird produces it are unique among vertebrates. (July 28, 2005)
Students' project in Honduras brought clean water to rural village
The stereotype is that students head for Florida on spring break, but a small group of Cornell engineering students went a bit farther south earlier this year for a more serious purpose: bringing clean water to a small rural village in Honduras. (July 28, 2005)
Tigner wins American Physical Society award for work on missile defense
Maury Tigner, professor emeritus of physics and director of the Laboratory for Elementary-Particle Physics at Cornell, is one of 12 winners of the American Physical Society's (APS) 2005 Leo Szilard Lectureship Award for work on boost phase intercept systems for national missile defense. (July 28, 2005)
Lab of Ornithology's Citizen Science Program puts world's birders to work
The Lab of Ornithology's Citizen Science Program at Cornell University is the largest program of its kind in the world. It puts 35,000 volunteers from around the world to work collecting data on the behavior and characteristics of birds. (July 28, 2005)
Cornell guides fifth-graders toward college with virtual reality and Silly Putty
Cornell educators are introducing 12 local fifth-grade students to a world where games are serious and math, science and technology are fun. As part of the Ithaca Youth Bureau's three-week College Discovery Program, the students performed chemistry and physics experiments arranged by the Cornell Center for Materials Research and explored virtual computer worlds in classes at the Cornell Theory Center. (July 27, 2005)
Weill Cornell-Qatar students discover research in Ithaca
As a respite between the stressful two-year accelerated premedical school program completed this past spring and beginning medical school this fall, seven students from the Weill Cornell Medical College in Doha, Qatar (WCMC-Q) are spending eight weeks this summer conducting research at Cornell. The students are receiving their first experience working in a research laboratory, because although WCMC-Q began teaching students in 2002, its research labs are not yet functional. (July 27, 2005)
New materials and processes make world's future look 'green,' say sustainability experts
Rising prices at gas pumps are a reminder that the world's supply of fossil fuels is shrinking and may be depleted by as soon as the year 2025, said presenters at an international conference on sustainable technology and new-market creation held at Cornell July 20-22. The good news: Alternatives to nonrenewable, petroleum-based products are growing, as well. (July 27, 2005)
Nanobiotechnology symposium will focus on medical applications
The sixth annual Nanobiotechnology Symposium, slated for Aug. 15 at Cornell, will focus on medical applications of nanobiotechnology, the science of fabricating devices at scales as small as a few billionths of a meter for studying biological systems. (July 27, 2005)
Guided da Vinci robot assists prostatectomy surgery at Weill Cornell
NEW YORK -- At an international symposium June 25, Weill Cornell Medical College unveiled the latest star on its prostate cancer surgical team: a robot named da Vinci. The robot emulates the anatomic precision of its namesake to offer a new, minimally invasive and less compromising approach to prostatectomy, the removal of the prostate gland. (July 27, 2005)
Stem cell research at Weill Cornell and partners receives $50 million boost from foundation
NEW YORK -- Weill Cornell Medical College, together with The Rockefeller University and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, will receive $50 million over three years from The Starr Foundation to develop new resources and expertise in stem cell research, helping to position the three institutions' scientists as leaders in this competitive new field. (July 27, 2005)
Transplant alumni enjoy smooth sailing
NEW YORK -- At one time, cancer threatened their lives. But bone marrow and blood stem cell transplants changed their prognosis to one of smooth sailing and sunny skies. So a cruise around Manhattan on July 10 was a fitting celebration for leukemia survivors -- alumni of Weill Cornell Medical Center's Bone Marrow and Blood Stem Cell Transplant Program -- and their families, doctors and nurses. (July 27, 2005)
Cornell takes second place in 2005 RoboCup match
Cornell's soccer-playing robots placed second in the Small Size league in the RoboCup 2005 competition held July 13-17 in Osaka, Japan, losing 4-0 in the final match against the FU-Fighters of the Free University of Berlin, Germany. (July 26, 2005)
Construction begins on West Campus parking lot after protesters leave
A patch of land once hidden among the trees on Cornell's West Campus will become a 176-space parking lot this fall -- the culmination of years of efforts by Cornell administration to provide adequate parking for the West Campus Residential Initiative. (July 26, 2005)
Dew point causes discomfort by exceeding AC designs
During last week's enervating hot spell in the Northeast, the discomfort was not entirely due to the heat or the relative humidity. The real culprit, say Cornell climatologists, was the high dew point. The dew point is the day-to-day measure of humidity in the atmosphere. Another critical measure is the "design dew point" -- the maximum humidity level at which air-conditioning systems can operate efficiently in different regions. (July 26, 2005)
