Students, professors, alumni and stargazers alike gathered in Kennedy Hall on Nov. 9 to celebrate the life and legacy of Carl Sagan in a 90th birthday celebration hosted by the Carl Sagan Institute.
Sagan was an astrophysicist, author and science communicator who was a faculty member at Cornell for nearly 30 years. He is widely credited for popularizing astronomy, pioneering efforts in the search for extraterrestrial life.
The event’s speakers included Sagan’s widow Ann Druyan, renowned National Aeronautics and Space Administration flight surgeon Joseph Dervay and the founding director of the Carl Sagan Institute, Prof. Lisa Kaltenegger, astronomy. Festivities also included a performance by members of the Cornell Symphony Orchestra.
“I didn’t know Carl Sagan until three years ago, so for me, he’s new in my life,” said Jonas Biren, a postdoctoral research associate in Earth and atmospheric sciences, who gave a talk about “lava worlds” at the event. ”I’m hoping I can carry on his legacy and do the same with my career.”
Rebecca Payne, a postdoctoral research associate in astronomy, worked in Sagan’s old office. Payne gave a presentation entitled “Worlds on the Edge and the potential for Space Dinosaurs” at the event.
“You feel the web of everything related to him, and it’s neat to see all those connections actually panning out with everyone in one place,” Payne said.
Gillis Lowry ’24 is an assistant researcher at the Carl Sagan Institute. Lowry, who coincidentally has the same birthday as Sagan, was first introduced to him when she watched his documentary Cosmos: A Personal Voyage.
“It was really fundamental to my future path that I was able to see someone who is both a writer and scientist,” Lowry said. “I saw someone who was both a poet and scientist.”
Lowry created an interactive map of Carl Sagan-related spots around Ithaca and Cayuga Heights.
Michael Sheinkman ’80, reflected on taking one of Sagan’s classes. Sheinkman currently works for the United States Agency for International Development in the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance.
“I took Astronomy 101 when Carl Sagan was the professor teaching it,” Sheinkman said. “It didn’t change the track of my career, but it certainly gave me a great appreciation for the role of space exploration and the role of astronomy in giving us a view of our own planet.”
Prof. Bruce Lewenstein, communication and science and technology studies, highlighted the legacy of Sagan at Cornell.
“The Carl Sagan Institute is a wonderful example of what makes Cornell great,” Lewenstein said. “Every school, every university I know of, talks about doing interdisciplinary work. Cornell is one of the few places that believes in it. And the Sagan Institute is an example of that.”
Matthew Cheung can be reached at [email protected].