cornell undergraduate research labs

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Research can lead you to become a student for life. It teaches the acumen for solving some of life's greatest mysteries.

Doing research will allow you to learn in a unique way. You will gain practical hands-on knowledge develop critical thinking skills.

Surround yourself with people who are passionate about their topic and learning.

Research takes place in the lab, in the field, and in the library.

Research, creative experiences, and service learning are hallmarks of a Cornell undergraduate education.

Global Health's Anti-Politics - honors thesis presentation by Dalton Price '20

Anthropology major Dalton Price presents the results of his honors thesis, "Global Health's Anti-Politics: A Comparative Ethnography of the World Health Organization and Partners in Health" ...

For a student with diabetes, research is power

Kaavian Shariati ’20, a biomedical engineering major, speaks about his undergraduate research experience in the lab of Minglin Ma, associate professor in the Department of Biological and Environm...

Student Multidisciplinary Applied Research Teams (SMART) program overview

Cornell students who have participated in the Student Multidisciplinary Applied Research Teams (SMART) Program share their reflections and experiences, and director Ed Mabaya provides an overview of t...

Summer Research Internships for Undergraduates at Cornell University

Cornell's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program is designed to introduce eligible undergraduates to leading scholars at the nation's top research universities. Participating undergradua...

Undergrads reflect on summer research experience at CLASSE

Three undergraduates from diverse backgrounds reflect on their recent participation in Cornell's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) summer program at CLASSE -- the Cornell Laboratory for Acc...

2015 Convocation for New Students and Families

President Elizabeth Garrett delivered her first Convocation for New Students and Families Aug. 22 at Schoellkopf Stadium, along with students Joseph Spivak '16, Juliana Batista '16, and Annie O'Toole ...

Student Research

• Sabrina Shih ’20
• Nick Leung ’20

Opportunity

• Cross Institution Initiatives
• Undergraduateresearch.cornell.edu
• Summer Opportunities
• Weill Medical Opportunities

Research & Innovation

Office of the vice president for research & innovation (ovpri), find a center, institute, lab or program.

Please send a message to [email protected] if you need to add or remove a center from this list.

Africana Studies and Research Center

Animal Health Diagnostic Center

Behavioral Economics and Decision Research Center (BEDR)

Brady Urologic Health Center

Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research

Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies (CAHRS)

Center for Aging Research and Clinical Care

Center for Alkaline-based Energy Solutions

Center for Analytic Economics

Center for Applied Math (CAM)

Center for Applied Research on Work (CAROW)

Center for Bright Beams

Center for Conservation Social Sciences

Center for Enervating Neuroimmune Disease

Center for Global Health

Center for Historical Keyboards

Center for Hospitality Research (CHR)

Center for Integrative Developmental Science

Center for Life Science Ventures

Center for Male Reproductive Medicine and Microsurgery

Center for Neurogenetics

Center for Perioperative Outcomes

Center for Precision Nutrition and Health (CPNH)

Center for Research on Programmable Plant Systems (CROPPS)

Center for Real Estate and Finance (CREF)

Center for Regional and Economic Advancement (CREA)

Center for Research on End-of-Life Care

Center for Sleep Medicine

Center for Special Studies

Center for Study of Pulsed-Power-Drive High Energy Density Plasmas

Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise

Center for Technology Licensing

Center for the Performing Artist

Center for the Study of Economy and Society (CSES)

Center for the Study of Hepatitis C

Center for the Study of Inequality (CSI)

Center for Transformative Action (CTA)

Center for Transportation, Environment, and Community Health (CTECH)

Center for Vascular Biology

Center for Vertebrate Genomics (CVG)

Clarke Center for International and Comparative Legal Studies

Clinical and Translational Science Center

Cornell Agriculture and Food Technology Park

Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability

Cornell Botanic Gardens

Cornell Center for Advanced Computing (CAC)

Cornell Center for Animal Resources and Education (CARE)

Cornell Center for Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education (AMR)

Cornell Center for Astrophysics & Planetary Science (CCAPS)

Cornell Center for Comparative and Population Genomics

Cornell Center for Data Science for Enterprise and Society

Cornell Center for Health Equity (CCHEq)

Cornell Center for Immunology

Cornell Center for Innovative Hospitality Labor and Employment Relations (CIHLER)

Cornell Center for Innovative Proteomics

Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR)

Cornell Center for Reproductive Genomics (CRG)

Cornell Center for Social Sciences (CCSS)

Cornell Center for Women, Justice, Economy & Technology

Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide

Cornell Center on the Physics of Cancer Metabolism

Cornell China Center

Cornell Dairy Center of Excellence

Cornell Electroacoustic Music Center (CEMC)

Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR)

Cornell Feline Health Center

Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS)

Cornell ME/CFS Collaborative Research Center

Cornell Migrations initiative

Cornell MRI Facility (CMRIF)

Cornell Nanoscale Facility (CNF)

Cornell Population Center (CPC)

Cornell Reproductive Sciences Center (CoRe)

Cornell Sensory Evaluation Center

Cornell Statistical Consulting Unit (CSCU)

Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station (CUAES)

Cornell University Hospital for Animals (CUHA)

Cornell Wildlife Health Center (CWHC)

Epilepsy Center

Equine Research Park

Friedman Center for Nutrition and Inflammation

International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA)

Irving Sherwood Wright Center on Aging

Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital

Jill Roberts Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Judith Jaffe Multiple Sclerosis Center

Language Resource Center

Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center (LIHREC)

Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies

Myeloma Center

National Biomedical Center for Advanced ESR Technology (ACERT)

Nemo Farm Animal Hospital

Neuromuscular Center

New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva (NYSAES)

Northeast Regional Climate Center (NRCC)

Northeastern IPM Center

Platform for the Accelerated Realization, Analysis, & Discovery of Interface Materials (PARADIM)

Parker Center for Investment Research

PORTENT Center for Point of Care Technologies for Nutrition, Infection and Cancer for Global Health

Regional Nutrition Education Center of Excellence (RNECE)

Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine (CRM)

Roper Center for Public Opinion Research

Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center

Semiconductor Research: Superior Energy-Efficient Materials and Devices (SUPREME/JUMP)

Society for the Humanities

World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization Collaborating Center

Ansary Stem Cell Institute

Baker Institute for Animal Health

Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI)

Cardiovascular Research Institute

Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine

Clarence S. Stein Institute

Clarke Business Law Institute

Community and Regional Development Institute (CaRDI)

Cornell Energy Systems Institute (CESI)

Cornell Higher Education Research Institute (CHERI)

Cornell Institute for China Economic Research (CICER)

Cornell Institute for Climate Smart Solutions (CICSS)

Cornell Institute for Digital Agriculture (CIDA)

Cornell Institute for Food Systems (CIFS)

Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures

Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA)

Cornell Institute for Research on Children (CIRC)

Cornell Institute for Women in Science (CIWS)

Cornell Institute of Archaeology and Material Studies (CIAMS)

Cornell Institute of Fashion and Fiber Innovation (CIFFI)

Cornell Institute of Host-Microbe Interactions and Disease (CIHMID)

Cornell Waste Management Institute (CWMI)

Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute (BMRI)

Gale and Ira Drukier Institute for Children’s Health

Global Labor Institute (GLI)

Human Neuroscience Institute (HNI)

Institute for African Development

Institute for Behavioral and Household Finance

Institute for Behavioral Economics and Consumer Choice

Institute for Comparative and Environmental Toxicology (ICET)

Institute for Compensation Studies (ICS)

Institute for Computational Biomedicine​

Institute for Computational Sustainability (ICS)

Institute for Disease and Disaster Preparedness

Institute for European Studies (CIES)

Institute for Food Safety at Cornell University

Institute for German Cultural Studies (IGCS)

Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Global Health, and Technology (INSiGHT)

Institute on Health Economics, Health Behavior, and Disparities

Institute for Resource Information Sciences (IRIS)

Institute for the Study of the Continents (INSTOC)

Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS)

Institute of Biotechnology

Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry

Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Joan & Irwin Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute

Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies

K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Institute on Employment and Disability

Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science (KIC)

Labor Dynamics Institute (LDI)

Legal Information Institute (LII)

Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship

New York Invasive Species Research Institute

New York State AFL-CIO/Cornell Union Leadership Institute

New York State Water Resources Institute (NYSWRI)

Parkinson’s Disease & Movement Disorders Institute

Polson Institute for Global Development

R. Brinkley Smithers Institute for Alcohol-Related Workplace Studies

Robert and Helen Appel Alzheimer’s Disease Research Institute

Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology

Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution

Sean Parker Institute for the Voice

The Sprecher Institute for Comparative Cancer Research

Summer Dairy Institute

Survey Research Institute (SRI)

Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition

The Emerging Markets Institute (EMI)

The Worker Institute at Cornell

Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute

Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology

AAP Program in New York City (AAP NYC)

American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program

American Studies Program

Aquatic Animal Health Program

Asian American Studies Program

Baker Program in Real Estate

Berger International Legal Studies Program

BR Venture Fund

Comparative Cancer Biology Program

Cornell Death Penalty Project

Cornell Food and Nutrition Policy Program (CFNPP)

Cornell IGERT in Cross-Scale Biogeochemistry and Climate

Cornell Program in Infrastructure Policy (CPIP)

Cornell-in-Rome Program

East Asia Program

Education Abroad, Office of Global Learning

Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (FGSS)

Food and Nutrition Education in Communities (FNEC)

Food Industry Management Program

Global Health Program

Good Agricultural Practices Program (GAPs)

International Program in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (IP-CALS)

International Studies in Planning Program (ISP)

Jewish Studies Program

Labor and Employment Law Program

Latin American Studies Program

Latina/o Studies Program

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Studies

Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Program at Cornell

Medieval Studies Program

New York Sea Grant Program

New York State Integrated Pest Management Program (IPM)

Postdoctoral Studies Program

Program in International Nutrition (PIN)

Program of Computer Graphics

Program on Ethics and Public Life (EPL)

Religious Studies Program

South Asia Program

Southeast Asia Program

Technical Assistance and Research for Indian Nutrition and Agriculture (TCI-TARINA)

Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program

Tri-Institutional Ph.D. Program in Chemical Biology

Tri-Institutional Ph.D. Program in Computational Biology and Medicine

Laboratories

Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Regional Hub Network – Mid-Atlantic

Affect and Cognition Lab (ACLAB)

Business Simulation Laboratory

Civic Ecology Lab

Cornell Food Venture Center Pilot Plant

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Cornell Laboratory for Accelerator-based Sciences and Education (CLASSE)

Cornell Language Acquisition Laboratory (CLAL)

Cornell Nutrient Analysis Laboratory (CNAL)

Cornell Phonetics Lab

DeFrees Hydraulics Laboratory

Duck Research Laboratory

Insect Diagnostic Laboratory (IDL)

Laboratory for Elementary-Particle Physics (LEPP)

Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics (LASSP)

Laboratory of Plasma Studies (LPS)

New York State Wine Analytical Laboratory

Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory

Quality Milk Production Services (QMPS)

Shoals Marine Laboratory

Stem Cell and Transgenic Core Facility

Vinification & Brewing Laboratory

Undergraduate Research

Getting started.

