NY College Website at First

NY College Website

At first glance of the home page of the Cornell University website, it is already obvious that the school is connected with a number of educators who are well-known in a wide range of fields: Science -- Bruce Ganem, Cornell's Franz and Elisabeth Roessler Professor of Chemistry and J. Thomas Clark Professor of Entrepreneurship, won the American Chemical Society's 2007 Award for Creative Invention by solving a crucial problem in the development of a drug used to treat ovarian, breast and lung cancer and as an agent in fighting coronary artery disease; Social Sciences -- Annelise Riles, Professor of Law and Professor of Anthropology, is writing her third book, this one based on anthropological fieldwork among financial regulators in Tokyo and New York about the cultural practices of lawyers and their effect on the transnational practice of law; and State Government -- Jonathan B. Mintz, 1988 grad, now fills the role of the Commissioner of the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) for New York.

However, just as quickly website viewers also see that this notoriety extends not only to the professors and alumni, but to the students as well. For example, 120 engineering students recently developed research projects that ranged from culturing human meniscus cells that repair damage to cartilage, to an algorithm that improves interstate truck delivery routes.

In fact, the reason why students often shine, it is seen, is because the school is continually finding ways to improve and offer state-of-the-art programming. The New Life Sciences Initiative, for example, is a university-wide collaboration to develop and launch a multiyear, $600-million campaign to enhance and support life sciences research and education. It is the most far-reaching research initiative in Cornell history. Teams of scientists, which include biologists, physical scientists, engineers, and computational scientists, are joining forces to examine life and life processes. When digging a little deeper into Cornell's website and reading the schools history, one learns that such individuals and programs are not new.

Opened in 1865, the university boasts 29 nobel laureates and lives up to its founder Ezra Cornell's motto, "I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study" with many firsts: It awarded the United States' first university degree in veterinary medicine and doctorates in both electrical and industrial engineering, as well as the world's first degree in journalism and the four-year schools of hotel administration and industrial and labor relations. It endowed the country's first professorships in American history, musicology and American literature and was the first U.S. university to offer a major in American studies. The university is also known worldwide for its engineering expertise and advancements. The Cornell Center for Technology, Enterprise, and Commercialization encourages entrepreneurship and economic development by being one of the nation's top institutions in forming start-up companies. It also fosters collaborations with industry and helps to market inventions resulting from Cornell research. Last year, the Center received 200 invention disclosures, filed 203 U.S. patent applications, completed 77 commercial license agreements and distributed royalties of over $4 million to Cornell units and inventors. In other words, this school definitely appears to be a place where someone can go to be involved with leaders and entrepreneurs, be motivated to research and discover new ways of looking at different aspects of science and social sciences and be recognized as an individual who has made advancements in one of a wide range of fields. As previous Attorney General Janet Reno's quote on the website states: "I don't think I have ever been anywhere in the United States that had so many people with so many different interests." quote from one of the present students shows this diversity of study. When asked what he is going to do with his future, he answers, "First off, graduate! Then probably business school. Looking forward to studying abroad my junior year, most likely in Switzerland. Then I want to go into private banking for a little while. I hope to eventually open up my own hotel and restaurant, and become an international phenomenon, of course