Science

Cornell GeoData Blends Engineering with Earth Science in Environmental Sensor Projects

By Tania Hao · Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025

Cornell’s CU GeoData project team brings together engineering and earth science students to design and deploy low-cost environmental sensors aimed at improving regional climate data and research. Through these interdisciplinary, student-run projects, the team hopes to expand accessible environmental data for local communities, support research on environmental change and strengthen real-world fieldwork and engineering experience.

Anemones and Accessibility: Rowan Lopez ’26 Supports Students Seeking Undergraduate Research

By Angelina Tang · Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025

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Designing a Better World, One Polymer at a Time: The Journey Behind Prof. Coates’s Franklin Award

By Marissa Gaut · Monday, Nov. 17, 2025

Learning Brought to Life: Transformative Experiences in Introductory Field Biology

By Leah Chang · Monday, Nov. 17, 2025

AEI Fellow Roger Pielke Jr.’s Talk at Cornell Climate Impact Speaker Series Sparks Controversy

By Andrea Kim · Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025

Roger Pielke Jr. spoke at Cornell Atkinson’s Climate Impact Series on Wednesday, eliciting concerns from members of the scientific community due to his ties to the American Enterprise Institute and its alleged conflicts of interests.

Psychology in the Spotlight: PSYCH 4500 Brings the Mind to Life at the Sciencenter

By Susan Su · Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025

Students in PSYCH 4500 are transforming concepts from psychology and cognitive science into playful, hands-on exhibits for children at Ithaca’s Sciencenter. By blending research on science communication with engaging design and community engagement, the course equips students to make abstract mental processes tangible, interactive and accessible for young learners.

Reviving Take Back the Tap: Reducing the Waste of Single-Use Plastic Water Bottles at Cornell University

By Elsa Huelsbergen · Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025

Revived by new student leadership, Cornell’s Take Back the Tap campaign works to counter widespread misconceptions about tap water and the environmental costs of bottled water. The initiative promotes water sustainability through class outreach, educational materials and student ambassador efforts that highlight Cornell’s clean, high-quality tap water.

Cornell’s First Snowfall: Dress Warmly as Snow Showers And Winds Sweep Campus

By Chris Owen · Monday, Nov. 10, 2025

Ithaca's first snowfall of the season began on Nov. 11, leaving students and faculty layering up as the long and cold Ithaca winter begins.

‘The Heart of Eco’: How Ecology House’s Pet-Friendly Legacy Stands Up to a Pet Ban

By Angelina Tang · Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025

Once known for its pet-friendly policy, Cornell’s Ecology House banned non-fish pets in 2024 following a student’s escaped snake, ending decades of a defining tradition. Residents and alumni say the change diminished Eco’s distinctive culture and community, though its legacy as a haven for animal lovers endures in name and memory.

Hybrids, Heat and Hunger: How Cornell Scientists Are Breeding Climate-Resilient Crops

By Rebecca Ryan · Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025

As shifting rain patterns and rising heat challenge farmers, Cornell’s Prof. Margaret Smith underscores that sustaining global food security will require combining hybrid breeding, genetic diversity, and adaptive management.

Cornell Joins 11 Other Universities In Lawsuit Against Department of Defense’s Plan To Slash Indirect Research Grant Costs

Cornell University Receives $5.1 million Autism Research Grant

By Marissa Gaut · Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025

Cornell researchers received a $5.1 million NIH grant to establish the Autism Replication, Validation, and Reproducibility (AR²) Center, which will enhance transparency and reliability in autism research through data reanalysis, model validation, and open scientific collaboration.

Strategic Orbit: Cornell PhD Student’s Perspective on the Rise of Space Warfare in U.S. Defense Policy

By Rebecca Ryan · Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025

Once science fiction fantasy, “space warfare” has entered the realm of U.S. defense strategy with satellites, logistics, and orbital dominance now central to national security. Cornell Ph.D. candidate Avishai Melamed explores how technological competition with China, private-sector partnerships, and sustainability concerns are reshaping the geopolitics of space.

More Than a Jack-O’-Lantern: The Science Behind Pumpkins

By Laine Havens · Friday, Oct. 31, 2025

Neither purely pie nor porch prop, the pumpkin haunts the boundary between science and superstition — a gourd so undefinable that even botanists can’t pin it down. From “zumpkins” born in backyard compost to hybrids bred for spooky perfection, the modern pumpkin’s true essence lies not in taxonomy, but in tradition.

Halloween Forecast: A Soggy Weekend Ahead

By Nicholas Stein · Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025

This Hallo-weekend is shaping up to be chilly and rainy as a low pressure system runs through the Ithaca area.

Building Clean Water Futures: Cornell AguaClara’s Mission to Engineer Global Change

By Marissa Gaut and Kitty Zhang · Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025

AguaClara, a Cornell-born initiative founded in 2005, harnesses the power of gravity to deliver sustainable, electricity-free drinking water treatment to communities worldwide. Designed and researched by Cornell students, its innovative systems now serve over 100,000 people across Honduras, Nicaragua, and India — advancing both engineering innovation and global health equity.

Summer Undergraduate Research: Labwork in Sunny Ithaca

By Angelina Tang · Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025

The Sun spoke with three undergraduate students who conducted research over the summer in Ithaca.

‘Not Just About Fisheries, But Also About People’: Cornell Grad Student Receives SBB Research Scholarship

By Zeinab Faraj · Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025

Tatum Delaney, a second-year graduate student, received an SBB Research Group Foundation scholarship to continue her research on fisheries across the world.

Sowing Seeds for a Sustainable Future: Cornell Turfgrass Program at 2025 Ryder Cup

By Leah Chang · Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025

Cornell’s Turfgrass Program will showcase its cutting-edge research at the 2025 Ryder Cup, helping ensure world-class playing conditions at Bethpage Black. Partnering with New York State Parks, the team is setting new standards in sustainable turf management and player safety.

Cornell Hyperloop Mathematically Models Magnetic Levitation Technology

By Allison Hecht · Friday, Oct. 24, 2025

Five members of the Cornell Hyperloop project team competed at the 2025 Hyperloop Global Conference, hosted at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, this past summer.

The SensTech team at the SensUs awards ceremony in August 2025. Courtesy of Alexander Harris ’26

Cornell SensTech Designs Wearable Biosensor to Monitor Kidney Disease Biomarker

By Tania Hao · Friday, Oct. 24, 2025

SensTech, one of Cornell’s newest project teams, received a third-place award at the international biosensor competition, SensUs, for its wearable biosensor designed to manage kidney disease this August.