Do you want to get involved in research? The opportunities are limitless: from Cuban rhythms to nanoscience, voting patterns to poetry and everything between and beyond. You can do research in the summer or during the school year, every year or just one semester.

So where do you begin?

Step one begins with you. What are your interests? Do you have a passion for people, text, art, numbers, organizations or the natural world? If you’re going to do research, it’s going to take some introspection — you'll need to figure out what kind of fields you're interested in, and why.

Who can help?

Your  advising dean  can help at the beginning by talking with you about your interests and helping you narrow your focus. Later, each department has a director of undergraduate studies who can help and faculty members can provide advice and guidance about doing research in their fields.

Explore Resources

Here are some campus offices and resources to explore once you narrow your interests down to a few fields:

• Office of Undergraduate Research
• Cornell Undergraduate Research Board
• Office of Undergraduate Biology  (biology and the natural world)
• Department websites  and research group websites (see what faculty are doing)
• Directors of Undergraduate Studies  (to talk about your ideas)
• Faculty research papers (on faculty websites or via library databases)
• Student organizations and clubs  (related to your interests)

Earning Credit or Funding for Research

You can get credit or funding for your research, but not both.

To apply for A&S independent study credit, you will need to complete an on-line form which you can access via  data.arts.

The form should be completed within the first two weeks of the semester.  After the add deadline, you must include a statement explaining why it is being submitted late.

For Research Funding in the College of Arts & Sciences, you must already be working with a faculty member. You can then either apply for an Einhorn Grant or apply for a grant from the Undergraduate Research Fund; forms are also available in KG17 Klarman Hall.

You can also apply for research support through the College or the university, which both have several programs created to encourage and fund undergraduate research. Sophomores can apply to be a:

• Rawlings Presidential Research Scholar
• Mellon Mays Fellow , for students who intend to go on for a Ph.D. in certain fields in the liberal arts and sciences and who are committed to eradicating racial disparities in higher education;
• McNair Scholar , for either first-generation college students with financial need or members of a group that is traditionally underrepresented in graduate education who have demonstrated strong academic potential.
• Humanities Scholars Program,  for undergraduate students from all colleges with either a major or minor in a humanities discipline.

Applying to Einhorn and Undergrad Research Fund

• Einhorn Grant Application
• Undergraduate Research Fund Application
• Budget Proposal and Agreement for Financial Help  -  Required for both Einhorn Grant and Undergraduate Research Fund

Forms are also available in KG17 Klarman Hall. Applications must be submitted to Catherine Ramírez Foss   in the A&S Student Services Office in Klarman Hall, KG 17.  Schedule an appointment  with Catherine Ramírez Foss , in advance of submitting your application.  Fall applications are due by October 31. Spring applications are due by March 31.

Project Descriptions & Budgets

Funding sources in the college are restricted to students who are pursuing research pertaining to credit (such as independent studies and honors projects or in course-related credit-bearing projects) under the supervision of a Cornell faculty member.

Projects should be clearly and adequately described and should include objectives, background, research methods and a detailed budget.

Budgets must list all costs to be covered and justification for those costs.  

Eligible costs include travel (transportation, hotel, restaurant meals, etc.) and supplies (binding for a thesis, photocopies, lab supplies, software, participant fees in experiments or survey research, etc). Any equipment (lab supplies, books, software, digital recorders or cameras, etc.) is considered Cornell property and must be surrendered to the relevant department or to KG17 Klarman Hall after the research is completed.  Any participant fees or lab expenses for approved projects will be paid directly to the relevant department. Ineligible costs include day-to-day living expenses (rent, groceries, etc.). You will not receive payment in advance. Receipts must be submitted in person in KG17 Klarman Hall not more than one month after costs are incurred or by May 1st of the academic year in which the research was performed, whichever comes first. You should plan well in advance if your research involves human participants, in which case you should contact the Office of Research Integrity and Assurance or visit their  website  for details.  

Please note that students will be asked to provide a photo of themselves or their research and a paragraph or two describing their work, which will be shared with the Einhorn family. This must be submitted no later than May 31.

If you have questions about the application process, please contact Catherine Ramírez Foss ([email protected]) .

Nexus Scholars Program

The Nexus Scholars Program in the College of Arts & Sciences provides undergraduate students with summer opportunities to work side by side with faculty from all across the college (humanities, social sciences, and STEM) on their research projects. Along with the summer research experience, the program offers professional development workshops, career exploration events, and the chance to be part of a cohort from throughout the college who are passionate about learning.

Recipients may conduct research in any discipline in the College of Arts & Sciences and will be awarded up to $7,000 for their participation during the course of the summer program on the Cornell campus in Ithaca.  Nexus Scholars are selected based on their interest in research, their ability to work collaboratively, and their potential to contribute to the field. Students who are early in their academic careers and from a variety of backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Click here to learn more about the Nexus Scholars Program.

Humanities Scholars Program

The Humanities Scholars Program fosters independent, interdisciplinary undergraduate research in the humanities, and provides a supportive community, through a series of curated courses, structured mentorship, special programming, and research opportunities and funding. 

Accepted students must declare a major, or a minor, in the humanities; take a minimum of five approved courses as described below; produce an honors thesis or capstone project (which could be in their major outside the humanities); and present at the annual Humanities Scholars Conference.

Click here to learn more about the Humanities Scholars Program.

Tanner Dean's Scholars

Tanner Dean's Scholars are a distinguished group of students selected to be admitted to the College of Arts & Sciences  during the college's undergraduate admissions process each year. They demonstrate an enthusiasm for the life of the mind and possess outstanding high school records.

Tanner Dean’s Scholars admitted in and after Fall 2020  who are eligible for financial aid will receive a one-time award of up to $5,000 to replace financial aid loans or grants in their first year of study. Tanner Dean’s Scholars who are not eligible for financial aid will be offered research funding of up to $1,500 to be used at any time during their enrollment in the College of Arts & Sciences. Applications must be submitted to Cat Ramirez Foss, Deputy Director of Advising, in the Advising and Admissions Office in Klarman Hall, KG 17.  Schedule an appointment  with her, in advance of submitting your application. After meeting with Cat Ramirez Foss, please complete the following forms.

Applications for the 23-24 academic year must be submitted by May 1.

Application and resources

• Dean’s Scholars Funding Application
• Research Budget and Agreement for Financial Help
• Sample Research Proposals

College Scholar Program

The College Scholar Program represents the pinnacle of the liberal arts experience at Cornell. The program is focused on a small group of stellar students whose interests transcend disciplinary boundaries. These students have demonstrated exceptional promise and maturity to plan and carry out a well-designed individualized program of study and research. 

Students design their own interdisciplinary major, organized around a question or issue of interest, and pursue a course of study that cannot be found in an established major. College Scholars explore subjects with a broader integration of related disciplines than most students would attempt.

Click here to explore the College Scholar Program in detail.

Milstein Program in Technology and Humanity

The Milstein Program in Technology and Humanity provides students with the opportunity for experimentation, collaboration and connection at the intersection of technology and the humanities. In addition to world-class speakers, dynamic workshops, specialized seminars, curated courses, and student-led civic-minded projects, the Program offers Milstein Program scholars access to funding for research and summer opportunities. 

In addition to one funded eight-week immersive summer learning experience at Cornell Tech in New York City, living at  the House on Roosevelt Island  and working with real-world practitioners in technology, industry and design, Milstein Program scholars have access to funding for collaborative research projects they propose, or faculty-led interdisciplinary projects from across the college like the  Cornell Tech Policy Lab . 

Click here to learn more about the Milstein Program in Technology & Humanity

African Experience Travel Award

Arts and Sciences African Experience Travel Award provides up to $2,500 toward travel expenses for Cornell-run programs in Africa during the summer and winter sessions, as well as the academic year.

To help promote student participation in many of the international educational experiences provided by Cornell, and increase accessibility to programs not currently covered by Cornell financial aid, the College of Arts and Sciences has established the African Experience Travel Award.  Undergraduate students in the College of Arts & Sciences may apply for up to $2,500 to cover travel expenses for Cornell-sponsored programs in Africa that offer either academic credit or a structured internship experience.

Interested students can apply by completing the application below.  Note that the application must be completed and submitted at once and cannot be saved and completed at a later time.

Important dates

• Application will be closed on the last day of Spring final exams and will reopen on the first day of Fall classes.

AFRICAN EXPERIENCE TRAVEL AWARD APPLICATION

Undergraduate Research

• Getting Started
• Funding Opportunities
• Student Organizations
• Undergrad Research home

Frequently Asked Questions About Undergraduate Research

Q: why should i do research as an undergraduate.

A: Undergraduate research (1) teaches you about a field you are interested in, and (2) helps you define your own style. There is no one reason for doing research; hundreds of students would tell you a myriad of answers. Rather, undergraduate research is an enriching process by which you gain skills.

Q: I’m not a scientist or an engineer. Can I still do research?

A: Absolutely!

One of the greatest myths about research is that it involves supercomputing and lots of test tubes. The truth of the matter is that research is limitless and has unbelievable freedoms. Professors in the humanities and social sciences have supported undergraduate research for years. There are also many interdisciplinary projects that transcend departments.

Q: Do I have to wait until I’m an upper class student to conduct research?

Many freshmen and sophomores decide to explore their options by volunteering in labs and networking. Through this process, they develop the necessary skill set and move on to the positions that really interest them during junior and senior year.

Take your schedule into consideration and allow yourself a nice transition. Get involved in undergraduate research when you’re ready.

Q: What if I have my own project in mind?

A: Make use of Cornell resources and pursue an outlet for your interests.

Your goal is to find someone to help you with your project by first developing your interests.

The first step involves developing familiarity with your field of interest. You’d benefit from taking classes that relate to the project you someday hope to complete. This will introduce you to the elementary material and to the professors who love the subject. Read on your own and pursue your project as the passion that it is. Attend lectures on campus and speak with faculty. Eventually you will find someone who works in your field of interest and may even take you under his or her wing.

Once you’ve proven your interest and commitment, he or she may help you with the project that got you started in the first place. Along the way, you’ll have gained an understanding of your project in relation to so much more.

Q: How do I find out about research opportunities?

A: Keep your eyes open.

If you ask any Cornell researcher on campus where they found their job, chances are they'll tell you a story full of persistence on their part and often, a friend of a friend. Research opportunities are posted on student listings through Bear Access and in different departmental offices. In addition, there are many useful research websites with helpful links, such as this Undergraduate Research website . Positions will often be posted in classified ads.

