Science

Hotelie Turned Sustainable Designer: Prof. Laquatra ’84

Seyoun Kim  —  Oct 11, 2011

Prof. Joeseph Laquatra Ph.D. ’84, design and environmental analysis, works on“sustainability issues in housing,” teaching courses to homeowners and construction workers about sustainable, healthy homes.  His interest began in grade school when his uncle, who owned a home construction business, taught Laquatra how to hammer nails and has continued to this day as his academic interest. 

Two Engineering Seniors Represent Tech Start-Ups in NYC

Jing Jin  —  Oct 5, 2011

Brian Schiffer ’12 and Jeremy Blum ’12, electrical and computer engineering, attended the Open Hardware Summit on Sept. 15 and Makerfaire on Sept. 17 and 18 in New York City. This summer, as Kessler Fellows, Schiffer and Blum worked at the start-ups Zeo and MakerBot, respectively, for which they were presenting at the conferences. 

Prof. Merwin '90: Horticulturalist, Local Farmer, Avocado Expert

Sarah Cohen  —  Oct 4, 2011

Prof. Ian Merwin PhD ’90, horticulture, works at Cornell and internationally to improve the sustainability of fruit horticulture. He is a part of the National Germplasm Committee for Apples, travels around the world, has his own farm and sells produce at the Ithaca Farmers Market. 

Scientists Aim to Discover New Physics at LHC

Vivek Venkataraman  —  Sep 27, 2011

Prof. Julia Thom, physics, presented results from the Large Hadron Collider’s first year of operation on Sept. 19 in Schwartz Auditorium. The LHC at the European Organization of Nuclear Research, also known as CERN, is meant to address the fundamentals of physics, according to the organization’s website. So far, the LHC has found no evidence of two important theories in physics, the Higgs boson and Supersymmetry.

Real Deal About Sunscreen: New Guides Released

Bob Hackett  —  Sep 27, 2011

The Food and Drug Administration announced plans in July to bring sunscreen regulations up to date. The new standards for sunscreen labels will provide better information to consumers who will soon be able to determine which products are most effective at reducing risk of skin cancer, the most common form of cancer in the U.S., according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.

Cornell Staffer Bikes for Crohn’s Cure

Maria Minsker  —  Sep 27, 2011

 

Diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at 17 years old, Mary Mulvanerton, associate director of the center for radiophysics and space research, has spent most of her life fighting the disease, but she has never let it take away her spirit, determination or love of space.  

The Scientist: Prof. Bassuk ’74 Brings Trees, Greenery To Urban Areas

Nicolas Ramos  —  Sep 27, 2011

Prof. Nina Bassuk ’74, horticulture, inventor of CU-Structural Soil, is responsible for many tree-lined urban streets. The soil mix has been used in every state, Puerto Rico and Canada. Bassuk researches methods of improving the quality of urban life by introducing plants within the urban ecosystem.

Corn, Compost and Cutlery

Paige Roosa  —  Sep 21, 2011

Located just two miles from the Cornell campus, the Cornell compost facility collects compost from a multitude of sources, such as the College of Veterinary Medicine, dining facilities, greenhouses, plantations and polo fields. In 2006, Farm Services, the organization that manages the compost facility, reported that the Cornell campus generated 6,337.84 tons of organic waste.

Hybrids: Not the Answer

Shauntle Barley  —  Sep 21, 2011

While hybrid cars offer an improvement to conventional automobiles, Prof. John Callister ’96, mechanical and aerospace engineering, and Prof. Max Zhang, mechanical and aerospace engineering, agree that they are not enough. Zhang, Faculty Fellow in the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, said that although “hybrids are leading us to a sustainable future, [they’re] not the solution we’re looking for.”

Calculating Carbon Footprints

Seyoun Kim  —  Sep 21, 2011

Carbon footprint calculators, often used to measure one’s environmental impact, are not always accurate ­­–– often providing varying results, according to varios Cornell professors. Currently, researchers are working to understand the validity behind carbon footprints, the associated calculations and what we can take away from carbon footprint calculations.

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