A Cornell Fsih Story, and a good one too !

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell researchers are fine-tuning a new technique they developed to rapidly detect a deadly fish virus that has increasingly appeared in the Great Lakes and neighboring waterways. Current tests take a month, while the new technique, which measures viral genetic material, takes only 24 hours to identify the virus.

The Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) virus has been isolated in a wide variety of dead fish from the St. Lawrence River, the Niagara River, Lake St. Claire, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and now Lake Huron. The virus detected in Lake Huron was only 22 miles from Lake Michigan. VHS is a rhabdovirus, a pathogen that has caused large fish kills in these areas and has been detected in muskellunge, New York's number two sport fish. Unreported in North America until 1988, the first case of VHS virus in New York state was detected from a massive fish kill of round gobies in the St. Lawrence River in May 2006.

New York Sea Grant has awarded Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine a two-year, $178,000 grant to develop the genetics-based test to spot the virus in both tissue and water samples. The grant will also be used to study optimal ways of handling specimens to be sent for testing.

"The virus is very unstable," said Paul Bowser, Cornell professor of aquatic animal medicine and one of the grant's lead investigators. "If fish are collected by a field biologist in a remote location, and they are not properly refrigerated, the virus will decompose by the time it reaches the lab."
The researchers will also investigate the virus' stability in fresh and turbid water to see how these conditions impact detection.

The grant will specifically focus on muskellunge fisheries in the St. Lawrence River, Chautauqua Lake and the Niagara River to determine the virus' prevalence in these populations and at different times of year.

Cornell received more than 1,300 fish samples between May and December last year, and researchers have tested all of them using the new technique. They are about two-thirds of the way through testing the same samples using the classic technique, which relies on cell cultures, to compare results.

The researchers hope to have the technique validated by the end of 2007 and the fieldwork completed by the end of 2008.

"Once this technique is accepted by national and international organizations, it will be adopted as the standard test," said Geoffrey Groocock, a postdoctoral associate at Cornell's Aquatic Animal Health Program. "Then, people can send samples to us or other programs to quickly and accurately diagnose the emergence of this disease."
There remains no way to vaccinate fish against this disease, and any measures to control its spread requires people to "apply procedures that existed prior to the discovery of vaccines, such as monitoring outbreaks and trying to isolate fish so they don't spread the disease," said Jim Casey, Cornell associate professor of veterinary microbiology and immunology and one of the grant's lead researchers.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued an order to prevent movement of 37 fish species throughout the Great Lakes, with the exception of fish that have already been tested.
All cases of VHS virus must be reported to the World Organization of Animal Health. The international agency usually imposes restrictions on any host country with VHS virus to prevent fish from being moved to other areas and countries.

The New York State Sea Grant program is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the State University of New York and Cornell.
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Cornell's Economic Impact reports

Cornell University issues its first economic self study
Impact of New York's top research university exceeds $3 billion

