Prof. Warren Allmon, earth and atmospheric sciences, takes a critical look at depictions of dinosaurs in popular culture.

Prof. Michal Lipson, electrical and computer engineering, is a leading researcher in the field of nanophotonics — the study of understanding and utilizing light on the nanometer scale. 

Prof. Reid Ivy, food science, studies the microbes in your milk that may you spoil your breakfast, and applies his research to improve food safety.

The leaves are falling, the temperature is dropping, and the days are becoming shorter. Flu season has arrived in Ithaca. Prof. Susan Daniel, chemical and biomolecular engineering, researches cell membrane mimics and novel devices for the study of transmembrane species interactions. Such interactions are important for the study of flu viruses, the study of how viruses affect host cells. and subsequently, the study of vaccines.

Prof. Sheila Hemami, electrical and computer engineering, studies signal processing, working so that the deaf community too may take advantage of the cellular revolution.

Since opening it doors in 1868, Cornell University has produced cutting-edge science, not to mention, numerous nobel laureates. Its faculty innovated existing science, changed age-old technologies, and through their students, revolutionized the fields of entomology and ornithology. Today, we present a special edition of our weekly feature, The Scientist. We’d like to note that, although the consequences of these scientists can be seen everywhere on campus - from the extensive gardens of The Plant Science Building to the collections of Comstock Hall - the importance of these scientists can be felt throughout the scientific community.

An air pollution major in undergraduate school, Prof. Natalie Mahowald, earth and atmospheric sciences, emphasized the importance of researching climate change. “There are so many interesting scientific questions that need to be addressed, which are very policy-relevant.”

As an environmental microbiologist and a teacher, Prof. Bill Ghiorse, microbiology, is passionate about the importance of microbes in our world.

In a journey starting from an ordinary dairy farm, Prof. David Putnam, biomedical engineering, has moved onto developing biomaterials, vaccines and drug delivery techniques for patients.

 “It’s a pleasure to be a teacher,” said Professor Levitsky, nutritional science and psychology.  Levitsky has been at Cornell since 1968 – that’s over 40 years! But Levitsky was not always on this path. “I didn’t want to go to college; I wanted to be a TV repair man.”  Now, Levitsky writes poetry about the digestive system while studying the eating habits and nutrition of university students.