Trapping and moving DNA with light
Cornell researchers have used a beam of light to trap and move particles as small as 75 nanometers in diameter, including DNA molecules, a new approach to the 'lab on a chip.' (Dec. 31, 2008)

The year in photos
While the university's enhanced financial aid plan and efforts to cut costs in light of the downturn in the economy top our list of news stories for 2008, enjoy this look back at some of our favorite photographs of the year. (Dec. 24, 2008)

Cornell United Way surpasses its goal
The spirit of giving at Cornell is stronger than ever, according to the latest numbers from the Cornell United Way Campaign. The campaign reached its $740,000 goal Dec. 22. (Dec. 23, 2008)

CU senior wins top prize at association meeting
It was imagery of the Garden of Eden that inspired apparel design student Jessie Fair to create a flowing, asymmetrical gown of silk dupioni and organza. The piece won a top design prize. (Dec. 23, 2008)

Saylor named associate university librarian
John Saylor, who manages Cornell University Library's materials budget and collection development, becomes associate university librarian for scholarly resources and special collections Feb. 1. (Dec. 23, 2008)

Gandhi grows in the grass in Mann Library lobby
Cornell horticulture students created an indoors grass art installation of a larger-than-life portrait of Mohandas ('Mahatma') Gandhi in the Mann Library lobby during finals week. (Dec. 23, 2008)

Derek Stewart studies nanoscale heat transfer
Quick dissipation of heat at the most fundamental scales is just one way that the work of CNF research associate Derek Stewart may someday change the face of computing and electronics. (Dec. 23, 2008)

University recognizes January 2009 graduates
Despite icy roads and 10 inches of fresh snow, about 300 January 2009 graduates and their families and friends made it to Barton Hall Dec. 20 for the January Graduate Recognition Event and Reception. (Dec. 22, 2008)

Help conserve energy during winter break
Campus officials encourage the Cornell community to help save energy over the holiday break by turning off computers and unplugging electronics. (Dec. 22, 2008)

Grad student creates portable ultrasound devices
Biomedical engineering Ph.D. student George K. Lewis is making therapeutic ultrasound devices that are smaller, more powerful and many times less expensive than today's models. (Dec. 18, 2008)

Cellist Adrianne Ngam wins concerto competition
Cellist Adrianne Ngam, an architecture major, won the fifth annual Cornell Concerto Competition Dec. 14 in Barnes Hall. She will be featured in a March 1 concert with the Cornell Symphony Orchestra. (Dec. 18, 2008)

Dreaming of a white Christmas?
Cornell's Northeast Regional Climate Center has released the odds of a white Christmas for cities in the Northeast. Pinkham Notch, N.H., tops the list with a 95 percent chance of having snow on the ground Dec. 25. (Dec. 18, 2008)

Mann Library offers rare beekeeping volumes online
Cornell's Mann Library has added the first 20 volumes of The American Bee Journal, the first English-language journal devoted to the beekeeping field, to its online library of historical beekeeping materials. (Dec. 18, 2008)

Hutchens is new head of Cornell in Washington
Robert Hutchens, professor of labor economics in Cornell's ILR School, has been named director of the Cornell in Washington program. (Dec. 18, 2008)

Professor 'sings' like a bird to study bird song
Professor Sandra Vehrencamp records bird songs and plays them back to birds to better understand exactly how birds use songs to communicate and convey information. (Dec. 18, 2008)

Bourke-White Photography Portfolio Prize awarded
Jessica Evett-Miller '00, M.F.A. '09, has received the second annual Margaret Bourke-White Photography Portfolio Prize. Her winning portfolio, 'Strata,' will be displayed in Tjaden Hall Jan. 19-23. (Dec. 18, 2008)

Cornell students by day, entrepreneurs by night
For entrepreneurial Cornell students, the 168 entrepreneurship classes offered on campus prepare them for a business future -- but many students don't wait until graduation to start a business. (Dec. 18, 2008)

Nancy Sutley '84 to advise Obama on environment
A Cornell alumna has been named chairwoman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality for the Obama administration. (Dec. 18, 2008)