Contact: Simeon MossPhone: (607)255-2281Cell: (607)227-0739 sfm4@cornell.edu

FOR RELEASE: Feb. 8, 2007

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell University, the land-grant institution for the State of New York, has released its first-ever economic impact study. The report provides an in-depth portrait of a robust educational and research institution, which, in carrying out its missions, accounts for $3.3 billion in economic activity in the state - including $1.8 billion in Central New York and $1.06 billion in New York City alone.
"This report constitutes a new and important data point in our effort to understand the additional effects of our institution's far-reaching educational and research activities on the life of our region and the well being of our communities," said Cornell President David Skorton. "It helps underscore the fact that Cornell's contributions to the state's economy are the product of decades of investment in the institution - both public and private, both intellectual and financial."
Commenting on the 114-page report, which details Cornell's statewide economic impact in terms of human capital, research, technology transfer, business development and extension, Cornell Provost Biddy Martin stated that, "Too few people appreciate the broader economic and social impact of the world's leading research universities. These effects are a byproduct of our core commitments to research - basic and applied - teaching and the extension of both into a larger public sphere. The only way to ensure a positive social and economic impact is to protect and foster the best possible research and teaching.
"While Cornell's economic data illustrate the impact the university has on New York State's economy," Martin added, "this report also shows that the university's greatest contributions are directly related to the quality and dedication of its faculty, staff, and students, whose many accomplishments and contributions we have attempted to highlight."
Cornell is one of New York's largest nongovernmental employers, the report confirms, accounting for more than 36,000 jobs in 2005. The university purchased nearly
$425 million in goods and services from suppliers in New York State, and capital investments totaled almost $200 million, with nine out of every 10 construction dollars being paid to in-state contractors. And with $561 million in research spending in 2004-2005, Cornell is the state's leading research university, and it ranks 11th nationwide.
Cornell's statewide impact on jobs, innovation, and economic development is significant. Working in partnership with hundreds of New York businesses, both large and small, its researchers contribute regularly to the vitality of industries throughout the state - from apple growers, food processors, and wineries to software developers, investment companies, and biotech firms. And Cornell ranks first among New York's research universities in patents issued, first in commercial license agreements executed, and second in formation of start-up companies.
"Cornell's first Economic Impact Statement offers a wonderful look into the university's teaching, research and service contributions to the citizens of New York State," said Cornell Executive Vice President for Business and Finance Stephen Golding, under whose direction the economic study was performed. "It illustrates Cornell's $3.3 billion statewide economic activity; the breadth of services it provides through its cooperative extension programs; and the numerous ways Cornell's faculty contribute to teaching New York residents, conducting cutting edge research and fostering the commercialization of their technology."
Cornell has been critical in helping New York State develop and maintain the educated and talented workforce the state needs to be competitive in a global economy. In fall of 2004, more than 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students were enrolled at Cornell, of whom more than 8,500 were from New York State. And of the 202,000 Cornell alumni whose addresses are known, 28 percent are living and working in New York State.
In carrying out its land grant mission, Cornell provides a wide array of services to New Yorkers, their businesses and their communities - through outreach programs offered by all of the university's colleges, and especially through services provided by Cornell Cooperative Extension and its 54 county offices. An estimated 535,000 families, professionals, individuals, school children, small businesses, farmers, and community agencies throughout the state were direct beneficiaries of these services in 2005.
Cornell's impact on the upstate region from its Ithaca campus is also described in the report. The university's manifold operations in Ithaca, Tompkins County, and the surrounding upstate region make it one of Central New York's largest employers. In the spring of 2005, Cornell's Ithaca-based colleges and programs employed a total of 13,000 regular full- and part-time employees and 8,000 students who worked part-time. The Cornell in Ithaca payroll that year totaled $636 million. And between 2000 and 2005, Cornell increased the size of its work force by more than 10 percent, making it one of the fastest-growing major employers in Central New York. The Cornell campus in Ithaca spent $276 million on goods and services in New York State in 2005, supporting 2,300 full-time equivalent jobs. Some $98.9 million of that was paid to businesses in Ithaca and elsewhere in Tompkins County, generating 800 full-time equivalent jobs.
Weill Cornell Medical College and Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences benefit the New York City region's health through world-class programs of education, research, and patient care. And through its spending on payroll, purchasing, and construction, Cornell also has a significant impact on New York City's economic health. Weill Cornell, regional offices of Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, and other Cornell programs based in the city employed 5,184 people in 2005, with a total payroll of $415 million. Payments to New York City-based suppliers and contractors supported 1,780 jobs in the city.
"By creating this report, the university seeks to demonstrate its stewardship of the assets provided to the institution and how that stewardship manifests itself in educational opportunities, new discoveries, commercial applications, and services to individuals, businesses, and communities throughout the state," Golding said.
The report, titled "Cornell University Economic Impact on New York State," was developed by Appleseed Inc., a leading economic development consultant based in New York City, and by staff and faculty at Cornell. The full report can be accessed online at this site:

The Full Report Study Here.

Cornell University Welcome Sign of Realities

Welcome Students and Scholars of Cornell University to Ithaca, New York.

The web site you are now examining are for those individual students, staff and faculty who desire an additional focus of campus life- mainly off - campus, in which to pursue a more realistic examination of your own social and cultural developments.

Campus life has a special protect " IVY ' of academic freedom in which even the most abstractural social, cultural and behavioral expressions are viewed as objective realities.

Nonetheless, once you go off campus and try to extend these expressions you will notice their irrelavancies and predelections of being some what absurb. Here, this site is an attempt to allow a transitional focus, which is supportive in terms of social - cultural - and at times - spirtual stage of development, in order for you as an individual successful life experience, and that it should, in the meantime of your education and its future impact of discovering a career, should be likewise pursued with youthful vigor.

Thus, and with deliberate and very mindful considerations, and indeed they all were intrinsically idealogical deep, this will have very little connections to the formal institutions of Cornell University iteslf. The primre factor, in which everyone should be aware, that in the legal circumstance, though some of the student sponsored events are estranged, the aupicies and agencies of Cornell University, very much like most repsonsiable institutions of higher education, have several internal and external self - impossed restrictions. Off campus activities are extremely garded within the legal circumstances of these restrictions.

Crux

Thus the nature of this site is to allow a larger opportunity window, in as much as when you are in to your Junior year, the social, cultural, and futuritive planning stages will need independent access and self-demonstrations of who you are, which can only be found off campus; though the strings to Cornell University, nonetheless, are important too

Cornell in Competition for Energy Grant

January 10, 2006Energy Department Announces 2007 Solar Decathlon Teams Each of the 20 Schools to Receive $100,000 in Funding

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Energy today announced that 20 teams have been selected to compete in the 2007 Solar Decathlon. The 20 teams selected for the competition will be awarded $100,000 over two years to support the Solar Decathlon’s research goal of reducing the cost of solar-powered homes and advancing solar technology.

“The next generation of leaders will have an opportunity to shine as they compete in the 2007 Solar Decathlon,” said Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman. “Supplying enough clean, affordable energy to fuel the world’s growing economies is one of the great challenges we will face over the coming years. By helping expand the use of solar energy technologies, the participants will help meet that challenge.”

