New Environmental Science and Sustainability Major Launches 2013-14 

With more than 400 courses covering topics related to the environment and a dedicated Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future with 280 research fellows, Cornell has demonstrated its commitment to advancing environmental research and education. Now, a new undergraduate major will help solidify Cornell's pre-eminence in the field. The environmental science and sustainability (ESS) major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) will draw upon faculty from across the university in a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach meant to integrate the physical-chemical, biological and social sciences, as well as the humanities. The science of natural and environmental systems (SNES) and the natural resources majors will be folded into the new major. The Department of Natural Resources will serve as its administrative and advising home. Students will be able to enroll in ESS as of the 2013-14 academic year. Eighteen courses will be required in the core curriculum, of which nine also meet CALS distribution requirements. These include introductory biology, mathematics, statistics, chemistry, physics, ethics, economics and sociology. Students select a concentration of five additional courses. Initial concentrations include: environmental biology and applied ecology; environmental policy and governance; biogeochemical sciences; and environmental economics. Students will also have the option of tailoring their own concentration based on individual interests. Lead report author Barbara Bedford, senior research associate in natural resources, said the new major has the potential to significantly raise Cornell's profile as a leader among "green" campuses. It would also help CALS achieve sustainability as a learning outcome, an objective formally supported by the CALS Faculty Senate. Read the full Chronicle story or visit the Admissions site for more information about the major. 

Smuttynose Island Exhibit Reveals Hidden History of Shoals 

The long-buried secrets of Smuttynose Island are revealed this summer in a surprising new exhibit at Discover Portsmouth, a new downtown visitor center in Portsmouth, N.H. “Under the Isles of Shoals” features artifacts unearthed in recent years by archaeology professor Nathan Hamilton and his students. Hamilton created the exhibit with historian J. Dennis Robinson who has written a companion book about the historic “dig” that continues this summer at the Isles of Shoals. The exhibit is free to the public and opened from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily from May through August 31. “If you think you know the Isles of Shoals, think again,” says Maryellen Burke, executive director of Discover Portsmouth. While legend claimed, for example, that Native Americans did not visit the Isles of Shoals 10 miles out to sea from Portsmouth, Hamilton’s researchers discovered six prehistoric occupations dating as far back as 6,000 years ago. Working from the Shoals Marine Lab on Appledore Island, Hamilton’s diggers also found evidence of an ancient tavern littered with thousands of clay pipe fragments dating to the 1620s. Archaeologists also turned up the remains of “great cod” that once weighed 120 pounds. Read more about it here or participate in your own archaeological adventure on the island, by participating in one of three public programs: June 11-18 and 18-25; and August 7-10. You can also visit the Shoals Archaeology Project on Facebook and view a new YouTube video about Shoals.  

Wee Stinky Bears Fruit 

For those wondering, here’s an update on Wee Stinky—the rare corpse plant that bloomed for two days in March—and our attempt at pollination: It worked! Now that the gametes from the pollen have successfully fertilized the ovules, the styles have all shriveled (like the tip of the bananas we eat). You can see the bases swelling up as individual fruits get bigger. They are turning lovely apricot color (orange-yellow) that will only intensify and shade towards scarlet red. Visit the titan arum blog to read more about it and see photos.  

Warren Farm Management Study Trip Visits Ag Businesses in Florida and Georgia 

From peanuts to pecans, thoroughbred horses to alligators—successful agribusinesses producing and marketing these products in Florida and Georgia were just a few of the stops on this year’s Warren Farm Management Study Trip. Led by Wayne Knoblauch, professor of farm business management in the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, 15 undergraduates and one graduate student from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences spent Spring Break visiting a wide variety of agribusinesses, many owned and operated by CALS alumni. The students, who are majoring in animal science, agricultural sciences, agricultural education, and applied economics and management, were hosted in Georgia by Joseph Marshall MS ’59, PhD ’63, retired founder and president of Southern Plantations Group of Albany, Georgia. The itinerary included stops at University of Florida Citrus Research and Education Center; Ocala Breeders’ Sale (horses) with host Tod Wojciechowski ’88; Woodside Ranch; White Oak Pastures; Damascus Peanut Company; Highbrighton and Barrington Dairies with owners Ron St. John ’68 and Pete Gelber ’82; Hartwell Farms, with owner Joseph Marshall; Farm operated by James Lee Adams that grows row crops and poultry, and grows and processes alligators. “The Warren Study Trip provided a group of future agriculturists the opportunity to view a very different type of agriculture and broaden their knowledge of the industry,” said Anna Smith ’13, an animal science and applied economics and management double major who took part in the trip. “It demonstrated a commitment to innovation and progress that will be integral to agriculture in the years to come.” The Warren Study Trip, which takes place during spring break every other year, is funded by two Dyson School endowments: the Stanley W. Warren Teaching Endowment and the Robert S. Smith Agricultural Finance Teaching Endowment. The trip’s goal is to achieve Stan Warren’s belief: “I don’t think you can learn a principle without seeing it in use.”