Students can even find research opportunities through speaking with their professors. They may start out doing background research for the professor, and eventually it could lead to great things. Sometimes professors will announce in class that they need help.

The most valuable resources, however, are fellow students. Networking is a great tool that enables you to learn about the opportunities immediately available. Join student organizations such as the Cornell Undergraduate Research Board to hear about what students do under the leadership of faculty members. They'll be more than willing to share their stories about how they got involved.

Q: How do I find a faculty advisor for my project?

A: Just like finding an opportunity, you must network to find an advisor you are comfortable with.

Your faculty advisor not only has the commitment to help you learn, he or she will become your friend.

Some students work well with constant direction and others work with almost none. You’ve got to identify someone you can trust. Generally, professors that you’ve had in class are a great place to start. You may also consider asking researchers who their faculty members are and consider joining their team.

Q: How do I know which faculty are doing research?

A: Take the initiative to do your homework.

Faculty are involved in dynamic work that changes from day to day. There is, usually, a theme and a particular niche in which a given faculty member will work. This is what you must look for.

Start by visiting department websites. If you're interested in the aerodynamics of winged insects, consider visiting Entomology. At the site, you'll find a list of faculty and brief bios. Read about their publications and in that way you'll learn about what they've done. Occasionally, however, there are those faculty who have research interests that are not so obvious. You probably read articles that pertain to stuff you're interested in already, so keep an eye out for Cornell faculty.

Once again, hone in on networking. Fellow students can be your best resource when it comes to sharing what they find interesting about faculty. You may also get insight regarding who will best match your interests.

Q: Can I do a project outside of my home department?

A: ABSOLUTELY!

Cornell, with a strong focus on research, has ample opportunities to pursue any and all interests. Taking time to pursue research outside of your major and department is a great chance to explore and become a well-rounded student. Often, you’ll learn that the techniques and principles applied in a given field relate to the one you are studying. Interdisciplinary synthesis is a powerful tool that you will develop. It is a skill that will be called forth once you leave Cornell.

Q: How can I get funding?

A: A faculty advisor will be your best resource in this regard.

Well-developed ideas have little problem finding funding at Cornell. A faculty advisor may contribute to helping your project.

Requesting funding is an important skill to develop. Each college offers funding opportunities to all students. It’s a collaborative process that is well worth the experience. Visit your undergraduate field office for specifics regarding programs and application requirements.

Funding can also come from external resources. Professional societies (American Society of Mechanical Engineers, etc.) offer scholarships for student papers and work. A faculty advisor is a great help in applying for these prestigious awards.

Refer also to the Undergraduate Research funding page , which gives lots of links to funding. Funding and opportunities are more plentiful over the summer than during the academic year. Deadlines are often in February and March- so start early!

Q: How much time will a project take?

A: It depends.

When you were initially considering whether to become involved in undergraduate research, you should have considered what level of commitment you are willing to provide. Undergraduate research is a mutual arrangement between you and your sponsoring faculty advisor.

Some students work in excess of twenty hours per week; generally they are working towards an honors thesis or for credit. Students volunteering in a lab may work about two to three hours per week. It is really a decision that you and a faculty advisor must make. There are varying levels of commitment that will fit into you schedule. You must simply communicate what you want to learn and make sure that you are in control of personal time management.

Q: Does undergraduate research help me get into graduate school?

Don't come to Cornell and do undergraduate research if your intention is to get into a great graduate or professional school. You would have missed out on the Cornell undergraduate experience if you did that. Undergraduate research is not a stepping stool. It is not a requirement but rather an opportunity for you to learn about yourself. Clearly, pursuit of research will grant you command of a slice of information. More importantly, you will become more knowledgeable about your research skills and personal qualities.

So yes, undergraduate research will help you get into graduate school by identifying your strengths and interests.

But no, undergraduate research won't simply get you in because you’ve gone through the motions.

Undergraduate research is an invaluable experience that confers understanding more about yourself than anything else.

Q: How do I decide whether to go abroad?

A: Going abroad and undergraduate research are not mutually exclusive.

While they share separate support services and offices, they actually enhance each other.

Going abroad may not necessarily involve literally working in an international lab. Rather you will develop skills in a foreign country that may enhance your undergraduate experience.

Q: Are there any university-wide requirements for doing research as an undergraduate?

All researchers, from students to faculty, must receive safety training. It is important, once you've begun working with your faculty advisor, that he/she makes these trainings available to you. In some sessions, you may learn about standard practices and safety measures. In others, you may be issued protective devices (i.e. a radiation safety badge) and informed on what your responsibilities include. Finally, if you work with humans or animals, more in-depth training will be provided.

Q: What if I no longer enjoy doing my research?

A: Students leave their research for a variety of reasons, such as change in research interests, not enough time in their schedule, or if the dynamics between their advisor or lab group just aren’t right.

Be truthful with yourself. If you feel you can no longer commit to your research for whatever reason, it is ok to either stop or switch to something else. There are several resources you could contact to discuss your situation, such as your academic advisor or research advisor from your college. They are there to help you make your transition.

Office of Undergraduate Research 501c Day Hall Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 (607) 255-6445 Email: [email protected]

Related Resources

• Cornell Undergraduate Research Advisors
• Cornell Academic Units
• Research Centers, Institutes, Laboratories, and Programs

• Graduate Programs
• Undergraduate Programs
• Schedule a tour
• Strategic Research Areas
• Research Groups, Centers and Labs

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

• Executive Leadership
• Administrative Staff
• Faculty Awards and Honors
• Resources and Groups for ECE Women
• ECE Advisory Council
• ECE Connections
• Giving Opportunities
• Ways to Give
• Academic Support
• Financial Support
• Mental Health Resources
• Experience and Employment
• Undergraduate Services
• Graduate Services and Activities

ECE faculty regularly welcome undergraduates to participate in research programs and work side-by-side with the faculty and their graduate students. Many of these students co-author papers and attend international conferences to present their work.

Discover Research Opportunities

Research opportunities for undergraduates are available through Cornell Engineering, Engineering Learning Initiatives (ELI), the University's central Office of Undergraduate Research and many other sources.

Cornell Engineering Undergraduate Research

Engineering Learning Initiatives Student Grant Program

Opportunities from the University Office of Undergraduate Research

Rawlings Cornell Presidential Research Scholars

Opportunities from the NSF, NASA and More

Early Career Research Scholars Program

The Cornell ECE Early Career Research Scholars Program is designed for students between their freshmen and sophomore years in the College of Engineering who intend to major in ECE.

Students apply to the program in conjunction with a faculty advisor, submitting a project proposal and a budget through the  Engineering Learning Initiatives  application system.

Examples of Papers Co-authored by Undergraduates

Authors: John G. Wright, Celesta Chang, Dacen Waters, Felix Lupke, Randall Feenstra, Lucy Raymond , Rosalyn Koscica , Guru Bahadur Singh Khalsa, David Muller, Huili Grace Xing and Debdeep Jena Title: " Unexplored MBE growth mode reveals new properties of superconducting NbN " Published in Physics Review Materials 5 24802, February 2021

Authors: Taige Wang , Mahsa Shoaran, Azita Emami Title: “ Towards Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson’s Disease: LFP-based Feature Analysis and Classification ” Presented at  IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing (ICASSP) , Calgary, Canada, 2018

Authors: Mark Zhao and G. Edward Suh Title: “FPGA-Based Remote Power Side-Channel Attacks,” Published in the  Proceedings of the IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy , May 2018. Received the  Distinguished Practical Paper Award at the 39th IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy , May 2018.

Authors: Steven Ceron, Aleena Kurumunda, Eashan Garg, Mira Kim, Tosin Yeku  and Kirstin Petersen Title: “ Popcorn-Driven Robotic Actuators, ” Presented at the International Conference of Robotics and Automation (ICRA) , Brisbane, May 2018.

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Research - Undergrads

You are here.

Learn more about funded undergraduate research opportunities in the  Cornell Bowers CIS Undergraduate Research Experience (BURE) .

Undergraduate research often takes place under the auspices of course CS 4999 (Independent Study). In this context, the student works one-on-one with the professor or with the professor's research group on some problem of mutual interest.

• CS Department Research Areas and Projects

It is also possible for undergraduates to participate in paid research, based on grant funding and other circumstances.  Either way, students should approach faculty directly if they think they may have mutual interests regarding research. Those who are unsure about which faculty member to approach should talk with their advisor. Visit the Registering for CS 4999 website for additional information.

For incoming freshman, Cornell sponsors the Hunter R. Rawlings III Cornell Presidential Research Scholar program. This program allows talented freshman to work with faculty on promising projects beginning in their first year at Cornell.

Cornell University Artificial Intelligence (CUAI) is an undergraduate ML research and education group. It has many great opportunities for people in CS looking to do meaningful research and get published. CUAI empowers undergraduates with GPU resources so that they are able to take their own ideas and engage in ML research early in their academic careers.

The College of Arts & Sciences runs a research program for Cornell students.

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Once a year, the Department sponsors a Computer Science Fair in which recent examples of undergraduate innovation and research are showcased. 

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Research Opportunities

Most of these projects are open to Master of Engineering students as well as undergraduates . For contact information not provided here, please consult the MAE Faculty Directory .

Getting involved in research is a great opportunity to learn in a hands-on format, contribute to new knowledge in engineering, get to know faculty and grad students, and find out whether you’d like research to be part of your future career. You can browse current projects below, organized by faculty name, and contact individual faculty to find out more.  The MAE research pages is another way to identify faculty members with whom you may want to work. 

It can take a few tries to find an opportunity that’s right for your background and interests.  Most projects are offered for academic credit, generally in the form of MAE 4900, and some are available for pay. At specific times each year, it is possible to apply for funding for a research project through Engineering Learning Initiatives , but the first step is to find a faculty advisor and project. 

To receive credit for research, complete the MAE 4900 enrollment request form .

Research Opportunities by Faculty Member

Click on a faculty member's name to see current research opportunities in their labs.

Professor Avedisian

A chemical reactor that builds itself.

Modern chemical processing plants are extremely complex and large designs that cost millions of dollars to fabricate and operate. This project concerns developing a new, cheap and simple platform for promoting chemical reaction of organic gases within a vapor film of microscale thickness formed during the so-called “film boiling” process. Film boiling is a mode of heat transfer in which the surface is so hot that bubbles that form on it coalesce and form a vapor blanket. This is a very different process than boiling water in a teapot where a continuous stream of bubbles can be seen at discrete sites on the surface. Within the vapor film of film boiling, temperatures can be very high to drive chemical reaction of the confined gases. The self-assembly of the reactor is implied by development of film boiling as being a natural consequence of transitioning from nucleate boiling (e.g,. boiling water in a teapot) at low heat inputs to film boiling at high heat inputs. One only has to adjust the power input to the surface to create the “reactor” – film boiling – as an entirely passive process. The high temperatures developed in the vapor film as a result of the insulating effect of the gas surrounding the surface creates the potential to convert chemical wastes in a simple manner with this process. Biodiesel production is accompanied by large amounts of glycerine, and film boiling can be used to convert the glycerine formed to a more useful substance - synthesis gas (a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen). The project will involve designing a new containment for the reactant liquid that resembles a distillation column.