The following teams have been selected to compete through a proposal system:

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, MI
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY
*Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA
Team Montreal (École de Technologie Supérieure, Université de
Montréal, McGill University), Montreal, CANADA
Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, GERMANY
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras and Mayagüez, PR
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, SPAIN
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO (Winner 2005)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
University of Maryland, College Park, MD
University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, MO
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX

*Santa Clara University added as a participant; California Polytechnic State University withdrew from the competition.

The Solar Decathlon is an international competition that brings student teams from universities across the United States, Europe and Canada to compete in designing, building and operating highly energy-efficient, completely solar-powered houses. The teams will assemble their homes on the Mall and will be open to the public. Contest rules require that each house generate enough energy from the sun to operate a household, a home-based business and related transportation needs.

Teams are judged in ten different categories, seven of which focus on energy efficiency; others include design and comfort of the house. The team with the most points – the most energy-efficient and innovatively designed house – wins.

The Solar Decathlon takes place every other year; the 2005 winner was the University of Colorado.

For more information please visit http://www.eere.energy.gov/solar_decathlon/.
Santa Clara University added as a participant; California Polytechnic State University withdrew from the competition
Media contact(s):Tom Welch, 202/586-5806

National Science Foundation Newest Grants - Alert - 1/2007

This is an alert to inform both the students / scholars grads at both Cornell University and Ithaca College of what is most recent in world wide grants, such as the National Science Foundation - so they along with their faculty advisors can advise of future research proposals - who will likewsie take advantage of this information - of what and when to apply, and for future use.

January 9, 2007

Scientists will find improved ways of studying the structure, function and evolution of the genomes of economically important plants, thanks to $14 million in new awards from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Resources to be developed include genomic sequences, genetic markers, maps and expressed sequence collections. These are much-needed tools for researchers working in areas as diverse as genome evolution and plant breeding.

Awardees will address scientific questions including the role of polyploidy in genome evolution, the genomic basis of speciation, and the relationships between cultivated plants and their weedy relatives.

"If the Plant Genome Research Program has been making the bricks that build a conceptual framework for the genomes of economically important crop plants, these projects will provide the mortar," said James Collins, NSF assistant director for biological sciences. "The impact of genomics in evolutionary, ecological and population studies of crop plants will be far-reaching."
Many crop plants have large, complex genomes that in some cases are "polyploid" - containing multiple genomes. Polyploidy is widespread in plants and animals, and can lead to dramatic changes in gene content and genome organization that are only just beginning to be understood.
A project led by researchers at Iowa State University will develop sequence and map resources to study polyploidy in cotton, while researchers at the University of Missouri will look at the impact of polyploidy on plant form in Brassica species, which includes plants such as canola and Brussels sprouts. Other projects at the University of Georgia and the University of Arizona will develop sequence resources to study genome organization in wheat and rice.

The outcomes from these projects will allow researchers to understand how extra copies of genes function in these plants, and how genomes from different sources can work together in a single plant.

The ever-growing collection of genome sequences is shedding light on the variation between individuals within a species. For example, in a forest of trees or a field of corn, there may be many versions of a particular gene, each with minor sequence differences. These sequence differences can sometimes have dramatic effects on growth and development.

Projects based at the University of California at Davis and Cornell University will catalog variants in pine trees and in maize, respectively, to allow researchers to link genetic variation with changes in gene function. This information could have applications in plant breeding.
More than half of the world's most cultivated crops have relatives that are invasive weeds, competing with the crop for nutrients and water and leading to reduced yields.

One example is red rice, a weedy form of rice that reduces the yields of cultivated rice by as much as 80 percent and contaminating harvests with its small red-coated grains. A project led by researchers at Washington University St. Louis will examine the regions of the red rice genome associated with weediness to find out whether it originated from the domesticated crop or if it was introduced as a weed from Asia.

A related project led by investigators at Michigan State University will investigate differences in gene expression in weedy and cultivated radishes to uncover which genes are associated with invasiveness.The outcomes of these projects could lead to a great understanding of how plants become weedy and invasive, and yield possible avenues for better selective control of weeds, scientists believe.

"The outcomes of this new program will tie together studies of the evolution of gene structure, function and regulation across the whole plant kingdom," said Collins.

-NSF-
Media ContactsCheryl Dybas, NSF (703) 292-7734 cdybas@nsf.gov
Related WebsitesNSF Plant Genome Comparative Sequencing Program Awards: http://www.nsf.gov/bio/pubs/awards/pgcsp.htm

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual budget of $5.58 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 1,700 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 40,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes nearly 10,000 new funding awards. The NSF also awards over $400 million in professional and service contracts yearly.

Receive official NSF news electronically through the e-mail delivery and notification system, MyNSF (formerly the Custom News Service). To subscribe, visit www.nsf.gov/mynsf/ and fill in the information under "new users".

Useful NSF Web Sites:NSF Home Page: http://www.nsf.gov/NSF News: http://www.nsf.gov/news/For the News Media: http://www.nsf.gov/news/newsroom.jspScience and Engineering Statistics: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/Awards Searches: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/

CU Library Global Access is " now " World Class

Press Release:

Cornell University Library announces partnership with Microsoft that will allow global access to its world-class resources

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell University Library will soon be able to offer more of its exceptional resources to scholars worldwide, thanks to a long-term partnership with Microsoft to digitize a significant number of its books and to put the volumes online using Live Book Search service.
The initiative will focus on works already in the public domain and allow students, researchers, and scholars to use Live Book Search to locate and read books from Cornell University Library's outstanding collections regardless of where they reside in the world. It supports both the library's long-standing commitment to make its collections broadly available and Cornell President David Skorton's goal to increase the impact of the university beyond campus boundaries.