New drug therapy for women with severe PMS studied in clinical trial
NEW YORK (July 25, 2005) -- Women with a severe form of PMS called Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) can experience debilitating symptoms -- including mood swings, intense anger, and impaired concentration -- which interfere with their ability to function at work, at home, or in social situations. A new drug therapy for PMDD is currently being investigated in a placebo-controlled clinical trial at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
Researchers explore ecological issues at annual meeting
Fruit-eating fish in South America help disperse fruit trees during flood season. Fungi that attack sea fans get even nastier when the tropical waters warm by just a few degrees, and although sea fans counterattack with upgraded defenses, the fungi win out. A moth that attacks pine trees has expanded its range in the past three decades, and tests show that global warming is to blame. These are just three of the research results that almost 50 Cornell scientists will present at the Ecological Society of America's 90th annual meeting, Aug. 7-12, in Montreal. (July 25, 2005)
Undergrads study astronomy and atmospheric science during summer program at Arecibo
ARECIBO, PUERTO RICO -- Talia Kohen always pictured herself in law school after college. But she figured that plan left her free to pursue a bachelor's degree in pretty much anything, so she decided to indulge her analytical side and spend her undergraduate years studying electrical engineering. Somewhere on the way to law school, though, the Cornell University senior from New York City got sidetracked. And she landed in a crowded little office on a steep hill in northwestern Puerto Rico, just a few steps from the world's biggest and most sensitive single dish radio telescope. (July 25, 2005)
North Atlantic right whales headed toward extinction
One of the world's most endangered whales, the North Atlantic right whale, is on a path toward extinction due to collisions with ships and entanglements in fishing gear, according to Cornell whale expert Christopher Clark. A paper co-authored by Clark in the latest issue of the journal Science (July 22, 2005) urges emergency measures, such as reducing boat speeds, rerouting shipping lanes around the whales' migratory paths and modifying fishing techniques and gear. (July 25, 2005)
Cornell international law experts: Do we need new laws for new wars?
New types of adversaries and rapidly changing technology are changing how wars are fought. Two Cornell faculty members have gathered perspectives from international experts to produce a scholarly look at changing wars, aging international laws and the need for new laws in a new book, "New Wars, New Laws? Applying the Laws of War in 21st Century Conflicts." (July 25, 2005)
NEAR mission images give clues to composition of asteroid Eros
An asteroid's external features, when analyzed carefully, can say a lot about its interior. So it was while he was mapping the surface of the asteroid 433 Eros that Peter Thomas, a senior research associate in astronomy at Cornell, found a simple solution to an earlier puzzle about the asteroid's composition. (July 22, 2005)
Lee is new head of Institute for Biotechnology and Life Sciences Technologies
Kelvin Lee, associate professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Cornell University, is the new director of Cornell's Institute for Biotechnology and Life Sciences Technologies. The institute promotes research, education and technology transfer to benefit the Life Sciences industries, including agriculture and medicine. (July 22, 2005)
Future of Minority Studies Research Project presents four powerhouse symposia July 29-31
The Future of Minority Studies (FMS) Research Project's Summer Institute at Cornell shifts into high gear with a series of thematic symposia July 29-31 that feature presentations by outstanding scholars and university leaders. FMS is an academic think tank and research team composed of minority scholars and others from more than 25 campuses in the United States and abroad. All four events are free and open to the public. (July 22, 2005)
New book examines European-American relations in wake of Iraq War
Position papers from an international conference held at Cornell in the spring of 2004, "Inevitable Alliance? European-American Relations After the Iraq Invasion," have been revised and reintroduced as a book: "Partner of Rivals? European-American Relations After Iraq," co-edited by Matthew Evangelista of Cornell and Vittorio Emanuele Parsi of Catholic University in Milan. (July 22, 2005)
Cornell co-hosts chronic wasting disease symposium
In March 2005, Cornell scientists confirmed the fears of many Empire State public health officials, deer farmers, hunters and other stakeholders: Chronic wasting disease (CWD), an incurable and fatal condition in deer and elk, had spread to New York. On Aug. 13 in Syracuse, N.Y., experts from around the nation will address this problem at a special seminar: "Deer and Chronic Wasting Disease in New York State: A Workshop for Sportsmen, Farmers and Outdoor Writers." (July 22, 2005)
New director appointed for Cornell Program in Real Estate
David L. Funk has been appointed as the next director of the Program in Real Estate at Cornell University. He will assume his new duties Aug. 1. Funk was previously the director of the MBA Program at the Manderson Graduate School of Business at the University of Alabama. (July 22, 2005)