Ability to use MATLAB and Labview programming would be useful for this project.

The project is open to both undergraduate and M.Eng students.

Related publication: W.C. Kuo, K.H. Choi, C.T. Avedisian, W. Tsang “On Using Film Boiling to Thermally Decompose Liquid Organic Chemicals: application to Ethyl Acetate as a Model Compound," Int. J. Heat Mass Transf., 68, 456-465 (2014).

Combustion of Algae-derived Biodiesel

This project will examine the combustion dynamics of a range of biofuels, including those derived from algae, from the perspective of droplet combustion to determine the extent to which they may replicate the performance of a real fuel. The research will include using unique facilities aboard the orbiting International Space Station (ISS), and at Cornell, that create conditions whereby droplets can burn without the influence of convection to promote spherical symmetry which is an ideal configuration to model.

The project is primarily experimental and open to undergraduate and M.Eng students.

Related publication: Y.C. Liu, A.J. Savas, C.T. Avedisian, "The Spherically Symmetric Droplet Burning Characteristics of Jet-A and Biofuels Derived from Camelina and Tallow," Fuel, 108, 824-832 (2013).

Design of a More Energy Efficient Ink Jet Printer

Some ink jet printers rely on bubble formation on microscale thin metal films to push ink through tiny nozzles aligned with the metal films to form ink droplets. The droplets are directed to paper to form print characters by programmed motion of the print head. Also called “bubble jet” printers, the concept relies on rapidly heating the print head to nucleate an ink bubble. This process takes energy, which can be a critical consideration in portable, battery-operated, printers. The conventional design is for the print heads to be fabricated onto solid substrates. In this project the configuration to be investigated is a structure fabricated across an air gap that provides an insulating effect to heat flow, shown in the schematic below. Significantly less energy is anticipated to be required for nucleating bubbles compared to configurations with a solid in place of the air (the typical configuration). This project will concern using a sophisticated but easy-to-use experimental design to heat the metal films to temperatures well above their normal boiling points. The heaters are immersed in a liquid (e.g., water or an organic liquid) and heated very rapidly (upwards of a billion degrees per second) until a bubble forms. The instant of bubble formation will be captured by making the microscale thin film heater part of a “wheatstone bridge” (a schematic is shown) with suitable electrical filtering to produce a clear response signal that can ultimately be related to average metal film temperature.

For this project, some familiarity with operating digital oscilloscopes, pulse generators and Labview would be helpful (though not necessary). The project is open to both undergraduate and M.Eng students.

Related publication: E.J. Ching, C.T. Avedisian, M.J. Carrier, R.C. Cavicchi, J.R. Young, B.R. Land, “Bubble Nucleation of Highly Superheated Water on Back-side Etched Thin Film Platinum Membranes using a Low-Noise Bridge Circuit,” Int. J. Heat Mass Transf., 79, 82-93 (2014).

For more information please contact Prof. Tom Avedisian, [email protected].

Professor Barthelmie

Wind energy research lab.

Please visit the lab website for more information, or contact the professor if you are interested in any aspect of wind energy research.

Professor Bewley

Experimental shocklets in compressible turbulence.

Bewley Applied Turbulence Lab is seeking motivated undergraduate students in mechanical and aerospace engineering to assist in the design, fabrication and data collection of an experiment that will detect the first experimental shocklets.

Shocklets are small shock waves that occur in compressible turbulent subsonic flows, and have recently been attributed to the cause of extreme vibrational, noise and drag effects on aircraft and jet engines. Thus far, shocklets have only been observed in numerical simulations. The objective of this experiment is to measure velocity, acceleration and pressure field characteristic values of shocklets using hot wire probes and camera particle tracking.

Undergraduate researchers may gain experience in hot wire anemometry, Lagrangian particle tracking, mechanical design, and more!

Interested students should email Greg Bewley, [email protected].

Wind over cities and forests

The wind disperses pollen, pollutants, and heat, and it does so in a way that depends on the structure of the surfaces over which it blows. Over built environments like cities, the structure of the surface is rigid and immobile. In contrast vegetation is flexible and deforms under the pressure of the wind. Preliminary data indicate that this flexibility of the surface profoundly affects the transport properties of the wind. In this project you will help us to find out the differences between the wind over forests and cities.

Please contact Prof. Greg Bewley (gpb1) or Prof. Qi Li (ql56) to learn about this fascinating topic.

Professor Bouklas

Computational modeling of soft/active materials

Fracture of heterogeneous lattice structures, towards resilient structural design

Professor Campbell

Autonomous systems lab (asl) m.eng and undergraduate project openings.

The Autonomous Systems Lab seeks a small group of students (undergrad and/or MEng) to work with our PhD students on robotics applications and research. The two primary projects are Skynet and Modular Robotics.

Skynet Projects : 3+ students to work on advanced autonomous driving capabilities. Specific jobs include developing mapping software to map urban environments, using a combination of Google Maps/Streetview, survey data, and logged data from Skynet; sensing lane lines and cars from camera data using off the shelf MobilEye sensor; segmentation and processing of lidar data to detect people, cars, cyclists, lane lines, ground and other environmental features while driving.

Modular Robot Projects : 2+ students to work with a set of 10+ modules in a modular robotics project. Our group will focus on reconfiguring the modules to move and sense the environment; 1-2 modules will have an advanced Intel RGB-D sensor. A key project will be to develop an approach to sense/infer the pose of the robot, which would include both its configuration, location, and heading in the environment. Working with the hardware and a companion simulator are also key elements.

Background/interest in programming, computer architecture, and robotics is preferred. Students are expected to sign up for 3-4 credits of (…ECE/MAE/CS Independent study courses or MEng courses) during the semester, and thus commit at least 9-12 hours per week in the ASL.

How to apply : Go to cornell-asl.org and download an Application Form from the front page. Fill out and e-mail your completed application and/or resume/CV with the subject line: “[Spring ASL application] Your Name” and send to Professor Mark Campbell, [email protected].

Professor Desjardins

Large scale numerical simulation projects in the computational thermofluids lab.

Thermofluids processes are key in many engineering systems as well as in nature. Our group focuses on using large-scale computational resources (104 compute cores on top 10 supercomputers in the world) to explore the complex physics of multiphase turbulent reacting flows in complex geometries. This document describes a variety of projects available to MAE students in our lab. These are typically targeted for two semesters, with a clear objective of complementing our daily research activity by exploring novel ideas that could ultimately become integral part of our research. 

Faculty Sponsor: Olivier Desjardins ([email protected]) Office: 250 Upson

Needed Skills: Background in fluid mechanics, strong programming skills (Fortran, Matlab), familiarity with Unix/Linux environment, prior CFD experience desirable. 

Time Frame: Typically two semesters, typically 6‐8 hours/week (3-4 credits/semester) 

Application: Please contact Prof. Desjardins by email with a CV, a short paragraph describing which project is of interest to you and why, and how many credits you are looking for.

1- Computational Investigation of Particle-Laden Flows Project

Project 1a –Simulation of cluster formation in turbulent risers

Circulating fluidized bed reactors were developed to improve the performance of traditional fluidized beds by using higher airflows to move the bed material resulting in a significant increase in the contact efficiency between phases. This increased kinetic energy causes the flow to become unsteady with large particle concentration fluctuations. Regions of densely packed particles called clusters form which greatly affect the overall flow behavior and mixing properties. In this project, the simulation code NGA (developed in Dr. Desjardins’ research group) will be employed to investigate cluster formation and dynamic. The student will focus first on learning to use large-scale computational resources and the NGA code. Then, numerical simulation of the experimental setup of He et al. (2008) will be performed. Simulation results will be compared with experimental data, and appropriate methodology for studying cluster formation and dynamics will be devised. 

Project 1b –Electrostatic effects in dense fluidized bed reactors

Bubbling dynamics in dense fluidized bed reactors are controlled by particle-particle interactions, typically in the form of collisions. However, it is common for particles to interact through other forces, such as electrostatic forces. This project aims at implementing electrostatic interactions between particles, and assessing their impact on bubbling dynamics of a simple fluidized bed

Project 1c –Computational modeling of slurries

Slurries are commonly found in chemical engineering, and correspond to a thick suspension of solid particles in a liquid. They exhibit interesting properties, but tend to be difficult to model. By combining the particle tracking capabilities of NGA with its capability to handle liquid gas flows, a model slurry composed of glass beads in oil will be modeled computationally. This model will be validated on various experiments such as flows on inclined planes. We will make use of what we learn in these simple flows to understand what is would take to model slurry injection, which is commonly used in coal gasification processes.

2- Computational Investigation of Liquid-Gas Flows

A significant fraction of our research activity is focused on turbulent gas-liquid flows, which play a critical role in many systems. For example, any liquid fueled air breathing propulsion device relies on liquid atomization to generate a fuel spray suitable for faster evaporation and combustion. 

Project 2a –Making a computational splash (a milk crown simulation)

When a droplet falls in a shallow pool, it forms a milk crown. While fairly well understood, this classical feature of liquid-gas flows remains extremely challenging to simulate. Following prior computational studies of this phenomenon, a series of increasingly realistic and refined simulations will be conducted. In particular, the impact of turbulence in the liquid and in the gas on the milk crown topology will be investigated.  Focus of this project will be on very large scale simulation of this phenomenon, scaling of numerical methods on very large number of processors, and high quality visualization (including stereoscopic 3D-rendering and physically accurate ray tracing).  

Project 2b –Droplet break-­up in a turbulent shear layer

High Weber number droplets tend to break catastrophically into much smaller droplets. While this has been studied in laminar flows as well as in homogeneous isotropic turbulence, droplet break-up in turbulent shear layers remains to be investigated. A canonical turbulent mixing layer will first be simulated, then a droplet will be super imposed on this flow and allowed to break up. Different conditions will be investigated, and the simulation outcome will be classified. In particular, size distribution of the children drops will be extracted.

3- Computational Combustion 

Project 3a –Differential diffusion effect in the presence of a strong recirculation region It was recently postulated by combustion experimentalists that differential diffusion effects (the fact that “smaller” molecules diffuse faster than “large” ones) could significantly modify the local equivalence ratio in a flame provided it is anchored by a strong recirculation zone, as can be expected in bluff body stabilized flames. This could have a noticeable impact in both simulations and experiments, and therefore should be further investigated. This project will aim at investigating this effect in a 2D bluff body stabilized hydrogen flame through direct numerical simulation. 