Cornell and Microsoft will be teaming with Kirtas Technologies in Victor, N.Y. to digitize the materials for Live Book Search. Kirtas is a recognized pioneer of revolutionary solutions that enable high-quality, non-destructive bound document digitization at up to 2,400 pages per hour.
"We are happy to be working with Kirtas Technologies on this very important initiative for the university," said Skorton. "They are a very good choice for this endeavor because of the quality of their work and the opportunity to showcase New York State talent."

"This is a best-of-breed partnership," said Lotfi Belkhir, CEO and founder of Kirtas. "We're very proud to contribute our technology and know-how in digitization to this unique and world-changing initiative."

Cornell University Library is playing a key role in book selection and in setting quality standards for the digitized materials. This will ensure that scholarly materials that support Cornell"s academic programs are available in digital form on the Web over time. Some of the subject areas to be digitized include agriculture, American history, English literature, astronomy, food and wine, general engineering, the history of science, home economics, hospitality and travel, human sexuality, labor relations, Native American materials, ornithology, veterinary medicine, and women's studies.

"When surveyed about their needs, the Library's users rate access to full-text online as one of their highest priorities so this partnership will enable us to respond to student and faculty expectations," said Cornell University Librarian Sarah E. Thomas. "We are just beginning to experience the transformative effects of ready access to the cultural record of our civilization.Ý The years ahead will be exciting for us all."

"Our alliance with Cornell University underscores the importance and value of Live Book Search to provide free access to out-of-copyright content to everyone with access to the Internet," said Danielle Tiedt, general manager of the Live Search Selection Team at Microsoft Corp. "Participation by Cornell University in Live Book Search will help us to achieve our goal of transforming Web search into information search through the creation of the world's most trusted index of authoritative content. This will enable customers to have the best possible experience finding answers to their questions, accomplishing their tasks, and discovering new information."

Microsoft will give the Library high-quality digital images of all the materials, allowing the Library to provide worldwide access through its own digital library and to share the content with non-commercial academic initiatives and non-profit organizations.

About Cornell University LibraryOne of the leading academic research libraries in the United States, Cornell University Library is a highly valued partner in teaching, research, and learning at the university, offering cutting edge services and a full spectrum of library resources, from rare books and manuscripts to a rapidly expanding network of digital resources. Through such initiatives as the life sciences portal, the installation of a pioneering high-end mobile and flexible computer laboratory designed specifically for collaborative use, and innovative scholarly publishing support, the Library is an integral component of the many educational programs and research projects under way at Cornell. To learn more about Cornell University Library, visit www.library.cornell.edu.

About MSN and Windows LiveMSN attracts more than 465 million unique users worldwide per month. With localized versions available globally in 42 markets and 21 languages, MSN is a world leader in delivering compelling programmed content experiences to consumers and online advertising opportunities to businesses worldwide. Windows Live, a new set of personal Internet services and software, is designed to bring together in one place all the relationships, information and interests people care about most, with enhanced safety and security features across their PC, devices and the Web. MSN and Windows Live will be offered alongside each other as complementary services. Some Windows Live services entered an early beta phase on Nov. 1, 2005; these and future beta updates can be found at http://ideas.live.com/. Windows Live is available at http://www.live.com/. MSN is located on the Web at http://www.msn.com/. MSN worldwide sites are located at http://www.msn.com/worldwide.ashx.

About Kirtas TechnologiesKirtas Technologies was founded in 2001 with the vision of bringing to the digital realm the massive knowledge sitting on library shelves, government archives and corporate storerooms. Today, the company's revolutionary technology redefines digitization of all bound documents, delivering gentler handling and higher image quality faster, with fewer errors, and at a lower cost than any other solution in the marketplace. For more information, visit www.kirtastech.com.

The names of actual products, services and businesses mentioned herein may be the trademarks and/or service marks of their respective owners.

Contact: Nicola PytellPhone: (607)254-6236Cell: (607)351-3548 nwp2@cornell.eduFOR RELEASE: Oct. 17, 2006-30-

Cornell in Rome

Cornell in Rome is a study abroad program of Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art and Planning. It has hosted students in Italy since 1986. The program draws upon the historical and cultural resources of Rome, its museums, art and architecture, and the city’s beauty and complexity as an ancient as well as dynamic modern European city.

A semester in Rome provides a transformative experience for young, developing artists, architects, urbanists and scholars.Cornell University faculty are joined by internationally known scholars, critics, architects and artists in utilizing the city as a resource for instruction and inspiration. Courses are offered in architecture, art, urban studies, architecture history, art history, drawing, photography, architecture theory, contemporary Italian culture, European politics and Italian language.An extensive field trip program takes students and faculty to many regions of Italy beyond Rome for a total of about 20 days during the course of the semester.

