Cornell announces sweeping new financial aid program
Cornell announces a sweeping new financial aid initiative, starting next year, to eliminate need-based loans for all undergraduate students from families with income under $75,000, making it possible for new students to graduate debt-free. (Jan. 31, 2008)

Cornell tuition to jump 4.9 percent for endowed undergraduates
The Cornell Board of Trustees has approved a 4.9 percent tuition increase for undergraduate students in the university's endowed colleges, and a 5.1 increase for those in the contract colleges. (Jan. 31, 2008)

Graduate tuition to drop 10.1 percent for endowed research students
Tuition for Cornell's Graduate School will drop by 10.1 percent next year for students in research-degree programs affiliated with the endowed colleges, and it will fall by about another 30 percent over the next three years, Dean Alison G. Power has announced. (Jan. 31, 2008)

Acid rain is critical to climate change studies, says scientist
Acid rain is not only changing soil chemistry, it is impacting climate change and depleting the soil of calcium, said a U.S. Geological Survey scientist, speaking on campus Jan. 25. (Jan. 30, 2008)

Ray Dalton announces his retirement
Raymond A. Dalton, executive director of Cornell's Office of Minority Educational Affairs for 14 years, will step down June 30. (Jan. 30, 2008)

Seminal fluid can impact female fruit fly's fertility
The reproductive biology of the fruit fly may have a lot to teach us about human fertility. Cornell research identifies six so-called accessory-gland proteins in the seminal fluid of fruit flies that affect reproduction. (Jan. 30, 2008)

Any person should find any study accessible
The university is moving to make all its Web sites -- from the Cornell front page to individual course sites -- accessible to all users, including those with visual, hearing or other disabilities. (Jan. 29, 2008)

On trip to India, students see CU eggplant research in action
Cornell, Indian and Thai agricultural students toured greenhouses and field trials at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, where the pest-resistant eggplant that Cornell researchers helped develop is being tested. (Jan. 29, 2008)

Music with a mission: CU Winds revisit Costa Rica
The Cornell Wind Ensemble toured Costa Rica for the second time in January, delivering more than 80 donated instruments to three schools and performing concerts across the country. (Jan. 29, 2008)

What goes down the drain rarely goes away
Toxic chemicals from households and industry persist in the environment because they end up in sewage sludge. Though pathogens are removed in treatment plants, there are no requirements for chemicals, which contaminate sludge. (Jan. 29, 2008)

Duffield Hall hosts Junior FIRST LEGO League Expo
About 90 children, ages 6 through 9, attended the Junior FIRST LEGO League Expo, Jan. 26, in Duffield Hall. The event was intended to give the children an experience in engineering that was both fun and educational. (Jan. 29, 2008)

Film and discussion focus on destigmatizing mental illness
A Jan. 24 panel discussion at Cornell focused on the stigma of mental illness and how families cope when a member is diagnosed. (Jan. 29, 2008)

Weill Cornell wins $13 million award for vascular research
Weill Cornell Medical College has received $13 million from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to continue studying atherosclerosis and thrombosis, which are major risk factors for coronary artery disease, heart attack and stroke. (Jan. 29, 2008)

Former student honors McConkey by endowing creative writing stipend
A Jan. 24 reception celebrated the James McConkey Summer Fellowship in Creative Writing, which will support a second-year MFA student who is completing a thesis. (Jan. 29, 2008)

Alumni, students, staff pitch in to show that Cornell Cares
More than 300 Cornell volunteers helped at soup kitchens, community centers, homeless shelters and other projects, led in many instances by current students, as part of the 'Big Red in the Big Apple' celebration. (Jan. 28, 2008)

Researchers develop 'one-pot' porous surfaces for fuel cells
Cornell researchers have developed a 'one-pot' process to create porous films of crystalline metal oxides that could lead to more-efficient fuel cells and solar cells. (Jan. 28, 2008)

Cornell social activist Don Barr dies at age 72
Donald J. Barr, professor emeritus of policy analysis and management in the College of Human Ecology and a longtime social activist who spoke for disenfranchised members of the Ithaca and worldwide communities, died Jan. 24. (Jan. 28, 2008)