CU experts brief state officials on climate change
Conservationists, policymakers and industry leaders were in Ithaca Dec. 8 to hear from Cornell experts on how climate change affects state ecosystems and how best to respond to a warming planet. (Dec. 18, 2008)

Ostrander named interim vice president
Curtis S. Ostrander, associate vice president within Cornell University Finance and Administration and chief of Cornell Police, has been named interim vice president for risk management and public safety. (Dec. 17, 2008)

Boiler breakdown causes heat disruption Dec. 14
A malfunctioning exhaust fan left most buildings on campus without heat or hot water for about seven hours Dec. 14 and caused smoke and some cable damage. Its cause is being investigated. (Dec. 16, 2008)

Technique provides snapshot of all genes in human genome
In the Dec. 19 issue of Science, Cornell researchers report on a new technique that takes a snapshot of all the locations on the human genome where RNA polymerases actively transcribe genes. (Dec. 16, 2008)

Alumni survey: Entrepreneur courses shape attitudes
A survey of alumni from the Cornell Entrepreneur Network found that taking even one entrepreneurship class made a graduate's attitude toward entrepreneurship much more positive. (Dec. 16, 2008)

Student's IBM award will help support women in engineering
Animashree Anandkumar has received the 2008-09 IBM Fran Allen Ph.D. Fellowship, which promotes the advancement of women in technology fields. (Dec. 16, 2008)

Measuring conductance of carbon nanotubes, one by one
Researchers have invented an efficient, inexpensive method to electrically characterize individual carbon nanotubes, even when they are of slightly different shapes and sizes and are networked together. (Dec. 15, 2008)

Cameroon project improves demographic research
Cornell development sociologist Parfait M. Eloundou-Enyegue is working to improve Francophone African students' training in population science so they can help improve policies in their home countries. (Dec. 15, 2008)

Cornell hosts its first Joint Japan/World Bank scholars
This fall, Cornell welcomed a Pakistani bureaucrat and a Bhutanese agricultural official to campus through the Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program. (Dec. 15, 2008)

With Cornell's help, cops make sure children have toys
Ensuring that every child in Tompkins County gets a toy for the holidays is a year-round effort for the large group of volunteers who are the force behind Cops, Kids and Toys. (Dec. 15, 2008)

Students launch paper airplanes in contest
Paper airplanes went sailing -- and crashing -- through the Bartels field house Dec. 3 during an end-of-semester competition between teams of mechanical and aerospace engineering students. (Dec. 12, 2008)

An interview with Cornell President David Skorton
President David Skorton talks with Cornell Chronicle editors about how he is leading the university through the economic downturn and why he is optimistic about the university's future. (Dec. 12, 2008)

Flexible hours are win-win in Cornell Trades Shop
Facilities Services implemented a compressed workweek schedule this fall. Thirty-nine staff members are now working four days a week, 10 hours a day. (Dec. 11, 2008)

How flex policy tools can help staff and supervisors
The Office of Workforce Diversity, Equity and Life Quality has launched a Web site to answer questions on implementing flexible work arrangements. (Dec. 11, 2008)

End-of-year benefits reminders
The rates for New York state health plans have been announced. Contract college employees have until Jan. 5 to change their health plans. All employees have only until Dec. 31 to enroll in Select Benefits. (Dec. 11, 2008)

Things to Do: Week of Dec. 12
Editor's picks for events the week of Dec. 12 include midyear graduation, Neanderthal sculpture, Middle Eastern folk tales and a concerto competition. (Dec. 11, 2008)

Photo: Tell us a story, Santa!
Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art Director Frank Robinson, dressed as Santa Claus, reads 'T'was the Night Before Christmas' to children at the museum's holiday celebration Dec. 7. (Dec. 11, 2008)

7 birdscapes, all atwitter
A new pop-up book by Miyoko Chu, director of communications at Cornell's Lab of Ornithology, celebrates diverse bird sounds in contrasting landscapes through art and audio. (Dec. 11, 2008)

CCSF facilitates new climate change faculty hires
The Cornell Center for a Sustainable Future will help hire three to five faculty members with expertise in climate change-related research. (Dec. 11, 2008)

