College of Human Ecology at Cornell

College of Human Ecology at Cornell Cornell Human Ecology champions human health in every dimension, at every scale

The essential mission of the College of Human Ecology is to improve lives by understanding and impacting the multilayered influences on human health and well-being. From the food we eat; the clothing we wear; the buildings we inhabit; the families, neighborhoods, and communities in which we exist; and the policies that affect our lives, these layers of influence are shaped by humans, and they shap

e us, in complex ways. Our academic majors are firmly grounded in the social, natural & physical sciences, and design to create dynamic, interdisciplinary fields of study. This allows our students to explore their interests in a broader context and to understand and analyze issues from multiple perspectives. UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS:
Design and Environmental Analysis
Fiber Science
Fashion Design Management
Human Biology, Health, and Society
Human Development
Nutritional Sciences
Global and Public Health Sciences

09/09/2026

What happens when students, faculty and staff come together to learn, reflect and engage with some of today’s most complex societal issues?

The Social Impact Series, led by Kerri Lee Alexander, assistant dean for social impact and justice, brings together members of the Human Ecology community for a year-long cohort experience centered on meaningful conversation, multiple perspectives and learning in community.

Hear from members of previous cohorts, including Shariwa Oke, Marcia Easley, Caitlin Collins, Natalie Maloon, Lauren Korfine and Charles Beach about the conversations, connections and experiences that made the series meaningful, and why they encourage others to take part.

This academic year, the series will explore the theme “Freedom & Justice for All: Past, Present, and Future,” reflecting on our shared past, seeking to better understand the present and collectively envisioning the future.

This year’s Social Impact Series launches October 1. Learn more and join: https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_895Cpb3hAyqQIbc

What can older generations teach us about living well? In TIME, Cornell gerontologist Karl Pillemer shares insights from...
09/08/2026

What can older generations teach us about living well?

In TIME, Cornell gerontologist Karl Pillemer shares insights from nearly 1,500 older adults whose life advice he has collected through The Legacy Project, and explains why learning from our grandparents means looking beyond simply copying their habits.

While trends like “nonna-maxxing” celebrate traditional routines associated with older generations, from cooking every meal from scratch to gardening and other slower ways of living, Pillemer cautions that those habits weren’t always conscious choices. Some reflected the limitations and expectations of a different era.

“Copying the habit itself risks copying her circumstances rather than her insights,” says Pillemer, a human development professor in the Department of Psychology and professor of gerontology in medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. As he puts it: “It wasn’t wisdom. It was 1962.”

Instead, Pillemer suggests asking an older person a more meaningful question: “As you look back over your life, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned that you’d like to pass on to someone younger?”

Across nearly two decades of conversations, Pillemer has found recurring lessons about prioritizing relationships, embracing opportunities, appreciating everyday pleasures and spending less time worrying about things outside our control.

“I was not prepared for how many people said, ‘I wish I hadn’t spent so much time worrying about things I couldn’t control,’” he tells TIME.

And asking for that wisdom can be valuable for both generations. Pillemer says approaching an older person with “I want to know what you learned in life so I can use it” can “reverse the power dynamic," recognizing older adults not simply as people who may need support, but as people with valuable knowledge to share.

Read more at https://time.com/article/2026/08/18/life-advice-from-older-women/

What did Human Ecology students do this summer? ☀️🌎From internships and research to community-engaged work and other han...
09/04/2026

What did Human Ecology students do this summer? ☀️🌎

From internships and research to community-engaged work and other hands-on experiences, CHE students spent the summer putting their learning into action: in Ithaca, New York City and beyond.

Join us for the CHE Summer Experience Symposium on Sept. 30, where students will share what they worked on, what they learned and the impact of their experiences through poster and oral presentations.

📅 Sept. 30, 2026
🕟 4:30–6:30 p.m.
📍 Poster presentations: Human Ecology Commons
📍 Oral presentations: MVR G151
🍴 Food and beverages will be provided.

Come celebrate the creativity, curiosity and experiences CHE students brought to their summers, and hear their stories firsthand!