4-­ Turbulent Flows and Other Topics... 

Project 4a –Accounting for realistic terrain in large-­eddy simulations of wind farms This project aims at using a conservative immersed boundary algorithm to represent realistic terrain in a turbulent neutral atmospheric boundary layer simulation. An algorithm will be devised to transfer topographical data to the NGA code, and then various wall models will be implemented in the context of the immersed boundary technique. Wind turbines will be modeled using a simple actuator disk approach. Such an approach has the potential to allow for large eddy simulation of complete wind farms on realistic terrain, which could in turn enable the utilization of optimization algorithm for determining optimal wind turbine placement.  

Professor Erickson

Prof. Erickson has numerous projects available for undergraduates and M.Eng. students related to Mobile and Global Health technologies. Please see Prof. Erickson's website (http://www.ericksonlab.org) for an overview of research and contact him through email ([email protected]) for additional details.

A Device for Diagnosing Kaposi's Sarcoma

The Erickson Lab is engaged in the development of biomedical devices for solving healthcare problems in global settings. One of our key projects is the development of a device for diagnosing Kaposi's Sarcoma in Uganda. As part of this project we require an undergraduate or M.Eng student with experience to develop a small unit that can heat up a sample to just over 50°C and maintain the temperature for a couple of hours.

Experience with electronics and software programming is required and this represents an excellent opportunity for a student to learn about biomedical engineering.

Interested students should send an email along with a CV to David Erickson, [email protected].

HI-Light Technology Undergraduate Research Opportunity

The Erickson Lab (http://www.ericksonlab.org/) seeks an undergraduate student at Cornell with an interest in reactor engineering and/or photocatalysis. The available position will focus on the HI-Light project, a solar-thermal chemical reactor technology for converting CO 2 to fuels like syngas or methanol. Preferences will be given to candidates in the junior/senior level, with background in Mechanical Engineering , Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Applied Physics, Chemistry and relevant disciplines. A lot of hands-on experience will be required. The successful candidate will be working with Elvis Cao a Ph.D. student in the Erickson lab.

About HI-Light: HI-Light is a solar-thermal chemical reactor technology for converting CO 2 to fuels like syngas or methanol. The technology seeks to achieve a kind of artificial photosynthesis - combining sunlight, CO 2 and chemicals to photocatalytically produce renewable fuels.

About the Erickson Lab: We are a group of multidisciplinary Ph.D., Post-doctoral, and other researchers with expertise spanning Mechanical, Biomedical, Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics. We have broad expertise in nanotechnology, microfluidics, photonics, and biomedical diagnostics.

Professor George

A systems approach to developing attractive sustainable communities - revitalizing a rust belt city neighborhood .

A diverse group of about 10 Cornell faculty and students has been working on modeling various alternative ways of revitalizing parts of Rust Belt cities such as Utica, New York. We are taking a systems view to look at how one would develop an optimum strategy resulting in various kinds and amounts of renewable energy, retrofitting housing for energy efficiency, district heating, improvements to the urban landscape including parks and transportation access, etc. to make a run-down urban area attractive for investment and quality of life. In addition to the engineering and economic issues, this project involves gaining understanding of how people and societies think about the choices that will have to be made and how they decide on the relative overall attractiveness of the possible futures. 

We have a possible opening for another person to join the group who has the following characteristics:  •    Interests in energy and sustainability  •    Some knowledge of Python programming language or a willingness to learn Python quickly  •    An interest in systems thinking 

Because this is an ongoing team project, a new person on the project will be able to learn a lot and come up to speed rapidly. 

This could be an MEng project or possibly an undergraduate project. It would probably be for one term but might be expanded into a two-term project. 

For further information, please contact Professor Al George, [email protected] including a copy of an up to date resume.  

Residential Energy Efficiency Project

Primary Faculty Advisor – Professor Al George (Mechanical Engineering and Systems Engineering) Secondary Faculty Advisor – Professor Howard Chong (Resource Economics, School of Hotel Management)

This project is suitable for someone with an interest in energy efficiency and sustainability, energy modeling, and use of real experimental data. Some background in heat transfer is required.

Current residential energy modeling is primarily based on simulated data; essentially estimating how much heat is lost from a house in the wintertime. The weakness is that energy loss has been very rarely actually measured in the past. In this project, we are continuing to develop a method that uses one (or a two or three) simple and inexpensive data loggers over a time period of about two weeks along with Weather Bureau data to estimate the actual thermal losses of houses in situ, including the effects of wind, house construction and how well sealed the house is.

On the most basic level, we log indoor temperature as a function of time and use Weather Bureau outdoor temperature readings to estimate a buildings basic thermal characteristic (e.g., the exponential decay time constant, see http://tinyurl.com/ChongLBL ). In the past, we have done this for several hundred houses in Ithaca showing the wide variation between houses. However varying wind, solar exposure, local outside temperature, wind, and occupant behavior complicate the results. Our present, fully tested method also measures a combination of the “thermal losses” of the houses envelope and the “thermal mass” of the structure and contents of the house.

In the project this year, we want to do analyses and experiments is on a method for separating out the thermal mass of the house. Once the basic level of analysis and its experimental verification is completed, we will carry out some more complete analyses. We would like to use these only slightly more complicated but still simple and very inexpensive measurements to explore other factors of interest. As one example, some houses can use multiple sensors in different rooms, permitting analysis of temperature coupling/interior thermal flows and the energy savings from closing the doors and not heating rooms, which are not in use. As another example, it should be possible to infer the impacts of solar gain or wind effects on infiltration from the temperature data. Lastly, the data could be used to do fault analysis for homes. Depending on your interests, there is scope to do interesting things and verify them experimentally. 

In terms of vision, this project is large. “Big Data” analytics with cheap sensors can solve some persistent problems in how energy efficiency works. The potential scope is $18Billion per year in energy savings. It has large implications for science and energy policy.

To apply, please set up a time to see me by sending your resume and a very brief “cover email” with your interest via email to Al George ([email protected]).

Professor Hernandez

Title: microscopic crack formation in cancellous bone .

Project Duration: 1 semester team  Individual or Team 

Introduction  The Hernandez Research Group is studying the developing of microscopic cracks in human bone tissue during cyclic loading. 

Description  Interested students will learn to cut bone specimens after loading and determine the location of microscopic cracks and other tissue damage and how it relates to the loading history. The project is ideal for students interested in being authors of scientific publications, studying biomaterials or considering a career in biomedical professions.  hernandezresearch.com 

Contact information: [email protected]   

Title: Imaging Mechanical Failure Processes in Bone 

Multiple Projects, 1 student/project  Project Duration: 1 semester 

Introduction  The Hernandez Research Group is studying mechanical stress and strain distributions in spongy bone. 

Description  The student will write software to make measurements of microscopic cracks and other tissue damage in three-dimensional images of cancellous bone. Students will learn to use advanced image processing techniques and visualization (Amira) and have the potential to use advanced nano-scale computed tomography. The ideal student will be proficient with computer programming (Matlab or C/C++).  Good grades on MAE 2120 projects is perfect (although more experience is useful as well). 

hernandezresearch.com 

Contact information: [email protected]

Professor Kirby

The Kirby Research Group is seeking applications from undergraduate sophomores and juniors interested in research at the interface of cancer medicine and technology.

Current research in the group focuses on analysis of circulating tumor cells and tumor microvesicles using microfluidic devices for prognostic and diagnostic applications in prostate and pancreatic cancer.

Undergraduate researchers may gain research credit and research experience in cell culture, immunofluorescence staining, flow cytometry, PCR, microscopy, and microfluidic device design and operation.

If you are interested, please contact Professor Brian Kirby at [email protected] with the subject line "UG research" and include a resume/CV.

For more information see: http://kirbyresearch.com/ctc

Professor Louge

Prof. Louge is seeking undergraduate or MEng students to help with an experiment to be deployed on the International Space Station. The experiment brings a spherical drop of water to touch a porous medium, thus simulating the absorption of dew on desert sand surfaces. See previous involvement of Cornell students and our desert blog . The experiment will be prototyped in the Upson droptower of Prof. Avedisian.

Professor Peck

Professor Peck is not currently offering undergraduate research.

Professor Pepiot

Interested in working on the modeling of energy systems? Click here for a non-exhaustive list of projects and openings. Contact Prof. Pepiot [[email protected]] if you'd like to get involved.

Professor Ruina

Bipedal walking robot, what is the metabolic cost of using your muscles, preventing horse falls after surgery.

In collaboration with the Vet School.

Horses die after surgery much more frequently than people do. A primary cause is that they try to stand before they can, then fall and break a leg. For a horse a broken leg is usually a death sentence. We have ideas about a support system to carry the load during a fall. The vet school has been filming horses in recovery to look for signs that the idea might be fruitful. At our last meeting they expressed interest in developing a prototype system. An engineering project mostly about pulleys, capstans, pumps and, eventually robotic control of same. Prototype I would probably be mostly tested on falling people.

Starting soon. Available for credit in the Spring. One semester with possibility of continuing into summer and fall. M-Eng or undergraduate students. 4730/5730 useful but not a prerequisite. Seeking one or more interested students.

Human Balance When Walking

This project is focused on reducing injury of falls. In this case, the elderly or partially disabled persons. The key is to work on understanding the balance of people when walking. Located at Ithaca College are top-of-the-line gait-lab equipment (floor mounted load cells, motion capture, related software). We have ideas for experiments on human balance that we think have been not done, or barely done. A main idea is that walking people often depend, unknowingly, on counter-stepping (much like a bicycle depends on counter-steering). We have some preliminary data. One interesting thing is that what people do is often the opposite of what they said they did, even right after. They say, for example, that, when in a hurry to go forwards, they immediately stepped forward when, in fact, they first stepped back.

At least 100 other projects...

Professor savransky.

Undergraduate and MEng Research Opportunities

Professor Selva

Professor Selva is not currently accepting undergraduate researchers.

Professor Shepherd

Professor Shepherd is not currently accepting undergraduate researchers.

Professor Singh

Projects are available in the area of cancer microfluids. Please contact Professor Singh at [email protected] and check the ICEL website for more details.

Professor Silberstein

Develop image processing software for geotextiles.

Project goal: Build Matlab code to determine the statistical distribution of microstructural features in geotextile scale non-wovens from images of these geotextiles at varying magnification. 

