Stories

Melissa Banta accepts her Culture of Sustainability Award.

President’s Awards honor Culture of Sustainability

Cornell is a global leader in sustainability and climate change research, teaching and engagement. Our campuses are living laboratories for developing, testing and implementing solutions that address these most challenging issues.

STARS platinum rating

Cornell earns third platinum sustainability rating

For three years in a row, Cornell has earned a platinum sustainability rating—the top status—from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the international group that tracks environmental stewardship for more than 1,000 college campuses.

Commitment to Sustainability

Research and engagement

Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, president of Iceland and Peter Katzenstein.

Iceland president: ‘Turn smallness into strength’

Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, president of Iceland, discussed his country’s commitment to peace, diversity and science-based climate solutions.
A bowl full of dagaa, a small pelagic fish.

Small fish could play big role in fight against malnutrition

Inexpensive, small fish species caught in seas and lakes in developing countries could help close nutritional gaps.
Under a cloudless blue sky, Lake Lila gleams in the William C. Whitney Wilderness Area in Adirondack Park.

Warming climate prompts harmful oxygen loss in lakes

Climate change is leading to extended weeks of water stratification, which prompts varying degrees of oxygen deprivation in lakes.
A residential buyout parcel in Chehalis, Washington.

Local floodplain home buyouts can inform federal plans

Cornell researchers compared federal floodplain home buyout policies with regional programs.

Thought Leaders in Sustainability

Labor and Climate

Lara Skinner is an expert on labor and employment issues related to sustainability, climate protection and clean energy.

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CONSERVATION OUTREACH

Amanda Rodewald works to generate, apply and communicate science that advances ecological understanding.

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Sustainability, Law and Policy

Sara Bronin examines how law and policy can foster more equitable, sustainable, well-designed and connected places.

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agricultural sustainability

Ariel Ortiz-Bobea is an expert on how to promote environmental sustainability at the local level.

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SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

Fengqi You focuses on developing models and tools for smart manufacturing, digital agriculture, energy systems and sustainability.

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MARINE ECOLOGY

Drew Harvell studies the sustainability of marine ecosystems and the impacts of climate and ocean change.

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ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Max Zhang studies sustainable energy systems and the effects of nanoparticle pollution on air quality and climate change.

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WILDLIFE HEALTH AND POLICY

Steven Osofsky directs the Wildlife Health Cornell Center of Excellence, which takes an interdisciplinary approach to wildlife health.

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Earth and Atmospheric Science

Natalie Mahowald examines feedbacks in the earth system that impact climate change, such as desert dust and the carbon cycle.

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For more thought leaders in sustainability, contact:

Office of Media Relations

Our campuses are living laboratories for sustainability and climate change research.