From fish sperm viability to food security in India, 25 students tackled a trove of topics at an annual College of Agriculture and Life Sciences showcase on Thursday.
These students — as fellows of the highly competitive CALS Global Fellows Program, which accepts only about 25 students every year — spent their summers conducting research in every corner of the globe. The showcase emerged their opportunity to share their findings from their internships with the rest of the Cornell Community.
“It is literally a celebration and the achievement of these students who had these experiences around the globe. The whole point is sharing and understanding the joys and challenges of traveling someplace else,” said CASL Dean Kathryn J. Boor ’80.
This year’s recipients included a variety of students like Lily Bermel ’21, who explored environmental finance and accountability in Sydney, Australia. Through the University of Sydney Internship Program, she was able to work with the Sustainability Future Group.
“Australia was different from what I thought what it would be like,” Bermel said. “Seeing the beautiful nature that surrounds it, and also being able to compare politics between the U.S,” Bermel said, recommending the program “100%.”
The CALS Global Fellows Program, which launched in 2016, ranks as a program for undergraduates seeking “challenging professionally focused internships and research opportunities that complement and enhance their careers and academic skills,” according to Boor. She hopes that it will allow students — now and in the future — to make positive and tangible contributions to global organizations and communities.
“The Program is a really important opportunity for our students in CALS to experience life somewhere else,” Boor said. “
By traveling to other countries and explore different cultures, they get a broader understanding of humanity and there is nothing more important than understanding the perspective of people around the world,” she continued.
During the middle of the showcase, both Boor and Donald R. Viands, associate dean and director of academic programs, voiced their excitement for the Fellows Program and the opportunities it affords.
“What I’m hoping is that we will recruit students for next year who can take advantage of this opportunity,” Boor said.