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Discover CALS

See how our current work and research is bringing new thinking and new solutions to some of today's biggest challenges.

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About CALS

Cornell CALS is a premier institution of scientific learning, tackling the complex challenges of our time through purpose-driven science.

You want to change the world. So do we.

We are a community with a common goal: to leave the world better than we found it. Ambitious? Sure. But Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has been changing the world for over a century and will continue to do so into the future.

Founded in agriculture and focused on life, we are pioneers who have shaped contemporary science and eagerly embraced international opportunity, while always serving the people in the state of New York.

Our purpose

This is the charge that motivates us: CALS tackles the challenges of our times through purpose-driven science that advances understanding and improves life.

CALS at a glance

16

Departments

8 departments shared with other Cornell colleges and schools

2

Schools

The Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management
and the School of Integrative Plant Science

$292M

Total research expenditures

FY 2024

4,020

Undergraduate students

942

Graduate students

350

Faculty

We seek answers in order to find the next questions.

Our mission

These are our objectives and how we accomplish them: As a premier institution of scientific learning, we connect the life, agricultural, environmental and social sciences to provide world-class education, spark unexpected discoveries and inspire pioneering solutions.

What we do

We are actively pursuing our mission to serve the public through our education, research and extension/outreach efforts. 

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people discussing plants

Teaching passion-driven minds

Learn about a CALS education
Scientist and student with computers

Purpose-driven science in action

Explore our research
researchers in field

Sharing knowledge with the community

Learn about outreach and extension

Learn more about CALS

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Latest news, discoveries and breakthroughs

Explore the work we’re doing today and discover how it’s reshaping tomorrow.

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News

Randomness reveals hidden order in the plant world

Findings from a recent study show how randomness and growth together create the striking cellular patterns that shape plant organs—and perhaps all multicellular life.

  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Biology Section
  • Plants
Adult Colorado potato beetles eat a potato leaf.

News

Sprayable RNA pesticide works best when potato beetles are small

The first sprayable insecticide made of RNA can target and kill ravenous Colorado potato beetles while sparing most beneficial insects, making it a promising environmentally friendly option.

  • Cornell AgriTech
  • Entomology
Birds eye view of 10, yurt-like test chambers in a natural boreal spruce bog in northern Minnesota.

News

Peatlands’ ‘huge reservoir’ of carbon at risk of release

In a warming climate, extreme drought could trigger a dramatic release of carbon from peatlands, erasing up to 250 years of carbon stores in a matter of months.

  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Soil and Crop Sciences Section
  • Climate Change
View more news & stories