Red wine grapes may help prevent tooth decay, CU research shows
New research shows that both red wine grapes and winemaking residue contain substances that may help prevent cavities by interfering with the ability of bacteria to contribute to cavities. (Jan. 28, 2008)

It takes a village -- of computers -- to deliver your e-mail
A network of 15 Cornell computers processes about 2.5 million e-mail messages a day, and it's not as simple as you think. (Jan. 28, 2008)

$2 billion campaign milestone announced at Big Red in the Big Apple
The campaign milestone was announced by President David Skorton at the event, which was a celebration of the university's 'unparalleled capabilities' to solve some of the planet's most pressing problems through research, teaching and outreach. (Jan. 26, 2008)

Faculty panel united by 'the good fight' at Big Apple discussion
Seven of Cornell's brightest scholars tackled topics ranging from global politics and crises in health, food and economics, to Cornell's international and intellectual missions at the 'Big Red in the Big Apple' event. (Jan. 26, 2008)

Arecibo astronomers prepare for asteroid closeup
The Arecibo Observatory will have its sights set on a newly discovered asteroid, 2007 TU24, next week as the object passes within 334,000 miles of Earth. (Jan. 25, 2008)

New faculty institute aims to enrich CU's teaching of diversity
The Cornell Faculty Institute for Diversity is set for June 1-4. Organizers in the Diversity Council and the Center for Learning and Teaching hope that participants from many disciplines will incorporate elements of diversity into their courses. (Jan. 25, 2008)

Weill Cornell is helping to train doctors in Tanzania
Weill Cornell has partnered with the Touch Foundation and Sanford Weill to train doctors in Tanzania in an effort to alleviate the health-care crisis gripping that country. (Jan. 25, 2008)

The Line of Sight: Reflections from Mary Opperman
In a Cornell Perspectives piece, Vice President for Human Resources Mary George Opperman talks about how the university's staff contributes to Cornell's 'bold ideas and big aspirations.' (Jan. 25, 2008)

Alums' defense of underdogs is honored by Cornell Law School
Steadfast commitment to social justice and underserved communities around the world will be honored when Cornell Law School confers its third annual Public Service Alumni Awards, Feb. 7 in New York City. (Jan. 25, 2008)

Research farm donates 82 tons of produce to area food banks
In 2007, Cornell's Homer C. Thompson Research Farm in Freeville donated a record 178,000 pounds -- or about 82 tons -- of fresh produce, more than double what the research farm gave away in 2004, to three local food banks. (Jan. 25, 2008)

United Way campaign exceeds $700,000 goal with three months to go
Enthusiastic student-based fundraising is credited for helping boost the Cornell campus portion of the 2007 United Way of Tompkins County campaign far above goals set by university organizers. (Jan. 24, 2008)

Schwartz Center announces 20th anniversary theater season
The Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts' 20th anniversary season in 2008-09 will celebrate accomplished Cornellians while taking on the wit of Oscar Wilde and William Shakespeare alongside new plays and rarely performed works. (Jan. 24, 2008)

Why deconstruction still matters, according to Jonathan Culler
In this interview with Paul Sawyer, Culler, two-time chair of the English department, offers some reflections on the enduring value of theory as an unbounded, ever-changing series of questions and vantage points. (Jan. 24, 2008)

Ray Dalton recognized for multicultural professional service
Ray Dalton, executive director of Cornell's Office of Minority Educational Affairs, was recently awarded the William H. Myers Multicultural Professional Service Award for his work in multicultural affairs at Cornell. (Jan. 24, 2008)

Cornell-designed water plant changes hands in Honduras
For 18 Cornell students who were spending Jan. 4 to 20 in Honduras working on water plants in small villages, it was perhaps the sweetest moment of all witnessing the ceremonial handover of a completed project. (Jan. 23, 2008)

Researchers deduce bonding between lithium and beryllium
A team of three Cornell professors and one recent graduate student has discovered hypothetical conditions in which the elements lithium and beryllium, squeezed together under hundreds of thousands of atmospheres of pressure, bind to form stable -- and possibly superconducting -- alloys. (Jan. 23, 2008)