The program is based at Palazzo Lazzaroni, a seventeenth century building in the historic center of Rome. It is equipped with architecture and art studios, classrooms, and library and computer facilities. Exceptional staff, fluent in Italian and English, ensure a smooth transition into Italian culture. Students live nearby in completely furnished apartments provided by the program, and enjoy daily contact with the urban life of a major, European city.

Late applications for spring 2007 will be considered through October 1, 2006. Late applications for fall 2007 will be considered through April 1, 2007.

Rome Academia WebPage .

Charles Isherwood wins the Nathan Award

Charles Isherwood wins the Nathan Award

Drama critic Charles Isherwood wins the Nathan Award, administered by Cornell University

ITHACA, N.Y. -- New York Times drama critic Charles Isherwood has been named the winner of the Nathan Award for the theater year 2005-06. The award was endowed by the great theater critic George Jean Nathan (1882-1958), who wrote for and co-edited with H.L. Mencken the magazines Smart Set and The American Mercury. Because Nathan was an alumnus of Cornell University, the Cornell Department of English administers the prize. Nathan's will mandated that the winner be chosen "by a majority vote of the & heads of the English departments of Cornell, Princeton and Yale Universities."

Isherwood has been writing for the Times since 2004. A Stanford graduate, he began his career at L.A. Style but soon went to Variety and Daily Variety, where he was senior editor and Los Angeles theater critic, before moving to New York, where he was Variety's chief theater critic. He was also a contributing editor for the Advocate magazine from 1993-1998 and has written about Broadway for the London Times.

The Nathan committee was particularly impressed with Isherwood's willingness to voice strong opinions and take sometimes unpopular stands during the last theater season. For instance, he wrote of the Sydney Theater Company's production of Hedda Gabler with Cate Blanchette, which had been a popular success (and applauded by the Times' other drama reviewer), that the "audience & didn't seem to notice (or care) that a classic play was being publicly kneecapped." The committee also applauded Isherwood's range of knowledge and willingness to educate theater-goers, as when in a review of a performance of classic commedia dell'arte he noted a range of "comic archetypes whose influence cannot be overstated, stretching as they do from Shakespeare to Homer Simpson." And they admired his sense of New York theatrical trends, as in the summer review where he plaintively raised the "burning question," "Who's afraid of 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'"

The award consists of $10,000 and a statuette, which will be presented to Isherwood by Molly Hite, chair of the Cornell Department of English, in a February party at the Players' Club. More information about the Nathan Award, including a list of previous winners, can be found online at

http://www.arts.cornell.edu/english/nathan/.

For additional information Contact: Nicola PytellPhone: (607)254-6236Cell: (607)351-3548 nwp2@cornell.edu

Wildlife Conservation at Cornell University:

Cornell and the Wildlife Conservation Society join forces in veterinary training

ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine have expanded their collaborative relationship, creating a new training initiative that combines the academic rigor of a premiere Ivy League university with critical hands-on experience with a diversity of wild animals at the Bronx Zoo and other WCS facilities.
Cornell veterinary students in the initiative's two recently created residencies - wildlife medicine and wildlife pathology - will divide their three-year terms between Cornell, in Ithaca, N.Y., and WCS facilities in New York City, while gaining a truly comprehensive understanding of animal health issues and the skill sets to address the challenges of those disciplines at home and around the world.

The joint residencies are two of several collaborative programs in the new WCS-Cornell partnership, which also includes increasing animal disease surveillance around the world, boosting veterinary expertise in other nations, and developing a collaborative Global Center for Wildlife and Domestic Animal Health, to be located on the grounds of the Bronx Zoo. WCS and Cornell, with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development and the government of Zambia, also have launched a project to develop models for balancing socio-economic development with biodiversity conservation in southern Africa.

"This collaboration provides a unique combination of scientific rigor and higher quality of professional practice," said Dr. Donald F. Smith, the Austin O. Hooey Dean of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell.

Dr. Robert Cook, chief veterinarian and vice president of WCS Wildlife Health Sciences, added, "The WCS 'One World, One Health,' model will give the world's health organizations and agencies multi-disciplinary practitioners who can really make a difference not only to wildlife but to the future health of domestic animals and people."

Residents in the wildlife medicine program will begin their training at Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine, where they will study internal medicine, surgery dermatology, epidemiology and other relevant topics. After completing the first part of the program, residents will continue their training at WCS's Wildlife Health Center, the primary care facility for some 20,000 animals in the Bronx Zoo, the New York Aquarium, and the Central Park, Prospect Park and Queens zoos. Medical challenges for residents may include experiences such as performing root canal surgery on a tiger, treating a shell wound on a sea turtle, vaccinating a rare bird species to protect it from West Nile Virus, or taking a radiograph of a red-tailed hawk's broken wing. Residents may also have opportunities to work with field veterinarians and biologists, applying what they have learned in the society s zoos and aquariums to wildlife health issues around the world.