Why interdisciplinary research institutes now?
Why have a number of research universities recently jumped on the bandwagon of building interdisciplinary institutes in the biomedical sciences? Cornell's Anthony Bretscher explains. (Dec. 11, 2008)

Kyle calls for 'stimulus shock and awe' for U.S. economy
One week after the National Bureau of Economic Research confirmed that the U.S. economy has been mired in a yearlong recession, economist Steven Kyle predicted that the financial tumult would continue well into 2009. (Dec. 10, 2008)

Cornell mourns the passing of 'Hot Truck Bob'
Robert C. Petrillose Sr., known to generations of patrons at Cornell as 'Hot Truck Bob,' died Dec. 8 in Elmira. (Dec. 10, 2008)

Device could filter cancer cells from blood
Cornell researcher Michael King shows that a tiny, implantable device can capture and kill cancer cells in the bloodstream before they spread through the body. (Dec. 10, 2008)

Flapping wing vehicle improves on the helicopter
Cornell researchers have come up with a simple, inexpensive flapping wing vehicle that hovers as well as a hummingbird or a bumblebee - and might eventually be made just as small. (Dec. 10, 2008)

University converting to new mail system
Starting in the spring, Cornell will move student e-mail service to outside vendors and convert faculty and staff e-mail to the Microsoft Exchange system. (Dec. 10, 2008)

Sustainable Tompkins honors three Cornell projects
Cornell's efforts in renewable bioenergy, green building and sustainable living were honored at this year's Sustainable Tompkins' Annual Holiday Party Dec. 7 in Ithaca. (Dec. 10, 2008)

Students design new fitness spaces for retirement community
Interior design and behavioral science students collaborated on a project this semester to design new fitness and physical therapy spaces at Kendal at Ithaca. They built full-scale models of their proposed solutions. (Dec. 9, 2008)

Malware strikes campus computers
More than 100 Windows computers on campus were infected with a dangerous computer worm because people were taken in by deceptive e-mails. (Dec. 9, 2008)

DiversityInc magazine names Cornell a top school
DiversityInc magazine has named Cornell one of five schools for its new 'Top Colleges and Universities' ranking for commitments to diversity. (Dec. 9, 2008)

How are Cornell's peers cutting costs?
As Cornell tries to pare its own operating expenses, peer institutions are also dealing with the recession. (Dec. 8, 2008)

Cost-cutting forums generate flurry of ideas
The last in a series of cost-cutting forums generated a flurry of ideas on how Cornell can streamline its operations. (Dec. 8, 2008)

99 percent of law grads pass the bar on first try
For the first time, 99 percent of Cornell Law School graduates passed the New York Bar exam on their first try, an all-time record for the school and the highest pass rate of any law school in the state. (Dec. 8, 2008)

A life worth living: The science of human flourishing
Anthony Ong reviews what he's learned from his research on how positive emotions promote mental and physiological health. (Dec. 8, 2008)

Grad workshop awarded 'Outstanding Student Project'
A strategic conservation plan created by a City and Regional Planning graduate class for the Genesee Land Trust was recognized by the Upstate New York Chapter of the American Planning Association. (Dec. 8, 2008)

Trochim gets $2.3M to evaluate science education
William Trochim has received a $2.3 million grant over five years from the National Science Foundation to develop a Web-based system that will help evaluate science-based education programs. (Dec. 5, 2008)

Master plan wins prestigious design award
The Cornell Master Plan has earned the coveted Award of Excellence in urban design, which is sponsored by Canadian Business magazine to promote and recognize design success stories. (Dec. 5, 2008)

Scientists develop vaccine for Johne's disease
Scientists at Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine have developed a vaccine that prevents Johne's disease, a condition that leads to over $220 million in losses annually to the U.S. dairy industry. (Dec. 5, 2008)

Completing Milstein Hall 'critical,' says AAP dean
Dean Kent Kleinman talks about the opportunities facing Cornell's College of Architecture, Art and Planning. (Dec. 5, 2008)