Wedding day weight wishes: Lose more than 20 pounds
More than 70 percent of brides-to-be want to drop more than 20 pounds before the big day, reports a new Cornell study. Of those who want to lose weight, more than one-third use such extreme measures as diet pills, fasting or skipping meals to reach their goal. (Jan. 23, 2008)

Plant fungus indirectly affects parasitic wasp
Understanding survival of a species can be a lot more complicated than meets the eye because ecosystems are so interrelated. In a recent study, a Cornell researcher discovered that host caterpillars that eat fungus-infected plants harbor more female than male wasp larvae by 2-to-1. (Jan. 23, 2008)

Eisner wins John J. Carty Award for the Advancement of Science
The National Academy of Sciences will present Professor Thomas Eisner, a world authority on animal behavior, ecology and evolution, with the 2008 John J. Carty Award for the Advancement of Science at an April ceremony. (Jan. 23, 2008)

Houck receives Weber award for career of instrument development
Cornell astronomer James Houck, who led the development of the Spitzer Space Telescope's infrared spectrograph, received the American Astronomical Society's 2008 Joseph Weber Award for Astronomical Instrumentation. (Jan. 23, 2008)

Team Cuisine acclimates new transfer students
New transfer students at the Hotel School participated in meal preparation as a team-building exercise Jan. 17 in the food labs at the school. (Jan. 23, 2008)

Advance planning key to Cornellians' escape from Kenyan violence
The dramatic evacuation of a team of Cornell health educators from Kenya during post-election violence early this month could not have been accomplished so rapidly if the travelers had not prepared for emergencies in advance. (Jan. 23, 2008)

Promoting local foods is paying off, Cornell research shows
Duncan Hilchey of Cornell's Community and Rural Development Institute says northern New York is selling more food directly to consumers, but more needs to be done. (Jan. 22, 2008)

Art as language: Jane Hammond at the Johnson Museum
Artist Jane Hammond, whose colorful use of symbols and found images forms a distinct visual language, is featured in a new exhibition at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art. Hammond will speak at the museum Jan. 31 at 5:15 p.m. (Jan. 22, 2008)

Cornell adopts new lactation policy
Human Resources has recently added a policy to allow regular staff members and student employees to request time away from work to express breast milk following the birth of a child. (Jan. 22, 2008)

CU professor publishes biography of farm economist George Warren
In 'George F. Warren: Farm Economist,' Cornell Professor Emeritus Bernard 'Bud' F. Stanton details Warren's life and legacy as a key adviser to President Roosevelt and a leader in developing the field of farm management. (Jan. 21, 2008)

Web site hosts gardeners' ratings on thousands of veggies
Now is the perfect time to curl up with seed catalogs and pick vegetable varieties for summer gardens. To see how various varieties have worked out for thousands of other gardeners, check out Cornell's Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners Web site. (Jan. 21, 2008)

Wireless gets stronger, moves into residence halls
WiFi service in classroom buildings is being upgraded to reduce interference and will soon be extended to residence halls and perhaps outdoors. (Jan. 21, 2008)

S'mores and an extemporaneous Skorton welcome transfers
At 'S'mores with Skorton,' an orientation event for transfer students, Jan. 17, President David Skorton mused on karaoke and what it is like to be a transfer student, in a fireside chat in Willard Straight Hall. (Jan. 18, 2008)

Eight Cornell International Health students evacuated from Kenya
Eight Cornell undergrads and their staff leader were caught in the cross hairs of post-election violence in Kenya over the winter break, forcing them to leave the country in a tense, 40-mile journey to the Ugandan border. (Jan. 18, 2008)

Parents thank Wippman for role in student evacuation from Kenya
In a letter, parents thank Vice Provost David Wippman and other Cornell officials for their efforts to ensure the safe return of students who were working on a service project in Kenya when post-election violence broke out. (Jan. 18, 2008)

Cornell joins N.Y. state solar energy consortium
Cornell will join five other universities in providing research support to The Solar Energy Consortium. This research partnership between colleges and solar energy companies will help advance New York's solar industry. (Jan. 18, 2008)

Charge drivers directly to use roads, Geddes urges Congress
Don't upgrade the nation's transportation system by boosting gas taxes, but charge drivers directly for using specific roads at specific times, says Cornell's Rick Geddes, a member of a federal commission. (Jan. 18, 2008)