Cornell Professors Warn New York Media About Mosquito Threat 

Climate warming might be inviting something less delightful than T-shirts year-round: the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus, warned two Cornell scientists at an Inside Cornell media luncheon May 8 at Cornell's ILR Conference Center in New York City. Chikungunya (CHICK-en GUN-ya) is a viral disease transmitted to humans via the bite of infected mosquitoes, particularly the invasive and extremely pathogen-friendly Asian tiger mosquito. Prolonged warmer temperatures -- such as the mild winter we've just enjoyed -- make it possible for mosquito eggs to survive the winter, said Cornell professors Laura Harrington, a medical entomologist, and Drew Harvell, an evolutionary biologist. And more mosquitoes means more chances of infection. In New York City, the potential for outbreak is critical because it is a major port of entry for the U.S. where people might be coming from places with chikungunya, such as tropical Africa and Asia, said Harrington. Already, the Asian tiger mosquito is established on Long Island and in New Jersey after it was introduced to the United States in the 1980s. Climate change, Harrington said, would widen New York's peak risk period, which is now July through the rest of the summer. The first case of chikungunya illness in New York City was diagnosed in 2007; in 2005-06, the Centers for Disease Control reported 12 cases of chikungunya in the nation. In a laboratory study, Harrington said that she and colleagues found that 80 percent of a strain of Asian tiger mosquitoes in the N.Y./N.J. region is able to catch the virus and transmit it in their saliva. Furthermore, the study suggested a 38 percent peak probability that a single, infected person might start an outbreak in New York City. They recommended that people use repellents containing DEET or picaridin such as the active ingredient in the Cutter brand; turn on fans since their airflow overwhelms weak-flying mosquitoes; and eliminate any standing water. Read the full Chronicle story. 

Cornell Teams at the Top at World Series of Birding 

With hordes of migrant songbirds fluttering in the bushes of southern New Jersey in early May, two Cornell teams posted strong finishes in the 29th annual World Series of Birding. The student Redheads team scored 168 species with their new lineup, enough to take second place in the Cape May County division. And the bicycle-powered Anti-Petrels netted 164 species while riding 102 miles, winning the Carbon Footprint Challenge for the third straight year. Read more about it on the Round Robin blog.   

Landscape architects, students, and assorted colleagues gathered in cities across the country to introduce the public to the landscape architecture profession…and had some fun along the way. The national celebration of Frederick Law Olmsted's birthday on April 26 was the latest public-awareness push coordinated across ASLA chapters. Cornell students drew attention to landscape architecture with a forced-perspective guerrilla installation on their campus. An image of their work spread through social networks, and their efforts landed them on the front page of the American Society of Landscape Architects website and LAND newsletter.  

'Urban Eden' Students Transform ILR Courtyard 

The Cornell campus is hosting plants not usually found in cold climates -- including bananas -- thanks to a student horticultural project in the ILR courtyard. Since 2001, students in Creating the Urban Eden: Woody Plant Selection, Design and Landscape Establishment have designed and installed gardens on campus each spring. This year, they completed a total makeover of the courtyard at the ILR School, the biggest project they have ever taken on. This year's class also revamped the landscaping outside the Computing and Communications Center on the Ag Quad. For the ILR courtyard, the students had to cope with a demanding site that included compacted soils and buildings on all sides. The courtyard's warmer microclimate allowed the students to use plants that wouldn't normally survive winters elsewhere on campus, such as bamboo, juniper, cherry laurel and Himalayan pine. The planting even includes a hardy banana (Musa basjoo). Most sites on campus zone 5b on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone Map, but the courtyard is at least zone 6b and possibly 7a -- conditions more commonly found on Long Island or in New Jersey, southeastern Pennsylvania and Maryland. After planting nearly 900 trees, shrubs and groundcovers, students tucked them in with 40 yards of mulch and rolled out 6,500 square feet of sod under the tutelage of Frank Rossi, associate professor of horticulture and a turf specialist. Read the full Chronicle story.  