What happens when research spaces are designed to bring scientists together? Newly renovated research labs in Kinzelberg...
09/03/2026

What happens when research spaces are designed to bring scientists together? Newly renovated research labs in Kinzelberg Hall are creating more opportunities for collaboration across the Division of Nutritional Sciences (DNS)

With more than 12,000 square feet of renovated space, researchers have greater access to specialized equipment, flexible lab spaces and shared resources, including dedicated cell culture facilities, designed to bring faculty, graduate students and other researchers together.

For Tolunay Beker Aydemir, associate professor of molecular nutrition, the new infrastructure can also expand the kinds of scientific questions researchers pursue.

“We have access to multiple devices that we wouldn’t have as individual groups,” Aydemir said. “It allows us to diversify our research and think more about how interdisciplinary work could be done, which is very important for us, especially in nutrition.”

The impact is also evident in the everyday interactions happening across the renovated labs. Ph.D. candidate Savita Sastry says having researchers with different areas of expertise working nearby has made it easier to troubleshoot problems, exchange knowledge and build connections beyond her own lab.

The renovated spaces reflect a broader vision for the future of collaborative research, said Sander Kersten, director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences and the Schleifer Family Professor.

“You’re an expert in one thing. Somebody else is an expert in something else, and then you work together,” Kersten said. “That has been the success story of science, and it will also be in the future.”

DNS is shared by Cornell Human Ecology and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University.

Read more about the renovated spaces and the researchers using them: https://human.cornell.edu/news-profiles/new-spaces-shared-science-kinzelberg-hall

Photo Credit: Galib Braschler/Provided

Could taking high doses of folic acid increase toxic formaldehyde in the body? New Cornell research offers reassuring ev...
09/02/2026

Could taking high doses of folic acid increase toxic formaldehyde in the body? New Cornell research offers reassuring evidence that it does not.

A study led by Meng Wang, assistant professor in the Division of Nutritional Sciences, which is shared between Cornell Human Ecology and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University, found that while a bioactive form of folate can generate formaldehyde and DNA damage in cell culture, researchers found no evidence of increased formaldehyde or DNA damage in mice or human cancer patients receiving high doses of folic acid.

“Our study provides reassurance, particularly for patients who need higher levels of folic acid supplementation, that formaldehyde is not increased as a toxic side effect,” Wang said.

The finding has important implications because folic acid, the synthetic form of vitamin B9, is widely added to breads and cereals and recommended or prescribed during pregnancy, for certain blood disorders and for some cancer patients.

Published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, the study was conducted in partnership with Cayuga Cancer Center and included human blood samples from local cancer patients receiving high-dose folic acid supplementation.

Chris Mellor, a postdoctoral researcher in Wang’s lab, is first author. Other co-authors include Wang; Martha Field, associate professor in DNS; Anthony Mato of Cayuga Cancer Center at Cayuga Health, A Member of Centralus Health; John Blenis of Weill Cornell Medicine; and Guillermo Burgos-Barragan, an instructor in Blenis’ lab.

Read more at https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2026/08/folic-acid-does-not-elevate-formaldehyde-mice-and-humans

PRYDE Scholars kicked off the semester with a visit to the Great New York State Fair, where they got a firsthand look at...
09/01/2026

PRYDE Scholars kicked off the semester with a visit to the Great New York State Fair, where they got a firsthand look at how 4-H helps young people across the state learn, create and grow. 🍀🎯

Scholars from the Program for Research on Youth Development and Engagement (PRYDE) explored projects created by 4-H youth, learned more about the skills and experiences they gain through the program and even got some hands-on instruction at the 4-H archery activity.

“At the fair, I noticed that the 4-H youth crafted creative projects based on how they see the natural world and you could truly see how 4-H allows youth to express themselves freely, thus creating such creative and informative art pieces. Very talented bunch!” said Janier James ’27.

Diya Singhal ’28 was surprised by the breadth of the experience for young people.

“I was really struck by the incredible range of projects 4-H youth take on, but even more so by how much they learn beyond the technical skills - from problem-solving and communication to confidence, responsibility, and independence.”