American faculty will boost science education in India
India, which has cornered the world economy's virtual backroom, now will bring leading American science, engineering and computing faculty from Cornell and other top colleges to teach students at Amrita University and, thanks to EduSat and emerging distance-learning strategies, other Indian institutions of higher learning. Cornell President Hunter R. Rawlings III signed a three-year agreement with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on July 20 in Washington, D.C., that will bring visiting faculty and disseminate their lectures via EduSat. (July 21, 2005)
MBA students invest in biomedical start-up
Until now, there has been no way to sterilize human tissue. The potential for a product that can do the job is one reason MBA students at Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management made a savvy investment pick in NovaSterilis, a start-up biotechnology company in Lansing, N.Y., near Cornell. Severe burns and torn knee ligaments are among the myriad common injuries that require transplants of human skin and bone tissue. But if the transplanted tissue is contaminated it can become infected and fail to "take." (July 21, 2005)
Cornell has major role in the Ithaca's Discovery Trail
Ithaca doesn't qualify for membership in the G8, but it has its own powerhouse group of eight. This cluster does not discuss aiding children in Africa, but rather, it seeks to educate every child and adult in Ithaca via hands-on learning. This coalition is the Discovery Trail, a 33-mile loop of exploration. It consists of eight local cultural institutions, four of which are affiliated with Cornell. (July 21, 2005)
Carol Anderson, professor emerita, receives national honor
Carol L. Anderson, professor emerita of human development at Cornell and president of LORAC Consulting, received the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences' (AAFCS) Distinguished Service Award, the association's highest honor. (July 21, 2005)
Cornell Police make new arrests on Redbud Woods site
Cornell University Police have made several new arrests for trespassing and one for criminal tampering in the Redbud Woods. The arrests came after a Monday (July 18) deadline passed for protesters to vacate the West Campus site of a new parking lot. At 3 p.m. Monday, Cornell President Hunter Rawlings signed an agreement with many of the protesters who had occupied the site since June 6 to leave the woods by 8 p.m. and to let construction proceed. Those charged after the deadline were not identified as having signed the agreement, university police said. (July 19, 2005)
New York City projects will test biofuels
NEW YORK -- Two biofuel projects coordinated by Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) with support from the Northeast SUN Grant Center for Excellence at Cornell University will begin this summer in New York City. Their goal? A real-world assessment of the viability of biofuels both as a readily available resource and as a replacement fuel for heating buildings and powering diesel vehicles. (July 19, 2005)
New tool helps hotels weigh cost of employee turnover
Hotels and restaurants now can accurately compute all the costs associated with losing and replacing an employee, thanks to a free Web-based management tool from Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration. The new tool, Turnover Cost Evaluator, can be accessed through the school's Center for Hospitality Research Web site, under the heading "Tools for the Hospitality Industry." (July 19, 2005)
Redbud accord allows West Campus parking lot to proceed
Cornell University President Hunter Rawlings and protesters fighting a proposed West Campus parking lot in the Redbud Woods reached a truce Monday, June 18, 72 hours after a chain-link fence was erected around the two-acre site. (July 18, 2005)
Statement read on behalf of the Redbud Woods Faculty Working Group
The Redbud Woods Faculty Working Group issued a statement July 18. (July 18, 2005)
Cornell reaches parking lot agreement
Cornell University and the Redbud Woods protesters have reached an agreement on building the replacement parking lot on West Campus. The university will assume additional responsibilities as a result of this agreement and is satisfied that the resolution of this situation is a positive development for all concerned. (July 18, 2005)
New technique rapidly detects illness-causing bacteria
NEW ORLEANS -- Cornell scientists have developed a rapid, less costly and sensitive new technique for detecting group A streptococcus, the bacteria that cause scarlet fever. Details will be announced July 18 at the Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting and Food Expo in New Orleans. (July 18, 2005)
Parking lot protest continues as police issue 43 citations for trespassing
Cornell University Police began issuing citations for trespassing this morning (July 15) to protesters in the Redbud Woods area who want to prevent the construction of a 176-space parking lot on the site, adjacent to the West Campus student residences. One protester was arrested for disorderly conduct. (July 15, 2005)
How two acres of land became an issue of trees vs. cars