Contact: Prof Silberstein  [email protected]  232 Thurston Hall  607-255-5063       Big picture: Non-wovens are a material class finding increasing usage due to the characteristic high surface area, large porosity, damage tolerance, low cost, and the multiplicity of methods by which properties can be controlled. As the name implies, this class refers to any fibrous material that is not manufactured via a weaving or knitting process. Applications range from fuel cell membranes to coffee filters to erosion protectors. However, properties are challenging to predict from a microstructural basis due to the characteristic irregular, ill-defined, and evolving structure. A systematic quantitative understanding of how underlying material and processing choices determine overall material properties will enable nonwovens to be optimized for any set of functional requirements. A critical step to establishing a model based on the non-woven microstructure is being able to quantify the microstructure. A good image analysis software will allow us to do this quickly and accurately.

Expected Skills: Matlab proficient, ability to communicate

Professor Tian

ZT Group has undergraduate research positions available for Fall 2018-Spring 2019. 

You will have the exciting opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research across the boundary of thermal science, nanoengineering, advanced/novel materials, renewable energy, condensed matter physics, and electronic engineering. Research areas include (but not limited to): nanoscale energy transport, solar/thermal energy conversion and storage, thermal management of micro/nanoelectronics, thermal insulation, and thermal phenomena for biomedical applications. ZT group conducts both simulations (ab initio and classical calculations) and experiments (ultrafast laser-based techniques and inelastic x-ray scattering) on nanostructured materials. 

Prior experience in the related areas is not a must. Juniors and seniors are preferred. Strong computer programming skills are a plus. If interested, please send your CV and transcript to Prof. Zhiting Tian at [email protected]. 

Prof. Tian is a new faculty member in MAE. She was the recipient of the College of Engineering Undergraduate Research Advisor Award at Virginia Tech. She enjoys very much working with undergraduate students.  

Professor van der Meulen

Projects available in orthopaedic biomechanics. Please see web site for list of research areas and contact Professor van der Meulen directly: [email protected].

Professor Williamson

Contact: C.H.K. Williamson ([email protected]) Phone: 227-6176 Office/Lab: 128-144 Upson Hall - Please visit us! Website: http://www.mae.cornell.edu/fdrl   

The Aircraft Wake Phenomenon - Project 1

This is an important problem to the US Air Force, and the FAA, since it concerns flight safety, where the tipvortex wake of one aircraft can be a hazard to other maneuvering aircraft. Our approach is both visual and exciting in that fluid motions can be very beautiful, as well as important from the standpoint of fundamental vortex instabilities and turbulence. We shall study the motion and instabilities of these tip vortices, involving their small and long wavelength instabilities, and their interaction with the ground. Please come to 144 Upson Hall, and see the posters showing these phenomena, as well as take a look on the Web site, where you will find animations. Come and visit us in 144 Upson Hall!

Flow Visualization! We will undertake flow visualization as a part of this project, and this will involve digital cameras at high resolution, and techniques to visualize fluid flow, principally employing Laser-Induced Fluorescence. The project will be beautiful as well as scientific!

Facilities: We have built a novel Computer-controlled XY Towing Tank, a 26-foot Water Channel and also a Vortex Generator Facility, all of which will be used to visualize the trailing vortex pair wakes of aircraft, and problems in Vortex-induced vibrations in a set of projects suitable for bright MEng research! This work follows from several enjoyable projects over the last 3 years.

DPIV (Digital Particle Image Velocimetry). Exciting development of this front-line technique is needed as a part of the project. DPIV is a modern technique which enables us to determine the velocity and vorticity fields in 2D slices of a fluid, using the motions of neutrally-buoyant fluorescent particles. It is part of our Fluid Image Processing Center.

This project will give the student exposure to research computational analysis, design of a fluid mechanics experiment, the use of various flow visualization techniques, photography, video and also fluid mechanics instrumentation in challenging and important problems. The tools gained by the student will be exceedingly useful to future work in fluid mechanics and aerospace.  

The Vortex-Induced Vibration Problem - Project 2

We shall study the phenomenon whereby bodies are induced to resonate due to the forcing from wake vortex dynamics. We shall employ the modern DPIV technique (see below) to study the vortex dynamics modes that give rise to different branches of amplitude response to the fluid forcing. We shall study to what extent the phenomena discovered for simple paradigm systems extend to more complicated arrangements - in particular we wish to explore where the concept of a critical mass is applicable in vortex-induced vibration systems. If the system mass falls below a critical value, then a resonance begins, and will persist at all flow speeds (to infinity). This is a radical new discovery, which has fundamental and practical significance, changing the way we view resonance in such systems. Come and visit us in 144 Upson Hall!

Flow Visualisation! We will undertake flow visualisation as a part of this project, and this will involve digital cameras at high resolution, and techniques to visualise fluid flow, principally employing Laser-Induced Fluorescence. The project will be beautiful as well as scientific!

Mini Turbines in an Urban Environment - Project 3

Concept of Novel Mini-Turbines We are conducting a comprehensive study of mini-turbines that mutually interact with each other to create positive interference. We are interested to design a different type of wind turbine than the classical windmills (horizontal axis). Our mini-turbine rotates about any axis and is on a much smaller scale. It is designed to operate in high density arrays in the urban environment.

Our study investigates a new radical design of turbine blades. The effect of different turbine sizes (c/D ratio), pitch angles, cambered airfoils, and airfoil shapes (possibly delta wings) are analyzed. We are rapid prototyping our designs using our 3D printer for fast testing and to obtain results quickly.

Power studies have found that turbines with larger blades extract far more energy than those with small blade. Drastically different designs are being considered from conventional blades used in standard wind turbines. In fact, conventional relative blade sizes simply do not work at the small scale.

Arrays of Turbines: Artistic Engineering Arrays of mini vertical axis wind turbines can be put between buildings, on rooftops, in alleyways, between street lights, or as free standing sculptures. We are seeking to provide aesthetically pleasing energy harvesting. A blend of engineering and art in a public display of sustainability

 This project will give the student exposure to research computational analysis, design of a fluid mechanics experiment, the use of various flow visualization techniques, photography, video and also fluid mechanics instrumentation in challenging and important problems.

Professor Zhang

Cookstove for combined production of heat and biochar.

In recent years, there has been much interest in designing improved cookstoves for use in developing countries. Improvements have focused on reducing harmful emissions and improving efficiency. We are collaborating with Prof. Johannes Lehmann in Soil Sciences to develop an improved cookstove that produces “biochar” as well as heat for cooking food. Biochar is a carbon‐rich residue of combustion, similar to charcoal, that has been shown to have beneficial effects on soil productivity. Biochar in the soil also sequesters carbon, at least temporarily, thus potentially serving as a net sink for CO2 from the atmosphere. In a biochar‐producing cookstove, plant materials are heated in an oxygen‐starved environment, producing two products: (1) gases which are burned for heat, and (2) a solid char, which is collected and mixed into soil to improve plant yields. This project will focus on modeling a current prototype biochar‐producing cookstove, for which some experimental data are available. Once a model of the cookstove has been validated, a study of the impact of design parameters will be undertaken, and new prototype burners will be built and tested.  

CLASSE stands for C ornell L aboratory for A ccelerator-based S cience S and E ducation

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The dean's letter.

January 22, 2024

"Knowledge At Its Best"

Dear AAP community—

I would like to welcome our faculty, staff, and students back to AAP with the hope that the break was restful and restorative for all. As we begin a new semester and year, we do so renewed in our commitment to building community across our modes of knowledge and collective values. Tireless educator and author Angela Davis shared, "Knowledge at its best is about transforming our world." Davis' powerful observation reminds us of the importance of what we do in our classrooms, studios, and labs to the advancement and transformation of our disciplines and, indeed, our world and future.

This spring, the college welcomes leading voices who not only advance their specific fields but whose work underscores the fundamental interconnectivity between our disciplines and their impact on communities, culture, and society the world over. In March, prolific scholar, historian, designer, and Cornell A.D. White Professor-at-Large Mabel O. Wilson, who focuses on cultural and spatial histories of race and racism and their impact on built environments, will visit Cornell to deliver a university-wide keynote address, engage in student activities and classes, and meet with colleagues across multiple departments. The Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities welcomes Joseph Kimani, Executive Director of Slum Dwellers International Kenya, as part of the center's Just and Equitable Cities Initiative to advance partnerships around research and teaching on informal settlements. In parallel, with a National Science Foundation planning grant, the Center for Cities and collaborating faculty are leading a multi-institutional team proposal for applied research and action to address urban climate risks in New York City.

Through critical and creative practices, research, and scholarship across the college, we continue to open lines of inquiry and lay the groundwork for new knowledge. For example, this semester's Preston Thomas Memorial Symposium in the Department of Architecture, "Labor Un:Imagined," organized by Assistant Professor María González Pendás, brings forward scholarship on the often understudied and underrepresented role of labor in architectural histories. In CRP, Senior Fellow Andrew Rumbach and Principal Research Associate Sara McTarnaghan of the Washington, DC-based think tank Urban Institute will present "A Planner's Guide to Designing Impact-Oriented Research on Disasters, Climate Change, and Community Resilience." The Department of Art welcomes artist Glenn Ligon, who has been widely recognized for his incisive artworks that explore ambiguity and challenge dominant cultural and historical narratives, for this year's John A. Cooper Lecture.

These are but a few of the many engagements we have to look forward to this semester. I encourage everyone to read more about the breadth of activity planned for the months ahead in AAP's highlights article , with more to come — more possibilities, and more opportunities to convene around the knowledge, imagination, creativity, care, and profound sense of humanity that continue to bring out the best in us and our community to transform our world and build better tomorrows, beginning today.

Sincerely, Meejin

J. Meejin Yoon Gale and Ira Drukier Dean of Architecture, Art, and Planning

Contact Office of the Dean

129 Sibley Dome Phone: (607) 255-9110 [email protected] Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Previous Letters from the Dean

"The Greatness of a Community"

May 28, 2024

"Knowledge At Its Best"

Sharing Gratitude

December 14, 2023

Hope for the Possible

August 21, 2023

see all letters

Reflections from the Class of 2024

Top row (left to right): Lola Berger, McKenzie Murray, Jack Neiberg and Caitlin Rogoff. Bottom row (left to right): Leah Rosenkranz, Sarah Rudolph-Naiberg, Rahul Verma and Nancy Wang.

As they prepared for Commencement, some of our graduating seniors took a moment before leaving campus to share their favorite memories, what surprised them, and what they’ll be doing next. To read more of their responses, check out the Cornell Human Ecology Instagram . 

What was your favorite class? 

Lola berger, human biology, health and society.

My favorite class was NS 3410: Human Anatomy and Physiology. There is such a breadth of information that you learn in anatomy that I feel like I didn’t get to touch on in any other class. It really provides such a comprehensive view of the human body, and as a pre-med student I really value and appreciate that knowledge. The class itself is also incredibly interesting and engaging, and the TAs who help run the class are the absolute best! I loved it so much that I decided to become a TA myself.