For PRYDE director Kristen Elmore, the annual visit gives scholars an opportunity to see youth development in action.

“In our trip to the Fair, PRYDE scholars see what 4-H programming really means for youth. We imagine what youth learn about themselves as they master the art of baking or raise a chicken from the moment it hatches,” she said. “This year scholars got hands on instruction from one of the 4-H program leaders at the Archery activity, and a couple students discovered a hidden talent!”

Photo Credit: Marilu Lopez-Fretts

How might expectations about women, motherhood and emotion shape the way jurors interpret evidence in a high-profile mur...
09/01/2026

How might expectations about women, motherhood and emotion shape the way jurors interpret evidence in a high-profile murder trial?

Jessica Salerno, associate professor of psychology in Cornell Human Ecology and an expert on jury decision-making, spoke with the Boston Globe about how gender stereotypes could influence jurors deliberating in the Lindsay Clancy trial.

“Lindsay Clancy’s status as both a woman and a mother could cut both ways with jurors,” Salerno said. She explained that expectations of mothers as nurturing and protective could lead jurors to judge Clancy more harshly and view the deaths of her three children as intentional or premeditated. But those same expectations could also affect how jurors consider her insanity defense.

“Jurors may have difficulty imagining a mother killing her children unless she was severely mentally ill,” Salerno said.

Salerno also discussed how perceptions of emotion can influence judgments in the courtroom. People may be suspicious when someone doesn’t display the emotion they expect following a traumatic event, she said, while those who already distrust someone may interpret visible emotion as “fake and manipulative.”

“What emotion to express in court is a very fine needle to thread,” Salerno said, “and often dictated by gender.”

Read more about the trial and Salerno’s insights into how gender and emotion can shape jury decision-making: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/08/28/metro/lindsay-clancy-trial-live-updates/?event=event12

The first week of classes is in the books! ❤️🐻From hands-on learning in labs and studios to studying, reconnecting with ...
08/28/2026

The first week of classes is in the books! ❤️🐻

From hands-on learning in labs and studios to studying, reconnecting with friends and enjoying the last days of summer on campus, Cornell Human Ecology is once again full of activity.

Wishing our students, faculty and staff a great semester ahead!

Photo Credit: Galib Braschler

🔬From the lab to real life: Research Matters is back for a second season.Cornell’s video podcast series returns with 18 ...
08/28/2026

🔬From the lab to real life: Research Matters is back for a second season.

Cornell’s video podcast series returns with 18 episodes exploring how research can help us understand some of the questions and challenges that shape our everyday lives, from procrastination and health care to climate change, technology and an aging population.

This season will feature Jenna Wells, assistant professor of human development in Cornell Human Ecology, alongside Adriana Reyes, assistant professor in the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, for a conversation examining eldercare and who will provide care for a rapidly aging population.

New episodes of Research Matters will be released every Tuesday at noon throughout the semester on the Cornell Chronicle and wherever podcasts are found, with video episodes available on YouTube.

Learn more about the upcoming season and follow along: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2026/08/research-matters-returns-following-ideas-lab-real-life

Photo Credit: Jason Koski

How can research make a difference in people’s lives? 🔎Students explored that question at yesterday’s Translational Rese...
08/27/2026

How can research make a difference in people’s lives? 🔎

Students explored that question at yesterday’s Translational Research Minor Open House, hosted by the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research (BCTR). Over pizza, students met with peers, faculty and advisors to learn about courses, field experiences and opportunities to put research into practice.

Open to students in any major and any Cornell college, the Translational Research Minor builds skills for using research to inform interventions, practices and policies, while bringing knowledge from communities and practice settings back into the research process.

From STEM and medicine to public health, social sciences, law and public policy, the minor prepares students to turn research into social impact.

Learn more about the Translational Research Minor at https://human.cornell.edu/degrees/translational-research-minor

Photo Credit: Galib Braschler

Address

Martha Van Rensselaer Hall, Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
14853

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when College of Human Ecology at Cornell posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The University

Send a message to College of Human Ecology at Cornell:

Shortcuts

Share