TIAA-CREF top analyst advises employees on investing
Brett Hammond, TIAA-CREF's top analyst, advised 240 Cornell faculty and staff members on investing savings during volatile times at a Nov. 18 retirement investments seminar. (Dec. 5, 2008)

Things to Do: Week of Dec. 5
Editors' picks for events the week of Dec. 5 include a Christmas concert, alternative gift fair, jazz and music from Istanbul, dance, modern art and an agribusiness conference. (Dec. 5, 2008)

Open enrollment extension period under way; state health rates to come
If you missed the open enrollment period for Select Benefits, don't worry, the extension period runs until Dec. 31. State health rates will be announced soon. (Dec. 5, 2008)

You can enroll in pet insurance any time
Cornell offers pet insurance at group-discounted rates through the Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (Dec. 5, 2008)

Response to Nov. 14 article on internal hiring
A local resident writes in a letter to the editor about how Cornell's external hiring pause is affecting her employment opportunities. (Dec. 5, 2008)

Reminders on safety and inclusiveness guidelines
Faculty and staff are encouraged to review the holiday guidelines posted by the university regarding holiday decorations in the workplace. (Dec. 5, 2008)

Cornell technology makes biogas greener
Cornell scientists have invented a new method that uses manure and other farm byproducts to remove a toxic substance from biogas, a renewable energy source derived from animal waste. (Dec. 4, 2008)

Jesse Rothstein '03 starts Coach for America
The College of Human Ecology graduate is coordinating a new national program, Coach for America, that will one day place thousands of trained coaches into schools, nonprofit organizations and clubs. (Dec. 4, 2008)

Peter Kiernan '68 named counsel to N.Y. governor
The governor cited the Cornell Law School graduate's 'breadth of experience and sage advice' among the qualifications he brings to the post. (Dec. 4, 2008)

Spotlight on Cornell alumni
Vivian Schiller '83 is new NPR head; Wendy Libby '72, MBA '77, is named president of Stetson University; and Josh Greenfield '84 publishes a novel. (Dec. 4, 2008)

News from Architecture, Art and Planning
Anthony Graves, MFA '09, an Ithaca artist and curator, has been selected to receive the 2008 Hartell Graduate Award. (Dec. 4, 2008)

Cornell donates computers to Iraq
The Cornell Computer Reuse Association is collecting computers and software from Cornell University Library and other campus departments to send to Iraqi schools. (Dec. 3, 2008)

Psychology department creates art contest
The Department of Psychology is inviting all Cornell students to explore the human condition through two-dimensional art in a new juried annual competition with a $2,000 prize. (Dec. 3, 2008)

CU Winds bring music, mentorship to Philadelphia
More than 60 student musicians in the Cornell Wind Ensembles participated in an outreach and education project with young instrumental music students in the Philadelphia school district in November. (Dec. 3, 2008)

Yam ice cream wins 'healthy ice cream' contest
Slammin' Yamz! is the winner of the annual Food Science 101 ice cream contest. The yam-flavored ice cream has beta carotene, molasses, marshmallow swirl, cinnamon and nutmeg and contains less than 4 percent fat. (Dec. 3, 2008)

Death of professor's son prompts new endowments
ILR professor Ron Ehrenberg helped establish two endowments for students with health or disability problems, after his son Eric died from complications of a brain tumor in August. (Dec. 2, 2008)

Staff offer cost-cutting ideas at three forums
Employees offered suggestions for cost savings at an open forum in the Biotechnology Building. (Dec. 2, 2008)

Who gets the frozen embryos when a couple splits?
Visiting scholar Esther Farnós-Amorós discussed who gets the embryos when a couple divorces. At play is the right not to procreate, she says. (Dec. 2, 2008)

High tunnels protect crops from catching diseases
Fred Forsburg's tomatoes are perfect and blemish free - tough to do in a certified organic operation where no pesticides, herbicides or fungicides are used. The secret? He grows all his tomatoes in high tunnels. (Dec. 2, 2008)

Panelists examine issues of torture
Staff from the Bellevue Program for Survivors of Torture at New York University spoke to a Cornell audience Nov. 20 about how they help victims of torture heal. (Dec. 1, 2008)