Jack Neiberg, Design and Environmental Analysis

Business Design (AEM 4375) with Denise Ramzy is my favorite class I have taken at Cornell. It was through this class I began my work with Finger Lakes ReUse, and Denise taught me so much about how design thinking can be a tool to support people fighting the good fight. This mode of engaged learning taught me so much and solidified in my mind that I want to have a career supporting nonprofits and governments with my design thinking skills.

Caitlin Rogoff, Human Development

My favorite class was HD 3320: Gender and Psychopathology with Professor Korfine. Not only did Professor Korfine's warmth and engaging lecturing style make the class truly enjoyable, but the course content resonated strongly with my career aspirations in psychopathology.

What has been your most meaningful faculty interaction?

Sarah rudolph-naiberg, nutritional sciences.

From my first days as a PRYDE scholar learning about translational research, to implementing a Youth Contribution Project in New York State 4-H this semester with the junior and senior Cornell PRYDE cohorts, Kristen Elmore has consistently been someone I’ve looked up to and considered a mentor. I have learned so much from her about community-engaged research and program implementation, as well as how to foster an inclusive environment.

McKenzie Murray, Human Development

My research advisor and mentor Professor Adam Hoffman has worked with me on my research project since my sophomore year. He took me on in his lab and as an advisee without hesitation and has been a great help with understanding the research process, analyzing data, and helping me get into grad school.

Leah Rosenkranz, Fashion Design and Management

My most meaningful faculty interactions have been with professors Kozen and Phoenix in Human Centered Design. Professor Kozen has supported my academics in terms of helping me figure out my schedule for being a transfer, studying a language, and studying abroad. Professor Phoenix has been a great mentor through the Fashion Scholarship Fund and has introduced me to many professionals and alumni of the program.

What surprised you most about Human Ecology? 

The college feels very small and personal within such a large university. Everyone also feels focused on applying what they learn to helping the world.

I was most surprised by the liberal arts education I received in Human Ecology. I took classes within the school and also in different colleges to pursue personal interests.

Rahul Verma, Global and Public Health Sciences

The interdisciplinary nature of study – as an aspiring pre-med student, taking classes in public policy, sociology, nutrition, and health equity has broadened my understanding of topics related to healthcare delivery.

Did you have any sort of “aha moment” over the past four years?

I was actually taking a yoga class my first year and we had a substitute teacher because the instructor was on maternity leave. The sub was a part-time yoga teacher and a full-time academic counselor, and I started talking to her about her job. I was so interested in her work with students – even more than my pre-med track – that I decided to switch majors and pivot to the education field.

A significant moment for me was in my first fall semester when I realized that I can do whatever I want here. I am here to find my passions and pursue them, and I don’t have to fit into anyone else’s interests and can pave my own way. Following my passions is what has allowed me to end up in so many projects I am excited about.

Nancy Wang, Fiber Science

I have come to realize that my identity isn't solely shaped by labels or achievements; the little moments define me too. My freshman writing seminar talked about the complex nature of human identity, but it took me my whole college career to truly understand it and apply it personally. This revelation liberated me from the anxiety and obligation of chasing after accomplishments, allowing me to do what I enjoy, irrespective of their contributions to my desired professional persona.

What will you be doing next?

I will be a clinical research assistant at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, and from there I plan to matriculate into medical school!

I am going to seminary to study theology and social justice and to become a pastor. I want to work with youth and young adults on building their sense of passion, purpose, identity, and sense of belonging and mattering through faith and community.

I will do strategy work to help nonprofits. I don’t know exactly how yet, but I know that I will figure something out. I also will continue making music and keep working on my band’s first album.

I hope to work in the industry for a few years in various roles to find one that I enjoy the best. I would eventually like to work for a smaller company or startup and help them grow.

I’m super excited to be moving to Baltimore this summer to begin a combined master of public health/dietetic internship at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health!

In the fall, I'll be attending Columbia University, pursuing a two-year, full-time master’s degree in social work. My focus will be on advanced clinical practice, with the goal of becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker specializing in working with children and adolescents.

After graduation, I will be working in clinical research for a year as I prepare to apply to medical school.

I am pursuing a master’s in engineering degree in materials science and engineering. Eventually, I hope to be in the technology management space with a global influence.

Quantum AI framework targets energy intensive data centers

A new quantum computing-based optimization framework developed at Cornell could reduce energy consumption in large data centers handling artificial intelligence (AI) workloads by as much as 12.5% and reduce their carbon emissions by as much as 9.8%.

Data centers account for more than 1% of the entire world’s electricity consumption, and that percentage is expected to grow rapidly as AI computing becomes more prevalent.

The quantum computing-enabled robust optimization framework, detailed in the journal Advances in Applied Energy , targets this energy challenge by integrating variational quantum circuits with classical optimization to enable efficient and uncertainty-aware control of energy systems, according to Fengqi You , the Roxanne E. and Michael J. Zak Professor in Energy Systems Engineering and co-director of the Cornell University AI for Science Institute (CUAISci), who developed the framework with Akshay Ajagekar, a systems engineering doctoral student.

The quantum computing-based control strategy is designed to address uncertainties associated with weather conditions and renewable energy generation while optimizing energy consumption in AI data centers, said You, who is a senior faculty fellow at the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability.

“By developing quantum computing-based AI methods, we are tackling the pressing energy and climate challenges faced by AI data centers, significantly enhancing their sustainability and efficiency,” You said.

Computational experiments were conducted at various U.S. data centers, demonstrating the framework's ability to significantly reduce power consumption and carbon emissions associated with AI data center operations.

You directs the Process-Energy-Environmental Systems Engineering Lab at Cornell, which is using quantum computing to address challenges energy, medicine, logistics, manufacturing, and other optimization and machine learning applications. A 2021 study from the lab detailed a quantum-based system for fault diagnosis in electrical power systems. A 2023 study , “Molecular design with automated quantum computing-based deep learning and optimization,” used quantum computer-assisted learning and optimization techniques implemented with near-term quantum-computing devices for molecular property prediction. Such targeted design of molecules has applications across everything from pharmaceutical drug discovery to efficient energy storage devices.

“Quantum AI methods for molecular design highlight the transformative potential of AI for science, driving scientific discoveries, enabling sustainable solutions and fostering new innovations,” You said.

You and his team have filed several U.S. patents based on the lab’s work.

Other Articles of Interest

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Diversity Programs in Engineering (DPE) recognized the outstanding undergraduate and graduate students, student organizations, faculty, and staff through its annual awards banquet. Read more about 2024 DPE Awards recognize outstanding alumni, students, staff

‘Cloaked’ proteins deliver cancer-killing therapeutics into cells

An interdisciplinary collaboration has designed a way to “cloak” proteins so they can be captured by lipid nanoparticles and delivered into living cells, where the proteins uncloak and exert their... Read more about ‘Cloaked’ proteins deliver cancer-killing therapeutics into cells

‘Ready to serve’: ROTC grads commissioned as officers

At a May 24 ceremony in Statler Auditorium, 21 graduating members of the Tri-Service Brigade received commissions as officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Space Force. Read more about ‘Ready to serve’: ROTC grads commissioned as officers

Cornell Office of Undergraduate Admissions

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Tips for Getting Around Campus

• Read more about Tips for Getting Around Campus

When I committed to Cornell, I did so without ever setting foot on campus. However, upon arriving here, I quickly realized that Cornell was unlike any typical campus. Nestled on a hill and surrounded by nature and waterfalls, it offers a unique setting for exploration. During breaks and weekends, my urge to discover more of Ithaca and its surroundings only grew. In this guide, I will outline the various transportation options available to students for navigating both campus and the wider Ithaca area, enabling you to discover the beauty of this town.

Why I Chose My Major, and What I Love About It

• Read more about Why I Chose My Major, and What I Love About It

When I tell people that I’m majoring in Classics in the College of Arts & Sciences, the most common follow-up question is what my favorite classic book is – i.e., English literature. While this is a lovely question, the idea that I’m studying English is a common misconception.

Computer Science in Arts and Engineering: What’s the Difference?

• Read more about Computer Science in Arts and Engineering: What’s the Difference?

Suppose you are considering applying to Cornell to study computer science. In that case, you’re probably considering whether to apply to the College of Arts & Sciences or the College of Engineering, both of which offer a computer science major. To leverage this, you’re also probably wondering about the differences between the Arts and Engineering versions of the major. Besides the degree you’re awarded (Arts students receive a Bachelor of Arts, Engineering students receive a Bachelor of Science), what’s so different about computer science in both colleges?

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UN FAO visit highlights importance of agrifood system transformation

• Cornell AgriTech
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• School of Integrative Plant Science

QU Dongyu, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), visited Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences May 7-8 to talk with faculty, staff and graduate students about efforts to build sustainable and resilient food systems worldwide.

“I was inspired by my visit to Cornell,” said QU, who with other FAO representatives toured the college’s campuses in Ithaca and Geneva, New York. “CALS is a leading example of how integrated research and science can bolster food security and agrifood systems transformation efforts.”

“It was an honor to welcome Director-General QU and members of his team,” said Benjamin Houlton, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean. “CALS and FAO have had a long and fruitful partnership, and our shared vision of bolstering science-based solutions for our world’s agrifood systems presents tremendous opportunities to work together to solve some of the greatest challenges facing global food production.”

Ben Houlton, Ronald P. Lynch Dean of CALS, receives calligraphy from QU, Director-General of the UN FAO. FAO and CALS share a rich history. Photo provided by the UN FAO.

QU met with faculty from the CALS Department of Global Development. Photo provided by the UN FAO.

QU engaged with faculty on the Ithaca campus from the Departments of Global Development, Animal Science, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Food Science; the School of Integrative Plant Science; and the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program on how CALS is striving to impact communities and create a more equitable, sustainable and food-secure world. Highlights included discussion on the role of Land-Grant institutions, innovation to improve crop performance, working toward a bio-nutrient economy, forest carbon sequestration, improving food product nutrition, reducing methane from livestock animals and using integrated pest management in crops.

At Cornell AgriTech QU met with faculty engaged in research for specialty crop breeding, and pest and disease management. He explored the diversity of apple trees in the USDA-ARS germplasm repository, an invaluable resource to breeders worldwide, and also learned about the campus’s apple breeding program, the oldest in the U.S.

Innovation for producers in the 21st century was a central theme during the AgriTech tour, and faculty demonstrated how autonomous robots, AI and other digital technologies can efficiently and precisely manage crop health.

“The exciting work taking place at Cornell AgriTech has impactful potential, not just for New York but globally,” said QU. “Through their cutting-edge agricultural science, research and development, they are leading the way with innovative solutions.”

QU met with graduate students while visiting Cornell AgriTech. Photo provided by the UN FAO.

