Employee Celebration tickets on sale

Tickets for the winter Employee Celebration, Feb. 12, are on sale until Feb. 4.

Games will include wrestling vs. Princeton University, 1 p.m.; gymnastics vs. Ithaca College, 1 p.m.; women's ice hockey vs. Yale University, 4 p.m.; men's basketball vs. Princeton University, 7 p.m.

A Cornell community dinner will be held in the Ramin Room, Bartels Hall, 4:30-7 p.m. and will feature chicken parmesan, baked ziti with Italian cheeses, and children's activities. Free parking at Hoy Garage and Crescent Lot.

Tickets are $5 and include the dinner and admission for the athletic events. For either the dinner or the athletic events, tickets are $3. For tickets, visit the Athletics Department Ticket Office, Bartels Hall (M-F, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., bring your CU ID), or call 607-255-4247. Information: http://www.hr.cornell.edu/life/celebrating/employee_ celebration.html.

Teaching conference

Cornell's Center for Teaching Excellence will host a conference Jan. 17-21 for faculty to share teaching successes and insights in helping Cornell students learn more effectively. Topics will include best practices in course and assignment design, uses of technology and approaches for engaging students in problem solving and research. Information: http://www.cte.cornell.edu.

Really efficient cars

The exhibit "Unpacking the Nano," Jan. 15-March 27 at the Johnson Museum, explores the design and potential impact of the world's most affordable car: India's Tata Nano. Selling for about $2,500 and getting up to 65 miles per gallon, the Nano is financially within reach for 500 million Indians and is expected to have worldwide environmental, economic and cultural impacts. The exhibit is organized by the College of Architecture, Art and Planning. Information: http://aap.cornell.edu/events/nano/.

Renewable electricity

Mark O'Malley, University College of Dublin, will present "Harvesting Renewable Energy," Jan. 19, 4:30-6 p.m., 101 Phillips Hall. His presentation will concentrate on renewable energy for the bulk production of electricity, including a review of grid-integrated wind power in Ireland and other relevant renewable grid integration studies. Information: http://www.ece.cornell.edu/nec-colloquium-all.cfm.

Caregivers: Difficult conversations

Mike Massurin, central regional director of the Central New York Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, will talk about the issues facing caregivers, Jan. 20, noon-1 p.m., 354 Duffield Hall. Free and open.

'Soup and Hope' begins

"Soup and Hope" begins its fourth year Jan. 20, noon-1 p.m., Sage Chapel, featuring Renee Alexander '74, director of Minority Alumni Programs. Alexander is a student-minded educator, counselor, adviser and mentor. Her talk will focus on the roles of hope and faith in confronting life's difficulties.

Soup and Hope is held every other Thursday through the end of March, featuring members of the Ithaca community working for social change. For each session, members of the Cornell community are invited to bring a bowl, enjoy soup and bread from Cornell Dining, and find nourishment for mind, body and spirit.

Snow tales

The Laboratory of Ornithology will hold a book reading for children in grades K-5, Jan. 20, 3:30-5 p.m., at the Johnson Center for Birds and Biodiversity. Free and open to the public, the reading will be from Melissa Stewart's "Under the Snow," a story about how animals survive the snow and ice of winter in fields, ponds, forests and wetlands. Hands-on activities follow. Information: http://www.birds.cornell.edu.

'Light in Winter'

Jan. 20: This year's Light in Winter begins at the Museum of the Earth with two public events:

Jan. 21: On-campus:

Information: http://www.lightinwinter.com.