Cornell e-News -- January 2008

January 2008

Deputy Provost David Harris, Provost Biddy Martin and Vice President Carolyn Ainslie

Cornell announces sweeping new financial aid initiative

Cornell has announced an initiative, starting next year, that over two years will eliminate need-based loans for undergraduates from families with incomes under $75,000, making it possible for new students to graduate debt-free. In the first year, 2008-09, the university will eliminate need-based loans going forward for students from families with incomes under $60,000, and cap them annually at $3,000 for students from families with incomes between $60,000 and $120,000. In 2009-10, the program will eliminate need-based loans for students from families with incomes up to $75,000, and cap annual loans at $3,000 for students from families with incomes between $75,000 and $120,000. Pictured above, Provost Carolyn (Biddy) Martin, center, who spearheaded the initiative, discusses the plan's details with Deputy Provost David Harris and Vice President for Planning and Budget Carolyn Ainslie.

News from the January meeting of the Cornell Board of Trustees:

$2 billion campaign milestone announced at 'Big Red in the Big Apple'

Cornell's "$4 billion aspiration" -- its five-year "Far Above ..." campaign -- is halfway there, with $2 billion raised since the campaign was launched in October 2006. President David Skorton announced the achievement to a cheering crowd of about 1,000 alumni, friends, faculty and students, Jan. 25, at "Big Red in the Big Apple." The two-day celebration highlighted "the unparalleled capabilities of the campuses of Cornell Ithaca and Weill Cornell Medical College" to solve some of our planet's most pressing problems through their research, teaching and outreach, said Skorton. The event also featured a faculty panel discussion billed as "A Meeting of the Minds" as well as a day of community service.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

CAMPUS:
Admissions applications jump ... Faculty diversity institute ...
Students flee Kenya ... Schember at sustainability institute ...
Ag class in India and Thailand ... Why deconstruction matters

PEOPLE:
Weiss Fellows ... Eisner, Houck honored ... Nathan Award ...
Underdogs honored ... Research and extension awards ...
Rick Johnson profile ... Hockey humanitarian nominee ...
Remembering Donald Barr, George Good, William Arthur Rawlins

RESEARCH:
Stem cell research ... Arecibo discovery ... Fortifying maize ...
Elemental bonding ... Wedding day weight ... Lily look-alike ...
Great Backyard Bird Count ... How violence affects business

OUTREACH:
Weill Cornell in Tanzania ... Clean water in Honduras ...
Cornell Cares ... CU creates nanotrophy ... Solar consortium ...
Research farm donations ... Music with a mission

FAR ABOVE ... A CAMPAIGN UPDATE:
Join the 'Meeting of the Minds' conversation ...
West Campus residential experience ... Scholarships ...
Student aid provides access

ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS:
Mosaic@Boston ... Entrepreneurship event ...
Pan-Asian banquet ... Alumni trustee election

CORNELL LINKS:
Quick links to Cornell resources

ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS:

Cornell Mosaic: Celebrating Diversity, Advancing Inclusion:
Cornell Mosaic@Boston is Friday, Feb. 1, at the Radisson Hotel Boston, 200 Stuart St. The event will feature two powerhouse members of the Cornell community: David Harris, deputy provost and vice provost for social sciences, presenting "Racial Classification in America"; and Chen Jian, the Michael J. Zak Chair of History for U.S.-China Relations and director of the China and Asia-Pacific Studies Program, presenting "The China Challenge" as myth and reality. For more information or to register, visit http://alumni.cornell.edu/mosaic.

Emerging Markets: The 2008 Entrepreneurship Event:
The Cornell Entrepreneur Network, Entrepreneurship@Cornell and Cornell Silicon Valley present "Emerging Markets: The 2008 Entrepreneurship Event" Sunday, Feb. 10, from 2 to 8:30 p.m. in San Jose, Calif. The event will include a full afternoon and evening of presentations and facilitated discussions on such topics as sustainability, microfinance, venture capital, technology and human resources. The event is geared toward alumni, students and parents of all experience levels and interests who hope to reconnect with Cornell and develop economic relationships. For more information or to register, visit http://www.cen.cornell.edu/index.cfm.

Celebrate the Year of the Rat at a Pan-Asian Banquet:
Join the Cornell Asian Alumni Association for its annual Pan-Asian Banquet -- celebrating Lunar New Year of the Rat 4706 -- Saturday, Feb. 23, at Peking Park Restaurant, 100 Park Ave. (at E. 40th St.), in New York City. Dr. Marcus Loo '77, M.D. '81, is the 2008 honoree. The dinner will feature a traditional 10-course Chinese banquet and entertainment. Tickets can be purchased online at alumni.cornell.edu, or contact Barb Naylor at 607-255-4173 or bsn6@cornell.edu.

Alumni Trustee Election:
The annual Cornell alumni trustee election is under way. Ballots were mailed to alumni earlier this month. The positions of the four candidates on various issues are set forth in the ballot brochure and appear online at http://trusteeballot.alumni.cornell.edu/. If you have questions about voting or need a replacement paper ballot, call 607-255-6176. Few universities have alumni-elected trustees with full voting rights. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to affect Cornell's future. Make your voice heard; vote in this year's Cornell alumni trustee election.

CORNELL LINKS:

Far Above ... The Campaign for Cornell: http://www.campaign.cornell.edu/
Cornell alumni: http://www.alumni.cornell.edu/
Alumni events calendar: http://aadserv5.aad.cornell.edu/world/cal/external/default.cfm
Cornell Alumni Magazine: http://cornellalumnimagazine.com/
Get involved: http://www.alumni.cornell.edu/volunteer.cfm

Cornell home page: http://www.cornell.edu/
Search Cornell: http://www.cornell.edu/search/
Campus Events Calendar: http://www.cornell.edu/events/
CornellCast videos: http://www.cornell.edu/video/

Chronicle Online: http://www.news.cornell.edu/
Get Cornell news by RSS: http://www.news.cornell.edu/RSS/RSS.shtml

Big Red sports: http://cornellbigred.com/
CyberTower: http://cybertower.cornell.edu/
Cornell Adult University: https://www.sce.cornell.edu/cau/
The Cornell Store: http://www.store.cornell.edu

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