The 176-space parking lot planned at the intersection of University Avenue, Willard Way and Lake Street, on the site known as Redbud Woods, is part of Cornell University's West Campus Residential Initiative (WCRI). The development of the WCRI began about five years ago, and from the beginning, addressing parking needs in the West Campus area was part of the initiative. (July 15, 2005)
President Rawlings says West Campus parking lot plan will proceed
In a meeting with media today (July 13) Cornell president Hunter Rawlings announced that the university has decided to go ahead with its plan for the controversial West Campus Residential Initiative (WCRI) parking lot in the area dubbed Redbud Woods by protestors. He said the decision was reached "after a great deal of thought, a great deal of consultation and a great deal of work with many constituencies." (July 13, 2005)
Statement by President Rawlings concerning proposed West Campus parking lot
Cornell University Hunter Rawlings issued a statement July 13 on the university's plans for the West Campus Residential Initiative's replacement parking lot. (July 13, 2005)
Iraqi union leader describes wounds from past at Cornell labor meeting
The daunting physical obstacles faced by Iraqi workers and the wounds that remain from the Saddam Hussein regime were described by Adnan Al Saffar, executive officer of the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU), Iraq's largest labor group, at a Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) meeting last month at the ILR New York City campus. (July 13, 2005)
CU in the City: The amalgamated classroom
Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) teaches an array of community members year-round. Certificate programs are offered in such programs as Garden Mosaics (an intergenerational/cultural gardening program), Eat Smart NY (education for food stamp recipients), EFNEP (Expanded Food Nutrition Education Program -- a national nutrition education program), AIDS education, parenting skills and 4-H science programs. Students attend classes in their communities and at CCE's offices. Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) hosts a multitude of classes and workshops. (July 13, 2005)
Cornell works to improve organic farming methods
The demand for organic foods has doubled in the past decade and continues to grow. As a result, Cornell University, the land-grant institution of New York state, is increasingly devoting more of its resources to researching ways to improve all aspects of organic agriculture, including soil health, seed availability, dairy health and crop production. (July 13, 2005)
Organic farms produce same yields as conventional farms
Organic farming produces the same yields of corn and soybeans as does conventional farming, but uses 30 percent less energy, less water and no pesticides, a review of a 22-year farming trial study concludes. David Pimentel, a Cornell University professor of ecology and agriculture, concludes, "Organic farming offers real advantages for such crops as corn and soybeans." Pimentel is the lead author of a study that is published in the July issue of Bioscience analyzing the environmental, energy and economic costs and benefits of growing soybeans and corn organically versus conventionally. (July 13, 2005)
Innovative U.S. union strategies help European labor unions
Even though the labor movement is stronger in Europe than in the United States, trade unionists in both places have plenty to learn from each other because it's becoming tougher to protect workers' rights on both sides of the Atlantic. "European countries are so strong institutionally that they [European unions] never had to actively recruit members or fight for influence -- until recently," said Professor Lowell Turner, chair of the international and comparative labor department at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR). (July 13, 2005)
Museum of the Earth opens exhibit that brings ocean fossils to life
On July 15, the Museum of the Earth at the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI), which is affiliated with Cornell, will open a new exhibit on ammonoids, prehistoric sea animals that first appeared in the fossil record 400 million years ago, survived four major extinctions and died out with the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. (July 12, 2005)
Women cautioned against using herbal supplements
Women who take soy or herbal supplements, such as black cohosh, red clover and ginseng, should do so with care, says an expert affiliated with the Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors (BCERF) at Cornell and a co-author of the fact sheet "Herbal Medicines and Breast Cancer Risk." (July 12, 2005)
Students aim for 4th national food development contest
If it's savory and scrumptious, it must be Bocados. With a bite-size Latino-style delicacy, Cornell food science students are vying for the school's fourth national championship at the annual Student Food Product Development competition held at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) meeting in New Orleans. The competition's final judging will be held July 16-18. (July 11, 2005)
Former astronaut Mae Jemison encourages students to think like scientists
They may not all become doctors or physicists, Mae Jemison knows. But by the end of the summer, the 22 students who gathered quietly on the morning of July 2 in Cornell's Tatkon Center will have a running start if they do decide on careers in science -- and a giant advantage in their lives even if they don't. Jemison came to Cornell to welcome the 12- to 16-year-olds on the first day of The Earth We Share (TEWS), a summer camp she founded in 1994 to teach students the basics of analytical thinking. (July 11, 2005)