Genetic discovery can boost provitamin A content in maize
A new study has identified a set of genetic variants in maize that accounts for levels of vitamin A precursors among varieties. The discovery could lead to at least tripling provitamin A levels in maize in Africa, where millions go blind due to vitamin A deficiency. (Jan. 17, 2008)

Cornell celebrates at 'Big Red in the Big Apple'
More than 1,000 Cornellians will attend 'Big Red in the Big Apple,' Jan. 25-26 in New York City. The event will feature a panel of top faculty members, a reception and a day of volunteer service projects. (Jan. 17, 2008)

Neutron stars are more massive than previously thought
Neutron stars can be considerably more massive than previously believed, and it is more difficult to form black holes, according to new research developed by using the Arecibo Observatory in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. (Jan. 17, 2008)

Weiss fellow nominations sought to recognize outstanding teaching
Faculty, academic staff, and junior and senior students are invited to nominate tenured faculty members for the 2008 Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellows Award, which recognize inspiring teaching of undergrads. Deadline is March 6. (Jan. 17, 2008)

Three professors named Weiss Presidential Fellows
Professors Ross Brann, Albert George and David Winkler have been chosen for the 2007 Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellowships for excellence in teaching and advising undergraduate students. (Jan. 16, 2008)

CU, Yale to share $5.5 million grant to study major cereal crops
Cornell and Yale universities will share a $5.5 million, four-year grant from the National Science Foundation for research to better understand the biology of rice, maize and sorghum, among other crops. (Jan. 16, 2008)

Lab of O's Great Backyard Bird Count slated for Feb. 15-18
The 11th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, Feb. 15-18 invites birders across North America to take a real-time snapshot of where the birds are. (Jan. 16, 2008)

Food for thought: Sage Chapel hosts talk series, Soup and Hope
On four consecutive Thursdays beginning Jan. 24, Sage Chapel invites the Cornell community is to bring a bowl, enjoy soup with hearty bread and listen to stories of hope from Ithaca community members. (Jan. 16, 2008)

Researchers uncover secret to genes that activate plant defenses
Researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research on Cornell's campus have identified a crucial player in the defense network that allows plants to respond to pathogens. (Jan. 16, 2008)

Students join Indian and Thai counterparts on agricultural tour
On New Year's Day, 29 Cornell students and eight faculty members left Ithaca for a three-week study tour of India and Thailand as part of Cornell's International Agriculture in the Developing Nations II class. (Jan. 16, 2008)

CU receives almost $2 million from N.Y. for stem cell research
Cornell University received two one-year institutional development grants for stem cell research from the state of New York as part of $14.5 million in similar awards granted statewide Jan. 7. (Jan. 16, 2008)

How the campaign helps students, one at a time
Far Above ... The Campaign for Cornell aims to raise $640 million for students. An endowment from Cornell parents Barry and Jill Lafer has made an impact on two undergraduates this year. (Jan. 15, 2008)

Sinatra to Spice Girls: Understanding generations
In a Cornell Perspectives piece, 21-year-old Cornell alumna Natalia Avalos discusses the qualities of various generations in the workplace. (Jan. 15, 2008)

Record number seek admission to Cornell's Class of 2012
More and more students -- 32,655 as of Jan. 14 -- want to come to Cornell. That is 7.5 percent more than last year, and a whopping 57 percent increase since 2004, reports Associate Provost Doris Davis. (Jan. 15, 2008)

Light in Winter 2008 explores 'Identity'
The 2008 Light in Winter Festival, Jan. 18-20, explores the theme of 'Identity' with science and arts programming on campus and off. (Jan. 15, 2008)

Faculty recognized with Research and Extension Awards
Faculty members in the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Human Ecology were recognized Nov. 19 with 2007 Research and Extension Awards. (Jan. 15, 2008)

Distant galaxy holds key ingredients for life, astronomers report
Astronomers from Cornell's Arecibo Observatory radio telescope have detected the molecules methanimine and hydrogen cyanide -- two ingredients that build life-forming amino acids -- in a galaxy some 250 light years away. (Jan. 14, 2008)

