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Seminar

CALS Innovation Day 2025

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Life-Changing Innovation.

Hosted by the CALS Research and Innovation Office (RIO), Innovation Day celebrates the extraordinary science, creativity, ingenuity and groundbreaking ideas shaping the future of agriculture and life sciences that are flourishing at CALS. This annual, college-wide event supports the CALS Roadmap to 2050 strategic objective to transcend conventional boundaries with college-wide, transdisciplinary research and innovation programming.

What to Expect:

  • Insightful Keynote: To be delivered by Gerald Chan—renowned scientist, entrepreneur, visionary leader in biotechnology and health care innovation, and co-founder of the Morningside Group.
  • Inspiring Innovations: Learn how CALS researchers have leveraged sponsored research and technology transfer to drive their very own start-ups! Participate in hands-on sessions to receive an update on the Moonshot Seed Grant Program and discover the transformative impact.
  • Networking Opportunities: Connect with farmers, researchers, agribusiness professionals and other like-minded individuals to exchange ideas and foster new collaborations.
  • Inaugural Innovation Awards: Honoring outstanding contributions in innovation by faculty, students and industry partners.

Whether you are a researcher, tech enthusiast or simply a member of the CALS community who is curious about the future of agriculture and life sciences, CALS Innovation Day promises to be an exciting and engaging experience for all.

Registration for this event is closed, but you can watch the Keynote Address at the Zoom webcast link below. 

Date & Time

October 7, 2025
12:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Keynote Talk

The Democratization of Innovation and Its Role in University Education

Grant-supported scientific research conducted in universities has been the breeding ground for spawning technology-based innovation. While this continues to be the case, in certain fields, the barrier to entry for innovation has been lowered sufficiently for student-led innovation to become possible. As AI democratizes the accessibility to knowledge, innovation should have a heavier weighting in the undergraduate curriculum.

Keynote Speaker

Gerald Chan

Gerald Chan is a scientist who cofounded Morningside, a venture investment enterprise that works on technology-based startups. Working with academic scientists, he started over two dozen biotech companies across diverse therapeutic areas. In a number of cases, these companies opened up entirely new fields of medicine such as diseases arising from mitochondrial dysfunction or dysregulation of the innate immune system. Gerald is the chairman of Nasdaq-listed biotechnology company Apellis Pharmaceuticals. He is also a board member of several privately held biotech companies.

Gerald received his BS and MS degrees in engineering from UCLA, his Master’s degree in medical radiological physics, and Doctor of Science degree in radiation biology from Harvard University. He received his post-doctoral training in the Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He has been honored with honorary degrees from eight universities and was elected to membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and an honorary fellowship in the British Academy of Social Sciences.

Gerald Chan

From Lab to Market: Collaboration that Drives Innovation

The Adapt-N journey: The Why and How of University-Company Partnerships

Tracing and Transforming Metals: From Toxicity Elimination to Nutrient Enhancement

Innovation in Controlled Release of Actives & Adaptive Evolution of Bacteria

AI and Robotics to Reshape 21st Century Agriculture and Food Systems

Smart Insect Trap: Connecting Cloud Resources to Real-World Problem Solving

Oxygenated Cell Capsule Platform for Cell Therapy: Innovation, Technology Transfer, and Opportunity

Complex Sustainability Challenges and Transdisciplinary Science: Land Restoration for Renewable Biofuel Production in Brazil

Use-inspired Fundamental Research for Synthetic Biology Sustainability Technologies

Innovation Day 2025 Program

12:00 - 12:30 PM           Poster Set-up; Location: Stocking Hall Gallery
1:00 - 1:15 PMInnovation Day in CALS Welcome and Opening Remarks 
Ben Houlton, The Ronald P. Lynch Dean
(Stocking Hall 148)
1:15 - 1:30 PMLife and World Changing Innovations in CALS
Dr. Xingen Lei, Associate Dean of Research and Innovation
(Stocking Hall 148) 
1:30 - 1:40 PMNotable Successes of CALS in the Past, Present, and Future
Alice Li, Director of Center for Technology Licensing
(Stocking Hall 148)
1:40 - 3:30 PMFrom Lab to Market: Collaboration that Drives Innovation
Explore breakthrough solutions in agriculture, sustainability, and biotech — from AI-powered farming and smart insect traps to nutrient-enhanced crops, cell therapy platforms, and university-industry partnerships driving real-world impact.
(Stocking Hall 148)
3:45 - 4:00 PMKeynote Speaker Introduction
Ben Houlton, The Ronald P. Lynch Dean
(PepsiCo Auditorium - Stocking Hall 146)
4:00 - 4:25 PMInnovation Day Keynote Address
Dr. Gerald Chan, Visionary, Philanthropist, Scientist, and Co-founder of the Morningside Group
(PepsiCo Auditorium - Stocking Hall 146)
4:25 - 4:55 PMCommentary of the Keynote Address and Q&A
Ben Houlton, The Ronald P. Lynch Dean, and Dr. Gerald Chan
(PepsiCo Auditorium - Stocking Hall 146)
5:00 - 5:20 PM

Inaugural CALS Innovation Awards
(PepsiCo Auditorium -Stocking Hall 146)

  • Best Inventor Award
  • Best Entrepreneurship and Engagement Award
  • Student Entrepreneur of the Year
  • Best Partnership Award
5:20 - 5:35 PMInnovation at Cornell, a partnership with CALS
Krystyn Van Vliet, Vice President for Innovation & External Engagement Strategy
(PepsiCo Auditorium)
5:35 - 6:35 PMPoster Session (Location: Stocking Hall Gallery) and Reception 
(Food: Stocking Hall 148)

More information about this event.

Contact Information

Marius Weigert

  • pmw94 [at] cornell.edu

Speaker

Gerald Chan

Departments

Animal Science

Food Science

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