Sisler

Celebrating the life and legacy of Daniel G. Sisler

Daniel G. Sisler, Ph.D. ‘62 was a celebrated professor and agricultural economist for over 30 years at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). He taught more than 12,000 students during his time at CALS and was known as an “incomparable teacher and human being who possessed a limitless capacity to connect with students, alumni and peers.” Professor Sisler suffered an injury at age 25 while serving in the military, which left him permanently blind. His visual impairment did not hold him back from taking frequent trips with students or traveling solo to remote regions of the world.

Much of Professor Sisler’s work focused on world hunger and malnutrition, with research on the impact agricultural production has on the nutritional status of households in Africa and Asia. Professor Sisler accrued many awards for his teaching, including CALS’ Professor of Merit Award recognizing excellence in undergraduate teaching (1964); the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (1975); the Distinguished Teaching Award from the American Agricultural Economics Association (1978); and the Distinguished Educator Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (1985).

Though we lost Professor Sisler in 2016, his commitment to supporting students and building a better world lives on. In 2024, CALS, with the support of an anonymous donor, honored his legacy of inspired teaching and mentorship by naming the student hub in the Department of Global Development the Daniel G. Sisler Global Development Student Hub and by naming Jenny Aker the inaugural Sisler Professor of Development Economics. The college also created the Daniel G. Sisler Global Development Research and Engaged Learning Fund, which will support undergraduate students to participate in a variety of life-changing engaged learning opportunities.

A life of service

Over his 34-year career at Cornell, Professor Sisler touched the lives of over 12,000 students through his engaged teaching, heartfelt mentorship, and impact-driven research. His legacy endures on campus and far beyond.

Collage of networking photo and group of four in front of cultural landmark

Professor Sisler began his education intending to become a chemist, but at age 25, he suffered an injury while serving in the military that left him permanently blind.

After receiving his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics at Cornell, Sisler focused on world hunger and malnutrition, specifically the impact agricultural production has on nutrition in households.

Sisler served as the Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor of Agricultural Economics and as a Cornell trustee. Each semester, he taught 600 students in his introduction to development economics course.

His research explored techniques for predicting famine or food shortages in high-risk areas of Asia and Africa, and the analysis of governmental policies pertaining to economic development.

Sisler was a beloved mentor and was known for setting the bar as a deeply engaged and caring teacher. His family’s generous spirit made students feel welcome at Cornell and in the Ithaca community.

His visual impairment did not hold him back from traveling solo to remote regions of the world, particularly Nepal, Indonesia, and Kenya.

Sisler was known for taking frequent trips with students, spearheading what we know today as experiential learning, which provided them with an opportunity to apply lessons from the classroom.

Sisler had a grand appreciation for nature, wood working and cross-country skiing. An avid fisherman, he was known for pursuing anything that swims, particularly on trips to the Northwest Territory.

Professor Sisler inspired countless students and colleagues through his life of service at Cornell and beyond, such as serving on the board at Helen Keller International.

"For those who were not lucky enough to know Dan as an excellent teacher and above all advisor, we can only hope they find someone just as devoted as Dan was to his students."

Hear from Dan's students and peers

“There was Dan the teacher who made the complex clear. Dan the irrepressible outdoor guy. Dan who remembered everything positive about you. Dan who caused you to lift your head out of the weeds for a moment to see the larger picture. And Dan who set a moral example of practicing what you preach in international development. In sum, Dan Sisler, a man of extraordinary perception, insight, good humor, and humanity.”

“and I soon realized that outside of my own mother and father, Dan probably had the greatest influence on my life, teaching me through example how life can and should be lived.”

"As on of Dan's near original students, I can attest to the lasting impact his teaching and friendship had on me over the years. His ability to put life's important issues in proper perspective will always be appreciated, and I for one, am most grateful for this guidance."

"Dan was a terrific friend to me and other students. He treats all those who work with him with an immense amount of respect, understanding, and positive reinforcement."

"Few have touched so many in so many walks of life during professorial service. Students, faculty, trustees and administrators have all turned to Dan for advice and counsel, and he has always given generously and to the full."

"When I reflect on our personal interactions, I must confess that I am pulled between profound feelings of respect and at the same time deep-from-the-belly, explosions of mirthful delight at Dan's great sense of humor and many wonderful stories. The faculty who have made the most lasting impressions on people are those who have devoted their energies to teaching. That is definitely Dan Sisler"

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Daniel G. Sisler Research and Engaged Learning Fund in Global Development

A fund in honor of Daniel G. Sisler will support undergraduate students pursuing engaged learning opportunities domestically and internationally. With a commitment to equity in accessing out-of-the-classroom education, the Daniel G. Sisler Global Development Research and Engaged Learning Fund seeks to provide all students in Global Development the opportunity to access our engaged and experiential learning initiatives.

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Daniel G. Sisler Professor of Development Economics

As the Daniel G. Sisler Professor of Development Economics, Jenny Aker brings expertise in economic development in Africa, with a primary focus on the impact of information, and information technology, on development outcomes. Her research contributes to the role of development economics in agricultural markets, adult education and financial inclusion; the determinants and impacts of agricultural technology adoption; and the impact of different mechanisms and modalities of social protection. Outside of Cornell, she is also a Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Global Development and the co-Chair of the Digital Identification and Finance Initiative in Africa Initiative at J-PAL Africa, which is based at the University of Cape Town.

Prior to Cornell, she was a Professor of Development Economics at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and Department of Economics at Tufts University. At Fletcher, she was the Co-Director of the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy (CIERP) and the Director of the Fletcher Leadership Program for Financial Inclusion (FLPFI). Jenny is the 2017 recipient of the Fletcher School Research Prize and the 2015 recipient of the Fletcher School Paddock Teaching Award.

After working for Catholic Relief Services as Deputy Regional Director in West and Central Africa between 1998 and 2003, Jenny completed her Ph.D. in agricultural economics at the University of California-Berkeley. Jenny has conducted field work in Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, DRC, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Tanzania, as well as Haiti and Guatemala.

Jenny Aker, the Daniel G. Sisler Professor of Development Economics at Cornell University.

Daniel G. Sisler Global Development Student Hub

The Sisler Student Hub is a gathering place for the Department of Global Development, including more than 200 undergraduate and 70 graduate students, 20+ fellows and visitors from around the world, and 60+ faculty and researchers from CALS and beyond.

Location

The Hub is located in B75 Mann Library, and provides picturesque views of the woods around Beebe Lake.

To access the Hub, enter through the main doors of Mann Library. Head straight back to the elevators, navigate to the B level, and turn right off the elevators.

Building community

The Student Hub is a warm and welcoming home base for students, who gather to work on group projects, receive advice and mentorship from faculty program directors and student services staff, and find a cup of coffee and a comfortable spot to read.

It is a space where students make life-changing connections with each other and with global thought-leaders, distinguished speakers, alumni, and faculty mentors.

Meaningful connection

The Student Hub embodies so much of what Professor Sisler cherished – being close to nature and in the middle of a group of students. The space features meaningful connections to Professor Sisler's life, including a tribute wall at the Hub's entrance, walnut furniture pieces and paneling (Sisler's favorite wood) handcrafted by Sisler's son, Steve, and textile decorations from Nepal (where Sisler frequently worked), handmade by Sisler's wife, Carol. We are very grateful to Professor Sisler's family for their generous contributions to make the space exude his essence.

Honoring Daniel G. Sisler’s legacy at Cornell