Cornell e-News -- June 2009

June 2009

Music, dancing and lectures mark Reunion Weekend 2009

More than 6,300 alumni and their families returned to campus to reunite with old friends June 4-7. Highlights of the weekend included a performance by famed folk musician Peter Yarrow '59, a presentation by Ratan Tata '59 on Tata Motors' Nano minicar, and President David Skorton's annual State of the University address. And despite the grim economy, reunion classes set a campaign record, raising more than $112 million for the university.

Provost leads charge to erase deficit with 'change and aspiration'

Without a detailed plan of action, Cornell University is facing a projected operating deficit of approximately $150 million within five years. To pre-empt that scenario, President David Skorton has asked Provost Kent Fuchs to lead the charge to erase the deficit and, in his words, to make Cornell a leaner, stronger university by 2014. "I'm determined to drive this effort with a sense of change and aspiration," Fuchs said in a recent interview.

Right people, right place: Networking site to phase in this fall

By the end of the year, Cornell alumni will have a new way to connect with each other and their alma mater. Early this fall, the university will begin to phase in CornellConnect, an online collection of communications and networking tools for alumni. "The loud and clear message we're getting from our alumni is that we need to be more technically savvy in our interactions with them," said Chris Marshall, associate vice president for alumni affairs.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

CAMPUS:
New CIS dean ... Vice provost named ... Teaching diversity ...
Library initiative ... MineSweeper ... Security breach ... MRI scanner

PEOPLE:
Provost's awards ... Literary prize winner ... Coach of the year ...
Arts award ... Design honor ... Physics prize ... Sphinx Head honors

RESEARCH:
Role of disgust ... Tunguska mystery solved ... Drug delivery ...
Birds vs. wind turbines ... Weill Cornell ... Simulated sounds ...
Money and weight loss ... Fat cell development ... Racial hassles

OUTREACH:
Into Africa ... Green tech ... Defiant gardens ... Food safety ...
N.Y. poll ... Malawi farmers ... Deadly beetle ... Grape growing

FAR ABOVE ... A CAMPAIGN UPDATE:
Power of financial aid ... Young alumni step up ...
Cornell's global citizens ... Annual Fund

ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS:
Freshman send-offs ... Texas Rangers ... Future of cars ...
Networking webinar ... Selling your book ... Inside 'The Hills'

CORNELL LINKS:
Quick links to Cornell resources

ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS:

Freshman send-offs throughout August
Join Cornellians in sending off new students to their first semester on the Hill. Visit with friends, meet new people, and share your memories and advice with the Class of 2013. Visit the events calendar to find a send-off event near you.

An evening with the Texas Rangers, July 17
Join the Cornell Alumni Association of North Texas July 17 for an evening in the Legends of the Game Museum at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Rangers general manager Jon Daniels '99 will stop by to say a few words. Admission is $40 per person; food is served from 5:30 to 7 p.m.; and the museum is open until the game's conclusion. Children age 2 and younger do not need tickets unless they occupy their own seats. Fee includes a ticket to the game, ballpark food in the museum, private restroom facilities and post-game fireworks. Register online.

Are 2 billion cars really sustainable?, July 22
Cornell Silicon Valley will host a mini-conference on the future of the automobile featuring Daniel Sperling '73, with brief presentations by Cornell entrepreneurs. Sperling is co-author of "Two Billion Cars: Driving Toward Sustainability," which includes a foreword by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The event will take place July 22 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif. The $20 event includes a reception and two presentations. All members of the Cornell community are welcome. To register, visit www.cen.cornell.edu. For assistance with online registration, contact Allison Shirley, CEN coordinator, at 607-254-7176 or allison.shirley@cornell.edu.

Throw away your resume (and other networking tidbits), July 23
The Cornell Entrepreneur Network will host a Web seminar July 23 featuring Jodi Smith, MILR '95, a seasoned human resources professional who will walk you through the best job searching tool out there: the informational interview. All members of the Cornell community are welcome. To register for this $20 event, visit www.cen.cornell.edu. For assistance with online registration, contact Allison Shirley, CEN coordinator, at 607-254-7176 or allison.shirley@cornell.edu.

Secrets for Writing, Publishing and Selling Your Book, July 28
The Cornell Entrepreneur Network invites all members of the Cornell community to an online event July 28 featuring Bill Quain, Ph.D. '74, who will show you how to write, publish and sell your book -- and tell your story to the world. To register for this $20 event, go to www.cen.cornell.edu. For assistance with online registration, contact Allison Shirley, CEN coordinator, at 607-254-7176 or allison.shirley@cornell.edu.

Behind the scenes of 'The Hills,' July 29
Cornell Entrepreneur Network Los Angeles, in partnership with the Cornell Club of Los Angeles, presents "Behind the Scenes of 'The Hills': An Inside Look at Reality TV's Most Talked-About Show," featuring executive producer Bill Langworthy '97, July 29 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Les Deux in Hollywood, Calif. The $35 event includes hors d'oeuvres and an open bar for two hours, a tour of "The Hills" clips and commentary, and access to one of the trendiest L.A. nightclubs. Cornell alumni can register by going to www.cen.cornell.edu. Students and young alumni (1999 or younger) can register by contacting allison.shirley@cornell.edu. The cost for young alumni is $25; students are free.

CORNELL LINKS:

Far Above ... The Campaign for Cornell: http://www.campaign.cornell.edu/
Cornell alumni: http://www.alumni.cornell.edu/
Alumni events calendar: http://online.aad.cornell.edu/Content/event/calendar/index.cfm
Get involved: http://www.alumni.cornell.edu/volunteer.cfm

Cornell Alumni Magazine: http://cornellalumnimagazine.com/
What's an endowment? How does it work? What happens when the value goes down? Learn the answers to these questions -- and a lot more -- in the May/June 2009 issue.

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/

Cornell in the News: http://www.pressoffice.cornell.edu/inthenews/

Chronicle Online: http://www.news.cornell.edu/
Get Cornell news by RSS: http://www.pressoffice.cornell.edu/rssfeeds.cfm
Ezra magazine: http://ezramagazine.cornell.edu/
The summer issue of Ezra features a cover story on global Cornell.

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

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