A raw chocolate-covered, fruit-filled cookie dough treat that's safe to eat; hummus with added nutrients and flavor from sweet potatoes and butternut squash; and freeze-dried vegetables you can eat like potato chips -- all of these creations were developed by Cornell food science students, in their spare time. More than 60 Cornell students, in nine teams, participated in national food development competitions this year. One team, led by Chong-Hyun "John" Kim '12, Nick Apollo '13 and Alex Lo '12, already snagged first place in the national Heart-Healthy Product Development Competition, hosted in Illinois in April by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). Their product, Hummus+, boasts more potassium, fiber and vitamin A than traditional hummus, with less sodium and saturated fat. Two other Cornell student teams are finalists for competitions at the IFT's annual meeting, scheduled for June 25-28 in Las Vegas. One is led by Claire Aucella '12 and David Cullinan '12, who developed chocolate/fruit cookie dough, called Dough TEMPtations. Another is led by Claudia Pazlopez '12 and Evonne Lau '12, whose product Vegginators is a finalist in the Disney-sponsored IFT competition, which challenges students to create nutritious snacks and beverages for children with a Disney theme. Vegginators is connected to the Disney show "Phineas and Ferb," though other product details are kept under wraps until after the competition. "I am amazed at the creativity, professionalism, teamwork and technical skill that our students demonstrate when they develop a new product and write proposals to be judged by experts in the field," said Dennis Miller, chair of the Department of Food Science. "The fact that so many of our teams make it into the finals year after year is clear evidence that Cornell food science students are among the best in the country." Read the full Chronicle story. 

Atkinson Center Funds 10 Sustainable Science Projects 

The Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future (ACSF) has announced the recipients of its spring 2012 Academic Venture Fund awards, and many involve CALS faculty. Designed to stimulate original, cross-disciplinary research in sustainability science, the annual AVF seed awards emphasize research with potential to grow by engaging external partners, including industry, government, foundations, and NGOs, and create viable solutions to our world’s most pressing problems. The AVF is primarily intended to support proposals that would not be funded by traditional granting organizations because the proposed research is interdisciplinary, still early in development, high risk, or some combination of these factors. Ten proposals were ultimately selected from 31 proposals, for total funding of approximately $735,000. They include: Impacts of Pathogens and Pesticides on Wild Pollinators in Eastern Apple Orchards, Bryan Danforth (ENT), Motoko Mukai (VTPMD), Eric Nelson (PLPA), Andre Kessler (EEB); Improving Energy Cost and Scalability of Algal Biofuels, Susan Daniel (CHEME), Roseanna Zia (CHEME), Beth Ahner (BEE), Itai Cohen (PHYS); Sustainable Production of Staple Leafy Green Vegetable Crops in Sub-Saharan Africa, Phillip Griffiths (HORT), Jenny Kao-Kniffin (HORT), Helene Dillard (CCE), Miguel Gómez (AEM); Does a Healthy Diet Lead to a Healthy Environment? Robert Howarth (EEB), Christina Stark (NS), Ian Merwin (HORT), Laurie Drinkwater (HORT), Jennifer Wilkins (NS); Developing Species-Specific and Environmentally Friendly Insect Control, Jeffrey Scott (ENT), Dan Luo (BEE), Michael Hoffmann (ENT); Assessing Mycotoxin Exposure in Pregnant Zimbabwean Women, Rebecca Stoltzfus (NS), Rebecca Nelson (PLPA), Dan Brown (ANSCI), Karyn Bischoff (VTPMD). 