In the pathology residency, students will spend two years studying comparative anatomy and the diseases of domestic and wild animals at Cornell, developing the ability to diagnose pathogens in a variety of species and settings. Residents will then hone their skills in disease identification during their third year at the Bronx Zoo and other WCS facilities. In addition to learning to apply course work on a wide range of species, pathologists in the program can help document poorly understood diseases through in-depth study and devise strategies to mitigate the threats of emerging infectious diseases, such as West Nile virus or avian influenza.
"The partnership between WCS and Cornell offers both organizations a means of maximizing our complementary expertise and giving veterinarians the most comprehensive training to date," said Cook. "As we increase our understanding of how health issues move across animal and human divides, we realize that collaborative programs such as these are critical in ensuring the health of wildlife, domestic animals and humankind."

Additional details Contact: Sabina LeePhone: (607)255-3024Cell: (607)227-3341

"Japan Now "

Ithaca/NYC Conference Spotlights Contemporary Japanese Architecture


Robert Stuart Taira Nishizawa at the Ithaca conference
Robert Stuart Hiromi Hosoya and Toyo Ito confer before their presentations.
The celebrated Toyo Ito and other well-known Japanese architects came to Ithaca and New York City this fall for a double conference sponsored by the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning at Cornell University. “Japan Now: Country Positions in Architecture and Urbanism” addressed ways in which the newest generation of Japanese architects must address global issues and opportunities while finding answers to topics unique to each locality.

Ito, who received the 2006 Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects, delivered the keynote address at the conferences. He is best known for the influential Sendai Mediatheque, built in 2001 in Sendai, Japan; the building uses a unique structure to compose fluid spaces with hardly any walls.“Japan Now” is the second in a series of conferences and exhibitions curated by AAP, designed to reveal some of the most intriguing currents in contemporary architecture, landscape architecture, art, and urbanism in different parts of the globe.A related exhibition, held in AAP’s Hartell Gallery from October 29 to November 11, included work from each of the participants: Hiromi Hosoya (Hosoya Schaefer Architects), Momoyo Kaijima (Atelier Bow-Wow), Mitsuhiro Kanada (ARUP), Taira Nishizawa (Taira Nishizawa Architects), and Toyo Ito (Toyo Ito & Associates Architects). The exhibition was organized by Yasufumi Nakamori in cooperation with a group of Cornell architecture students.The New York City conference was produced in collaboration with the Japan Society.

"Japan Now" conference in Ithaca and New York City

Cornell College of Architecture, Art and Planning hosts "Japan Now" conference in Ithaca and New York City

Contact:
Nicola PytellPhone: (607)254-6236Cell: (607)351-3548 nwp2@cornell.edu

ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell College of Architecture, Art and Planning will host "Japan Now: Country Positions in Architecture and Urbanism," the second in a series of conferences and exhibitions designed to reveal some of the most intriguing currents in contemporary architecture, landscape architecture, art and urbanism in different parts of the globe.Ý The conference will be held from 4:30 to 8 p.m., Oct. 31 in Lewis Auditorium on the Ithaca campus, and again Nov. 1 at the Japan Society at 333 E. 47th St. in New York City. The events are open to the public and there will be a reception following the event in New York City, beginning at 8:00 p.m.

The program, presented in collaboration with the Japan Society, will examine the nuances, intricacies and innovations in contemporary Japanese architecture that are also influenced by local political, economic and social realities.Ý The newest generation of Japanese architects seeks to develop strategies to address global issues and opportunities while finding answers to topics unique to each locality.

Participants in the conference include Hiromi Hosoya (Hosoya Schaefer Architects), Momoyo Kaijima (Atelier Bow-Wow), Mitsuhiro Kanada (ARUP), Taira Nishizawa (Taira Nishizawa Architects) and Toyo Ito (Toyo Ito & Associates Architects). In Ithaca, Mohsen Mostafavi, dean of the College of Architecture, Art and Planning, and Brett de Bary, director of the Society for the Humanities at Cornell, will serve as co-moderators for the conference. Sanford Kwinter, an architectural writer, theorist and educator whose scholarship and teaching encompass contemporary technological, cultural and intellectual issues in design, will moderate the New York City portion of the conference.

The event in Ithaca is free, but seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.
The agenda for both events is as follows:Session I4:30 p.m. - Momoyo Kaijima4:55 p.m. - Taira Nishizawa5:20 p.m. - Mitsuhiro Kanada5:45 p.m. - Hiromi HosoyaSession II6:30 p.m. - Keynote speech by Toyo Ito7:15 p.m. - Discussion/Q&A8:00 p.m. - Reception
For the New York City event, tickets cost $15 for both sessions ($12 for Japan Society members and Cornell alumni and faculty; $10 for seniors and students). Tickets are $10 for one session ($8 for Japan Society members and Cornell alumni and faculty; $5 for seniors and students). Tickets for the New York City event can be purchased at or by phone (212) 715-1258. The Japan Society is located at 333 E. 47th Street, between First and Second Avenues (accessible by the 4, 5, or 6 train at 42nd Street Grand Central Station or the E or V train at Lexington Avenue and 53rd St.)Ý

For more information, contact Beth Kunz at (607)255-7324 or egk7@cornell.edu

Cornell Medical Press Release: Oct. 2006

Cornell University and its Weill Cornell Medical College launchthe largest capital campaign for New York's land grant university

