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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

14

Departments

8 departments shared with other Cornell colleges and schools

3

Schools

The Ashley School of Global Development & the Environment, the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management and the School of Integrative Plant Science

$293M

Total research expenditures

FY 2025

4,020

Undergraduate students

942

Graduate students

306

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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Teaching passion-driven minds

Learn about a CALS education
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Purpose-driven science in action

Explore our research
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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.

Worker bees on a frame of honeycomb.

News

Insights into bee biology could ease US rules for organic honey

Strict regulations have prevented continental U.S. beekeepers from participating in the lucrative organic honey market, but new findings could provide evidence to open organic markets to U.S. producers.

  • Entomology
  • Food
An adult European spongy moth.

News

Satellite imagery could protect trees from devastating moth outbreaks

Satellite-derived maps of defoliation caused by European spongy moths offer a promising solution for tracking pest outbreaks and for identifying large scale trends.

  • Cornell Atkinson
  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Illustration of a plate of food on a table with an image of an intestine overlapping

News

Will dietary fiber help digestion? It might depend on your gut bacteria

People may not only need specific species of gut bacteria but also the right strains of those bacteria to benefit from dietary fiber.

  • Nutritional Sciences
  • Food
  • Health + Nutrition
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