QU met with a variety of researchers at Cornell AgriTech, including Susan Brown, professor of horticulture. Photo provided by the UN FAO.

A roundtable discussion with Ph.D. students concluded his visit to Cornell AgriTech. QU, a plant geneticist, described his scienced-based path to the role of the Director-General of FAO and encouraged students to make an impact on the world.

“If you want to make difference in lives, agricultural and food science is one of the best ways to it,” he said, adding, “You can make a difference too as scientists: Be diligent, dedicated, curious and open-minded, and you will become changemakers.”

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News / May 17 2024

Cornell Tech Announces Winners of its 2024 Startup Awards

  Startups

At the 2024 Startup Awards, the four companies that won each received awards worth $100,000. The award includes $80,000 in pre-seed funding as well as co-working space in the Tata Innovation Center and mentorship by the Cornell Tech team valued together at $20,000. A fifth runner-up received working space and mentorship. Pictured above: Chief Practice Officer of Cornell Tech Josh Hartmann (middle, back row), with the startup companies Cipher, Compose AI, Mindsight, RapidReview, and MercuryVote.

Cornell Tech awarded four student startup companies with investments worth $100,000 each in its eleventh annual Startup Awards competition. The award includes $80,000 in pre-seed funding as well as co-working space in the Tata Innovation Center and mentorship by the Cornell Tech team valued together at $20,000. The awards were announced at Cornell Tech’s Open Studio, the campus’ end-of-year celebration of startups and presentation of cutting-edge research, projects, and companies founded at Cornell Tech.

A panel of tech industry leaders and executives, along with members of the Cornell and Cornell Tech faculty and staff, selected the winning student teams. This year’s panel of judges included Greg Morrisett , Jack and Rilla Neafsey Dean and Vice Provost of Cornell Tech; Fernando Gómez-Baquero, Director of Runway and Spinouts at Cornell Tech; Josh Hartmann, Chief Practice Officer of Cornell Tech; Jenny Fielding , Co-Head of Startup Studio at Cornell Tech; Alberto Escarlate, Co-Head of Startup Studio at Cornell Tech​; Sam Dix​, Co-Head of Startup Studio at Cornell Tech; Amanda Eilian, Partner of _able Partners; Tanzeem Choudhury , Roger and Joelle Burnell Professor in Integrated Health and Technology at Cornell Tech; Howard Morgan, Chairman of B Capital Group; and Momo Bi, Partner of Watershed Ventures.

“This year’s cohort of Startup Award finalists impressed me with their ingenuity and problem-solving,” said Josh Hartmann, Chief Practice Officer of Cornell Tech . “By seeing real-world issues, addressing their roots, and tackling them head-on, these students have come up with innovative solutions that build upon the skills they gained through their Cornell Tech education and Studio experience. I am proud of all they have accomplished and am excited to see where the future takes them.”

The 2024 Startup Award Winners are:

• Cipher , an end-to-end marketplace that connects businesses to music professionals, tracks negotiations, and automates payments and licensing agreements. “By facilitating music licensing deals, Cipher will unlock the true value of music,” the founders said.
• Compose AI, a marketplace to scale product placement ads using generative AI. According to the company, the product placement industry is highly manual with deal-times that take months. “We automatically insert brand assets in influencer videos, reducing deal-times to days,” the founders said.
• Mindsight , which offers an end-to-end care management platform that leverages AI to deliver personalized outpatient mental health treatment recommendations.
• RapidReview , which enables researchers to navigate through thousands of papers by converting documents into structured tables.

MercuryVote , which enables shareholders to sell their votes so that changemakers can mobilize previously unused proxy votes, was a runner-up. Although MercuryVote will not receive the Cornell Tech cash award, the team will receive office space and mentorship through Cornell Tech’s Runway Program.

Since the inception of Startup Studio, 11 alumni companies have been acquired: Enroute , acquired by Ichilov Tech; LitOS , acquired by Navana Tech India; Pilota , acquired by Hopper;  Otari , acquired by Peloton;  Datalogue , acquired by Nike;  Auggi , acquired by Seed Health;  Uru , acquired by Adobe;  Trigger Finance , acquired by Circle;  Gitlinks , acquired by Infor;  Bowtie , acquired by MINDBODY; and  Thread   Learning , acquired by CentralReach. In total, startups that have been founded and spun out on campus — including Startup Studio and the Runway Startup Postdocs at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute — have raised more than $330 million in funding and employ nearly 500 people in NYC.

This year’s Open Studio also included a presentation of select BigCo Studio teams, which showcased the challenges they worked on with Studio’s partner organizations throughout the semester. In BigCo Studio, students learn how to navigate working within big companies (BigCos) by being matched with a C-suite or VP advisor from a real BigCo to research, prototype, and present a new product that helps the company achieve its mission. This year’s BigCo Studio partner organizations included Capital One, Google, JP Morgan Chase, Merck, Microsoft, Verizon, and Wayfair.

This year, the Startup Studio program was led by Jenny Fielding, Sam Dix, and Alberto Escarlate, along with Cornell Tech’s Chief Practice Officer Josh Hartmann and Studio Directors Naomi Cervantes and Tyler Rhorick. The Startup Awards are a capstone of the Studio curriculum, a critical component of the master’s experience at Cornell Tech, which brings together multi-disciplinary teams to solve real-world problems. In their final semester, students can choose to form teams and enroll in Startup Studio, where they combine their diverse program disciplines — computer science, operations research and information engineering, business, health tech, urban tech, connective media, electrical and computer engineering, and law — to develop ideas and prototypes for their startup in an academic setting.

Students who don’t enroll in Startup Studio could choose to take the BigCo Studio or PiTech Studio tracks. In PiTech Studio, or Public Interest Tech Studio, students focus specifically on product development and business models that accelerate positive change in public, non-profit, for-profit, and hybrid sectors.

About Cornell Tech

Cornell Tech is Cornell University’s groundbreaking campus for technology research and education on Roosevelt Island in New York City. Our faculty, students, and industry partners work together in an ultra-collaborative environment, pushing inquiry further and developing meaningful technologies for a digital society. Founded in partnership with the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and the City of New York, Cornell Tech achieves global reach and local impact, extending Cornell University’s long history of leading innovation in computer science and engineering.

Media Highlights

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The Unique Burial of a Child of Early Scythian Time at the Cemetery of Saryg-Bulun (Tuva)

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In 1988, the Tuvan Archaeological Expedition (led by M. E. Kilunovskaya and V. A. Semenov) discovered a unique burial of the early Iron Age at Saryg-Bulun in Central Tuva. There are two burial mounds of the Aldy-Bel culture dated by 7th century BC. Within the barrows, which adjoined one another, forming a figure-of-eight, there were discovered 7 burials, from which a representative collection of artifacts was recovered. Burial 5 was the most unique, it was found in a coffin made of a larch trunk, with a tightly closed lid. Due to the preservative properties of larch and lack of air access, the coffin contained a well-preserved mummy of a child with an accompanying set of grave goods. The interred individual retained the skin on his face and had a leather headdress painted with red pigment and a coat, sewn from jerboa fur. The coat was belted with a leather belt with bronze ornaments and buckles. Besides that, a leather quiver with arrows with the shafts decorated with painted ornaments, fully preserved battle pick and a bow were buried in the coffin. Unexpectedly, the full-genomic analysis, showed that the individual was female. This fact opens a new aspect in the study of the social history of the Scythian society and perhaps brings us back to the myth of the Amazons, discussed by Herodotus. Of course, this discovery is unique in its preservation for the Scythian culture of Tuva and requires careful study and conservation.

Keywords: Tuva, Early Iron Age, early Scythian period, Aldy-Bel culture, barrow, burial in the coffin, mummy, full genome sequencing, aDNA

Information about authors: Marina Kilunovskaya (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Vladimir Semenov (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Varvara Busova  (Moscow, Russian Federation).  (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences.  Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Kharis Mustafin  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Technical Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Irina Alborova  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Biological Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Alina Matzvai  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected]

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Out of the Centre

Savvino-storozhevsky monastery and museum.

Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar Alexis, who chose the monastery as his family church and often went on pilgrimage there and made lots of donations to it. Most of the monastery’s buildings date from this time. The monastery is heavily fortified with thick walls and six towers, the most impressive of which is the Krasny Tower which also serves as the eastern entrance. The monastery was closed in 1918 and only reopened in 1995. In 1998 Patriarch Alexius II took part in a service to return the relics of St Sabbas to the monastery. Today the monastery has the status of a stauropegic monastery, which is second in status to a lavra. In addition to being a working monastery, it also holds the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum.

Belfry and Neighbouring Churches

Located near the main entrance is the monastery's belfry which is perhaps the calling card of the monastery due to its uniqueness. It was built in the 1650s and the St Sergius of Radonezh’s Church was opened on the middle tier in the mid-17th century, although it was originally dedicated to the Trinity. The belfry's 35-tonne Great Bladgovestny Bell fell in 1941 and was only restored and returned in 2003. Attached to the belfry is a large refectory and the Transfiguration Church, both of which were built on the orders of Tsar Alexis in the 1650s.  

To the left of the belfry is another, smaller, refectory which is attached to the Trinity Gate-Church, which was also constructed in the 1650s on the orders of Tsar Alexis who made it his own family church. The church is elaborately decorated with colourful trims and underneath the archway is a beautiful 19th century fresco.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is the oldest building in the monastery and among the oldest buildings in the Moscow Region. It was built between 1404 and 1405 during the lifetime of St Sabbas and using the funds of Prince Yury of Zvenigorod. The white-stone cathedral is a standard four-pillar design with a single golden dome. After the death of St Sabbas he was interred in the cathedral and a new altar dedicated to him was added.

Under the reign of Tsar Alexis the cathedral was decorated with frescoes by Stepan Ryazanets, some of which remain today. Tsar Alexis also presented the cathedral with a five-tier iconostasis, the top row of icons have been preserved.

Tsaritsa's Chambers

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is located between the Tsaritsa's Chambers of the left and the Palace of Tsar Alexis on the right. The Tsaritsa's Chambers were built in the mid-17th century for the wife of Tsar Alexey - Tsaritsa Maria Ilinichna Miloskavskaya. The design of the building is influenced by the ancient Russian architectural style. Is prettier than the Tsar's chambers opposite, being red in colour with elaborately decorated window frames and entrance.

At present the Tsaritsa's Chambers houses the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum. Among its displays is an accurate recreation of the interior of a noble lady's chambers including furniture, decorations and a decorated tiled oven, and an exhibition on the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery.

Palace of Tsar Alexis

The Palace of Tsar Alexis was built in the 1650s and is now one of the best surviving examples of non-religious architecture of that era. It was built especially for Tsar Alexis who often visited the monastery on religious pilgrimages. Its most striking feature is its pretty row of nine chimney spouts which resemble towers.

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