Mayor Michael Bloomberg on hand for announcement A key priority: Enhance research connectivity between Ithaca and Manhattan

Contact:
Simeon MossCornell University Press RelationsPhone: (607)255-2281Cell: (607)227-0739 sfm4@cornell.edu

Contact:
Jonathan WeilWeill Cornell Medical College Public AffairsPhone: (212)821-0560jweil@med.cornell.edu


NEW YORK, N.Y. -- In the presence of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Peter C. Meinig, chairman of the Board of Trustees of Cornell University, and Sanford I. Weill, chairman of the Board of Overseers of Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University President David J. Skorton announced today that the university and its Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC) are launching a $4 billion capital campaign - the largest for Cornell, New York's land grant university, and the second largest goal in the history of higher education - to advance education, discovery, public service, and to make transformative contributions in areas of critical social importance.
In announcing the university's largest campaign ever, Skorton summed up its purpose, stating, "Cornellians view the challenges we face in our communities - here in New York City, throughout the state or around the world - as opportunities to take bold and dramatic action. This is about responding to people's needs by pushing back the boundaries of education discovery and service, and fully realizing a role we have already begun to play: land grant institution to the world." Skorton added, "With today's announcement and over $1 billion ($1,030 million) in gifts and pledges already committed, we are well on our way to realizing this bright vision."

Commenting on the prospects of the new campaign, Peter C. Meinig, chairman of the Board of Trustees of Cornell University said, "This campaign represents one of the most ambitious initiatives in the history of academia." Meinig added, "With the continued encouragement of our friends, the guidance of our campaign co-chairs, and the generosity of Cornell's remarkable alumni, we will continue to make Cornell an exemplary academic citizen in an interconnected world."
The comprehensive campaign will raise in excess of $4 billion to support under-graduate and graduate students, with a focus on increasing scholarship support and financial aid; recruiting the next generation of faculty, scientists, and scholars; and by renewing and building state-of-the-art facilities best suited for 21st century teaching, learning, and research, across the university's campuses.

"With leadership from Cornell and Weill Cornell, New York City will continue to emerge as a top center for biomedical research," stated New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. "Soon, this Biomedical Research Building will house the minds that will unlock scientific breakthroughs that will transform the way that patients are treated, both here in New York and around the globe."
"The impact of this campaign on higher education and research will be felt across the State of New York and across the world" said Sanford I. Weill, chairman of the Board of Overseers of Weill Cornell Medical College. "It is my belief that one day, the translational research conducted by doctors at Weill Cornell and Cornell scientists in Ithaca will help to eradicate some of the world's most daunting and debilitating health threats while improving the quality of life for all. Our goal is to speed research discoveries from the bench to the bedside, where they can improve the quality of care and the quality of life for patients here in the city, across the nation, and around the world. These efforts will further establish New York City as a center for leading-edge biomedical research."

With the campaign announcement, beginning at Weill Cornell Medical College, the launch spotlights the expanding collaboration between Cornell's Ithaca and New York City campuses, which encompasses areas such as biomedical engineering; cancer-related cell biology; nano-medicine; chemical biology and experimental therapeutics; and global health and infectious diseases - all in the service of improving health and saving lives. In fact, a shared pool of campaign funding will be earmarked specifically for these upstate/downstate, cross-disciplinary collaborations.

One example of an early collaborative success between the two campuses was on display today: the partnership to create a biodegradable artificial skin that promotes healing for burn victims. Dr. Suzanne Schwartz, assistant professor of research in surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, and Hua Song, a Ph.D. candidate in Cornell University's Fiber/Polymer Science Program, were on hand to help to demonstrate the results of the research in fibers used to create a synthetic dressing made from amino acids. Fireman Stephen Halliday, a former patient at the New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Hearst Burn Center, was also available to offer testimony on how this research could benefit future burn victims.

"Ultimately, this campaign will enhance all the elements that have always distinguished Cornell: the quality of our faculty and students, a unique combination of basic and applied research and teaching, a culture of collaboration, and a beautiful and exciting campus," said Cornell University Provost Biddy Martin. "Buoyed by the optimism and imagination a successful campaign will inspire, Cornell will become an even more outstanding institution, enhancing the education we provide for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, and conducting world-class research at the cutting edge, but also at the heart of every field."

"One of the most important aspects of this campaign is the commitment to expand collaborative research across disciplines and across campuses to produce life-saving advances in science and medicine," said Dr. Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College and Provost of Medical Affairs of Cornell University. "By bridging the distance between Ithaca and Manhattan and bringing our best research minds together to develop solutions for the most daunting health issues of our time, I am confident we will unlock scientific and medical discoveries that can improve lives around the globe."

In a letter addressed to Cornell President David J. Skorton, Governor George Pataki voiced his encouragement for Cornell, stating that - led by outstanding institutions like Cornell University, the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College, Cornell's Ithaca campus colleges . . . New York has firmly established itself as a dynamic leader in the fields of bio-medicine and biotechnology. I have every confidence that the Empire State will remain in the forefront of the worldwide academic and scientific revolution that is taking place in these exciting fields for many years to come . . . As you know, I have been a strong supporter of our land grant university, Cornell, for many years, and for good reason . . ."

