Four people plant rice in a paddy

About the Ashley School

We are generating and sharing knowledge that empowers communities, informs policy and drives innovation for sustainable ecosystems.

Education with impact

The Ashley School is a unified development studies program dedicated to robust engagement with the world’s grand challenges at home and abroad. With a focus on education with impact, our broad interdisciplinary outlook emphasizes real-world engagement with communities in New York state and 30+ countries around the globe to improve lives, reduce inequality and protect the environment.

Our coordinated unit of projects, programs and people is dedicated to direct social impact. We are committed to promoting food security, protecting the environment and building a more just, equitable world. We harness the energies and talents of 60+ experts from a range of disciplines as we address some of the biggest challenges facing humanity. 

Our dynamic learning atmosphere and academic culture goes beyond purely technical work to provide deep analysis and transformative solutions. We develop next-generation leaders through engaged and active learning that connects students with field experiences as we work to solve entrenched and emergent problems all around the globe.

Vision

To be a leading center for collaborative environmental problem-solving – where science, innovation and public engagement converge to address global challenges and improve lives. We envision the Ashley School as a catalyst for interdisciplinary teams and community partnerships that generate practical, scalable solutions for a more sustainable and resilient future.
 

Values

  • Collaboration: We bring together diverse disciplines, perspectives and partners to address complex environmental challenges.
  • Scientific excellence: We recognize the imperative for trustworthy information and pursue rigorous, evidence-based research that informs practice and policy.
  • Responsiveness: We adapt to emerging issues with agility, creativity and a commitment to relevance.
  • Public impact: We connect research and education to real-world outcomes through outreach, engagement and service.
  • Stewardship: We promote responsible management of natural and human systems for long-term sustainability.

School leadership

image of patrick webb
Patrick Webb

Executive Director

Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment

Patrick Webb
  • pjw224 [at] cornell.edu
Parfait Eloundou-Enyegue headshot
Parfait Eloundou-Enyegue

Section Head, Professor

Global Development Section

Parfait Eloundou-Enyegue
Education, Development and Inequality
Population and Development
Sociological Research Methods
Woman on roadside with overcoat
Rebecca Schneider
she/her/hers

Section Chair, Natural Resources and the Environment

Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment

Rebecca Schneider

News

image of patrick webb

News

Patrick Webb, renowned international scholar, to lead Ashley School
Patrick Webb, a globally influential scholar of nutrition, food and agriculture policy, and humanitarian assistance, will join Cornell July 1 as the inaugural executive director of the Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment in...
  • Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment
  • Global Development Section
  • Natural Resources and the Environment Section
Kate Stephens ’26 posing next to banners at the CARET conference

Field Note

Kate Stephens ’26: Advocating for ag research, extension and teaching in DC
Kate Stephens ’26, a CALS senior from north-central Montana studying global development and communication, was selected as a student delegate for the Council for Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching (CARET) conference held in Washington...
  • Agriculture
  • Communication
  • Global Development
solar panels

News

Solar’s threat to NYS agriculture may be overstated

New York state farmers with solar leases say they’ll use the added revenue to invest in their farms, with many stating they don't plan to change their agricultural practices at all.

  • Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment
  • Agriculture
  • Solar
Basketball plays pose on a basketball court with their trophy.

News

CALS freshman keeps community soccer fundraiser rolling

Rohan Amin's Lurie Cup soccer tournament brings people together from Cornell and around New York state to support the pediatric hospital that saved his life.

  • Global Development
Old woman looking out of the window

News

US communities are getting older – and more livable

Communities tracked by AARP's Livability Index made progress becoming more age friendly, but housing affordability and health care access remain challenges.

  • Global Development