Critical mass: School of Criticism and Theory has international appeal
Would you travel halfway around the world to talk about Wittgenstein? Many graduate students and professors do just that. The famed philosopher's work in logic and language is among the studies tackled each summer by participants in the School of Criticism and Theory (SCT) at Cornell. They come from all over and from diverse fields of study, including comparative literature, history, film studies and theater. They engage in discourse with fellow participants and pre-eminent theorists, apply critical theory to their own work and explore cultural trends, ideology and more. (July 11, 2005)
New Life Sciences Initiative hires its first College of Engineering faculty member
Lara Estroff, a materials scientist who studies how seashells and bones are formed and then tries to synthesize new materials in the laboratory that emulate the versatility of these natural composites, became the first College of Engineering faculty member hired as part of Cornell's New Life Sciences Initiative when she accepted an assistant professorship in Cornell's Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Estroff's interdisciplinary work bridges the physical and life sciences, which makes her a good fit for the new initiative. (July 11, 2005)
Insight into cell metabolism will help interpret PETs, MRIs
By discovering a crucial piece of submicroscopic information about how the brain converts fuel into energy for neurons, Cornell biophysicists have gleaned new insights into brain cell metabolism that will allow neurologists to better interpret data from such diagnostic tests as positron emission tomography (PET) scans and a specialized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test. (July 11, 2005)
Dangers to underground infrastructure
London has responded effectively to the disruption of services following terrorist bombings July 7, but the event underscores the need for a careful examination of the vulnerabilities of the underground infrastructure of our cities, says a Cornell engineer. (July 08, 2005)
Cornell engineer's design will mark the South Pole in 2006
Stephen Parshley, a research support engineer in Cornell's astronomy department, has plans to leave his mark on the world. Literally. The plans are Parshley's winning design for the 2006 South Pole marker, which will be fabricated and placed at the exact geographic location of the Earth's South Pole on New Year's Day 2006 and will remain as the pole's official landmark for one year. (July 08, 2005)
Students' 600-mile 'ride against genocide' may persuade international community to intervene in Darfur
Last July the U.S. government officially declared that genocide was occurring in the Darfur region of western Sudan. This July 12 a group of Cornell students will begin a Ride Against Genocide, a 600-mile bike ride to help rally the world to halt it. Their destination is Ottawa. Joined by several professors, an alumnus and area residents on their trek, they will ask the Canadian government to add its leverage to other nations in the international community and prod NATO to take speedy action to stop the atrocities in Darfur. Canada is home to numerous refugees from Darfur and other parts of Sudan. (July 08, 2005)
Alumnus Dan Maas '01 earns Emmy nomination for realistic Mars rover animation
Cornell alumnus Dan Maas '01, whose realistic Mars rover mission animations have been shown on television news programs the world over, received an Emmy Award nomination for his animation featured in the PBS Nova documentary "Mars Dead or Alive." The 26th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Award nominees were announced July 7 by the National Television Academy. The awards, recognizing outstanding achievement by individuals and programs broadcast during 2004, will be given Sept. 19 in New York City. (July 8, 2005)
Sustainable technology and new markets is theme of Cornell conference on business and the environment
Leaders from NASA and from Boeing, Alcoa, SC Johnson and other high-profile companies are among those taking part in a unique conference at Cornell University with the theme "Sustainable Technology Development and New Market Creation." Also attending are prominent international business school faculty and members of the public and nonprofit sectors interested in business growth through sustainable development. (July 07, 2005)
Deep Impact wows overflow audience at Space Sciences Building
They came -- scientists, students, families, curious teenagers and interested locals -- with the hope that Monday's 1:52 a.m. Deep Impact comet collision would be something worth staying up for. And it was. (July 05, 2005)
Cornell presidential search committee is formed
The formation of the Presidential Search Committee to nominate a successor to former Cornell University President Jeffrey S. Lehman was announced today (July 5) by Peter C. Meinig, chair of the Cornell Board of Trustees, and Diana M. Daniels, vice chair of the board. Daniels, who will chair the search committee, said the committee will seek advice from the entire Cornell community and from academic leaders throughout the nation and around the world on the characteristics that should be sought in a new Cornell president." (July 05, 2005)