Schember named executive director of sustainability center
Helen Schember has been named executive director of the Cornell Center for a Sustainable Future, joining Frank DiSalvo, CCSF director since the center's September 2007 inception. (Jan. 11, 2008)

CU researchers connect violence and business climate in Colombia
Wesley Sine and Shon Hiatt have spent the last few years studying the impact of violence on the small-business climate of Colombia, concluding that instability directly affects entrepreneurs' ability to prosper. (Jan. 10, 2008)

Garbage truck traffic in Tompkins County to be studied by Cornell
At the request of the Upstate Citizens Safety Task Force, the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs will conduct a study on the impact of heavy trucks transporting garbage along New York State Route 89. (Jan. 10, 2008)

CU physicists create nanotrophy to be awarded Super Bowl Sunday
The prize in the 'Nano Bowl' contest, which challenges entrants to create short videos about the physics of football, will award the world's smallest trophy, made by Cornell University nanotechnology experts. (Jan. 9, 2008)

Cornell Cares Day unites students, alums for a day of service
Alumni and Cornell students came together in 17 U.S. cities and in Shanghai, China, Jan. 5-6, for Cornell Cares Day, tackling community service projects and connecting with other Cornellians. (Jan. 9, 2008)

CU entomologist William Arthur Rawlins dies at 99
Almost gracing the century mark, Cornell alumnus and entomologist William Arthur Rawlins died Dec. 31, 2007, in Black Mountain, N.C., at the age of 99. (Jan. 9, 2008)

Research sheds light on the mechanics of gene transcription
While some reports have suggested that activated genes move to a specific nuclear location for transcription, Cornell research supports the traditional view that gene activation is not dependent on movement to special locations, or so-called 'transcription factories.' (Jan. 8, 2008)

CU engineer helps art historians authenticate paintings
Engineering's Rick Johnson helps apply technology to authenticate art. He links historians and signal processors to spot forgeries among masters. (Jan. 8, 2008)

Students travel to Honduras to visit water plants
Seventeen Cornell engineering students are traveling to rural Honduras this month to work on AguaClara, a project that brings clean drinking water technology to the Central American nation. (Jan. 8, 2008)

James Kazda named director of Contract Colleges Facilities
James T. Kazda will lead initiatives to meet long-range goals for new construction, major renovations, maintenance projects and planning studies for Cornell's contract colleges. (Jan. 7, 2008)

Cornell patents a pink lily look-alike that blooms all summer long
Mauve Majesty is a new pink ornamental, developed by Professor Mark Bridgen and patented by Cornell, that can bloom all summer long in the cooler, northern states until the first hard freeze in the fall. (Jan. 4, 2008)

Late Cornell professor receives drama criticism award
Harvey Scott McMillin Jr., a renowned Cornell professor of English who died unexpectedly March 29, 2006, has posthumously won the George Jean Nathan award for his 2006 book, 'The Musical as Drama.' (Jan. 4, 2008)

Novelists, poets, activist headline 2008 Reading Series
The Creative Writing Program has announced the schedule for its spring 2008 Reading Series, which features established and emerging artists. All events, held on Thursdays, are free and open to the public. (Jan. 4, 2008)

Two Cornell Ph.D. students receive Kauffman Foundation awards
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has awarded Kelly Patterson and Sarah Thebaud, Cornell doctoral students who are studying entrepreneurship, 2008 Kauffman Dissertation Fellowships of $20,000 each. (Jan. 4, 2008)

Cornell experts to give tips on keeping wild canines away
Coyotes, wolves and foxes are getting bolder in the Northeast, and Cornell Cooperative Extension is offering a free video-linked workshop on how to cope with wild canines, Jan. 19. (Jan. 4, 2008)

Cornell offers weekend of science workshops for K-12 teachers
The Cornell Institute for Biology Teachers is hosting its annual workshop series for K-12 teachers and students enrolled in college programs leading to certification in secondary education, Jan. 19-20. (Jan. 4, 2008)

Horticulture professor George L. Good dies unexpectedly at age 67
George L. Good, Cornell professor emeritus of ornamental horticulture, died unexpectedly, Dec. 24, at his home in Dryden, N.Y. He was 67. (Jan. 4, 2008)