"We have work to do," said Skorton. "By securing Cornell's place as a world-class institution of higher education, discovery, and outreach, we will remain a vibrant member of the community at home in Tompkins County, in New York City, and throughout the state. In the long run, I am convinced that is the best way we can contribute to the viability of our communities."
Over all, the success of the collaborative $4 billion campaign will support advancements impacting all aspects of the Cornell community, providing for:

Support for Students: $640 million Undergraduate financial aid International scholarship funds Graduate fellowships Financial aid for students in the professional schools Funds to enhance the living-learning experience

Faculty and Program Support: $1,885 million Endowed faculty positions Endowed academic support positions Research and program enhancement

State of the Art Facilities: $1,175 million Weill Medical College Biomedical Research Building Life Sciences Technology Building West Campus Residential Initiative Physical Sciences Building Gates Hall (for Computing and Information Sciences) Helen Newman Hall Milstein Hall (for Architecture, Art and Planning) Johnson Art Museum expansion and renovation Plaza outside Bailey Hall Lynah Rink expansion

Unrestricted support: $300 million Cornell Annual Fund Program support
At Weill Cornell in New York City, the campaign will fund programs such as:
Construction of a new $650 million, 350,000 square foot Biomedical Research Building on East 69th Street. This new facility will double Weill Cornell's existing research space, accommodating more laboratories and scientists to accelerate biomedical discoveries. The building will be designed with laboratories in an open layout to foster communication and collaboration among scientists. The location, adjacent to Weill Cornell's new Ambulatory Care and Medical Education Building, will create synergies to foster translational research. This will be the first new research facility built on campus in two decades and will keep New York City at the forefront as a center for biomedical research.

New translational and clinical research programs will be focused on metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, infectious diseases, reproduction and fertility, solid organ transplantation, and immunological and inflammatory diseases. The goal is to translate the benefits of research advances immediately to patients, supporting Weill Cornell's mission to provide the highest standards of patient care. Patients will reap the benefits of research through less invasive procedures, reduced morbidity, shorter hospital stays and speedier recovery times

Happy Holidays

I wish you all happiness in the approaching Holidays.

Mr. Roger M. Christain

Science, Technologies, Public Policy and Ethics

Mission:Science, Technologies, Public Policy and Ethics:

Abstract:Ithaca, New York:

After several seminars at the University of Buffalo a critical central issue public access to public policy considerations caused by advance sceince and their advancing technologies surfaced in which several similar issues gave clear indication for immediate communication, education, and ethical review. As a result of these discussions the following... Most important, from Night Life ( NightLife ), RMC Internet Network Editor, Mr. Roger M. Christian strictly reports both each central issue and its various segments which all have been cleaned of political rethoric and spin. There are several state and national legislative bills which are being considered in various committees nation wide, and thus the imperative and important emphasis on just providing the facts assume their priorities in the publication of this site.

Nuclear proliferation, the problematic security twists involved from the emering nanotechnologies, why we are getting warmer, stem cell research, and the expansion of the internet posses several new challenges to both stable and emerging democracies. Thus in Scince, Technologies, Public Policy and Ethics [ http://salsadanza.tripod.com/science ]an attempt is being made to show how each of these components interrelate; and where from new ethical consciuousnes is likewise needed-the new emrging avant garde of science.What is also clear, is that in the development of advance science, and the necessity to develop internal education systems of academia's newer challenges and academic programs to its pedagogy.

Thus in this one example: The know how of how to develop a nuclear weapon is only a mild stepping stone to fully reviewing, knowing, and teaching quantum physics, as well as developing national clean nuclear energy systems. Thus in the example of Iran, there is great anxieties, as they know result of developing nuclear weapons will bring them a step closer to being technologically self-dependent, as this know how is a crucial steps in developing realiable nuclear energy systems, and at low costs too! There are similar twist and technolgocial turns with repects to nanotechnologies, as well as advancing industrial development while not disturbing environmental balance world wide.

These bring to fore the responses various leagislator within the US, both state and national, about control, the threat of terrorist exploitation of new technological advances, and the often confusing political power posturing state / national sociocultural ethos-which at times avoids the necessary science and comprehension of the technologies involve by the legislator themselves.Thus the facts involve must be made clear, and this likewise means the removal of any political lense which may defuse the importance of essentail details in each technology under public policy review; this the cornerstone of responsiable editorial'ship.

Cornell University Site # 1

Site # 1

Comments.

Leading the academic community of Ithaca, New York is Cornell University. Its impact upon this college town was not fully felt until the mid 1970s which saw a flight of several industries out of Tompkins county. A sort of time and sociocultural shift has been developing ever since. The best words comes to mind are:

A dream world.

Unrealities.

Idealistic community.

Super progressive.

New York State's # 1 community.

15 square miles surrounded by reality. This is possibly the most agreed keywords used by the witnessing inhabitants of this upscale community.

Also, it is a community in which tenured faculty have achieve a patrician community class status. This was probably deliberate, as ideas which are connected to Phds are hard to compete with when you do not have equal qualifications-or though it seems.

Thus you have start in which this small introduction gives the necessary perspective in which to understand to following posts.

Mr. Roger M. Christian