Majority of New Yorkers support state-funded stem cell research
According to a recent poll from Cornell University, nearly half of New Yorkers support stem cell research and would approve a proposition to establish a state-funded institute dedicated to this emerging field of science. Statewide, 45 percent of all respondents to the 2005 Empire State Poll said they probably would support a ballot measure that would create a stem cell research institute in New York state -- similar to legislation that has passed in California. Another 26 percent of poll respondents indicated it would be unlikely that they would support such a proposition, while 27 percent were either undecided or said that they needed more information. (July 05, 2005)
Cornell and UAW Local 2300 announce a new four-year agreement
United Auto Workers Local 2300 and Cornell University announced July 1 that the union, which represents more than 1,150 Cornell service and maintenance employees on Cornell's main campus in Ithaca, has ratified a new, four-year agreement with the university. The previous contract expired June 30, 2005. The new contract, which runs from July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2009, comes at the end of a month of good-faith bargaining between the parties. (July 05, 2005)
Cornell has first "green-certified" buildings in Central New York
The Alice H. Cook House and Becker North, two new residence halls on the university's West Campus, have been granted green-building certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED ) program. That means they have met the council's stringent standards for having been planned, designed and constructed as environmentally friendly buildings that incorporate sustainable materials, conserve energy and minimize impact on the environment. (July 05, 2005)
Ethanol and biodiesel from crops not worth the energy
Turning plants such as corn, soybeans and sunflowers into fuel uses much more energy than the resulting ethanol or biodiesel generates, according to a new Cornell University and University of California-Berkeley study. "There is just no energy benefit to using plant biomass for liquid fuel," says David Pimentel, professor of ecology and agriculture at Cornell. "These strategies are not sustainable." (July 05, 2005)
How fish hear and make sounds at same time
Cornell researchers have learned how a common fish found along the West Coast can hum and hear outside sounds at the same time. The study marks the first time that scientists have found a direct line of communication between the part of a vertebrate's brain that controls the vocal muscle system and the part of the ear that hears sound. The researchers believe that understanding the auditory system of the plainfin midshipman fish (Porichthys notatus) -- a 6- to 10-inch fish found along the coastline from Alaska to California -- will offer insights into how other vertebrates -- including humans -- hear. (July 01, 2005)
Marketing professor Vithala R. Rao wins award for branding strategy paper
A paper co-authored by Vithala Rao has won the 2005 Robert D. Buzzell Best Working Papers Award from the Marketing Science Institute (MSI). Rao is the Deane W. Malott Professor of Management and professor of marketing and quantitative methods at Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management. He shares the award with research colleagues Manoj K. Agarwal of Binghamton University and Denise Dahlhoff of the Wharton School's executive education department at the University of Pennsylvania. (July 01, 2005)
Law student wins award for paper on constitutionality of current U.S. immigration law
New media artist Brooke Singer to speak at Cornell
Ag and life sciences journals for developing countries
Environmental programs gain wide support on campus
Carrie E. Davenport, J.D. '05, Cornell University Law School, is the recipient of the 2005 Edward L. Dubroff Award from the American Immigration Law Foundation for her paper "A 'Brutal Need': How Application of Expedited Removal to Potential Refugees Violates the Fifth Amendment." The award, which is given annually to the law school student author of the best paper on immigration law, comes with an honorarium of $1,000. The paper is posted on the foundation's Web site
Media artist and activist Brooke Singer will speak on "Reshaping the Wireless Commons" in a public lecture at 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 6, at Cornell's Hollis E. Cornell Auditorium in Goldwin Smith Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public. (July 01, 2005)
Mann Library is on the verge of selling its 100th Library in a Box, formally called The Essential Electronic Agricultural Library (TEEAL). The equivalent of an entire room's worth of print journals all compressed onto CDs, TEEAL provides some 2.2 million pages of academic articles to 100 institutions in 50 developing countries, from Vietnam, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to Senegal, Ethiopia and Malawi to Honduras, Bolivia and Peru. (July 01, 2005)
Cornell is forging ahead with its environmental programs in sustainable development. Indeed, projects from recycling to energy saving are now recognized as critical issues by the university's leadership and the campus is on the brink of emerging as a global leader in sustainability. (July 1, 2005)