Cornell Food Science Offers Laboratory Workshops in Collaboration with FDA 

The Department of Food Science recently hosted two workshops in collaboration with the FDA. The first, an FDA #374 Laboratory Examination of Dairy Products Workshop, held March 20-22, involved the participation of laboratory analysts from nine states and 20 companies across the country. The course is designed for technicians responsible for the microbiological examination of dairy products, who get hands-on practical experience and information on the correct way to: analyze official samples of milk for all required microbiological and chemical tests in accordance with the current edition of Standard Methods for Evaluation of Dairy Products; perform analysis of milk and milk products and be able to correctly interpret the data and correctly record the results on the required forms; and employ standardized laboratory techniques in laboratory analysis to insure uniformity both within and between other official laboratories. The second event was an FDA #578 Advanced Milk Processing Workshop, held May 7-11. It was attended by 37 dairy regulators from nine states, five federal inspection personnel, five Canadian inspection personnel, and four individuals from the dairy industry. Designed for federal, state and local regulators conducting inspections in milk processing plants using advanced milk pasteurization processing systems, key topics included inspection and requirements of aseptic systems, ESL and HHST systems; understanding ladder logic and computer controls; water treatment technologies, valve applications and technologies; advances in membrane filtration; and understanding advanced Clean-In-Place systems.  

New Tools for Small Dairy Farmers 

The Cornell Small Dairy Team has released a series of six new resources to help small dairy farms. The team, whose members include farmers and Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) educators, received a grant from the Cornell Small Farms Program in 2011 to provide new educational resources and tools to small dairy producers. The new resources and tools include: Financial Bench Marks for Small Dairies; Off-Farm Processing Start-Up Fact Sheet; Web based Geo-Map; Small Dairy Case Studies; Production Record-Keeping Book for Grazing Dairies; and Organic Dairy Forage and Grain Survey. “Small dairies have borne the brunt of the exodus of dairy farms from New York State. The goal of the project was to provide resources for dairies looking to adapt to ever-changing market factors,” said team leader Fay Benson. The Cornell Small Farms Program is also collaborating with educators and farmers to host a series of small dairy field days through late spring and summer. Topics include everything from incorporating new value added products to improving nutrition to producing on-farm biodiesel. 

Mapping Milestone: CUGIR Distributes Over One Million Datasets 

CUGIR, the Cornell University Geospatial Information Repository, has reached a major milestone. According to server logs that have been counting since 2001, the one-millionth dataset was downloaded from the CUGIR website during mid-February. For over a decade, CUGIR has been one of the major providers of geospatial data for New York State, offering free and open access to datasets ranging from wetlands and elevation to land cover and agricultural districts. CUGIR hosts many datasets of local interest, such as building outlines, tax parcels, and contour lines for Tompkins County; and tree inventories of Cayuga Heights and the Cornell campus. CUGIR is also the primary publisher of statewide datasets such as the New York State Regulatory Freshwater Wetlands (from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation), and Agricultural Districts (from the NYS Deptartment of Agriculture and Markets). In addition to providing datasets in common GIS formats, CUGIR has recently begun distributing other formats for non-GIS users.  Due to popular demand, local building outlines and tax parcels are now also available in CAD format (for architects). And thanks to the work of the Cornell Institute for Resource Information Sciences (IRIS), agricultural districts are now available as PDF maps, and as KML files (for viewing in Google Earth). A major overhaul of the CUGIR website is currently being planned for the upcoming year. The new website will feature live previews of the data, dynamic clipping of large datasets, and more download format options. 

Marianne Krasny Attends White House Summit on Environmental Education 

Marianne Krasny, professor and chair in the Department of Natural Resources, was invited to the White House Summit on Environmental Education on April 17. Organized by EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe ’74, the purpose of the Summit was to launch an inter-agency task force on environmental education with EPA, USDA, Department of Education, Department of Interior, Small Business Administration, and other agencies. Krasny is the leader of EPA’s National Environmental Education Training Program. 

The L. H. Bailey Conservatory: A Showcase of Biodiversity and Research in Plant Science  

The Top Shelf Gallery at Mann Library (1st floor behind the elevators) is hosting an exhibit organized by the Dead Plants Society, the graduate student organization of the Department of Plant Biology, until May 31. A late spring exhibit in the Top Shelf Gallery at Mann Library features select plant treasures from the Conservatory’s collection—one of the most outstanding of its kind in the world—along with highlights from the Conservatory’s history in promoting a better understanding of global plant biodiversity and public appreciation for art and science.