From learning new lab techniques to leading her own research projects, senior Carla Hu ’26 has spent the past two years growing as both a scientist and future physician in the Wang Lab in the Division of Nutritional Sciences. 🧪🩺
As a human biology, health, and society major and undergraduate research assistant, she studies how the body protects itself from DNA damage caused by toxic chemicals like formaldehyde using cell models and mice.
What started as a search for hands-on experience became an opportunity to build confidence as a researcher, develop close mentorship relationships, and prepare for a future career in medicine. Through undergraduate research at Cornell, Carla is gaining the skills, support, and collaborative experience that continue to shape her path as a pre-med student.
When Chaw Soe ’26 transferred to Cornell Human Ecology from Myanmar, she was looking for a new beginning and a community where she could belong. ❤️
She found that community through residential life at Flora Rose House and the Rose Scholars Program on West Campus. What started as a dorm quickly became home through shared dinners, service projects, trips across New York and meaningful connections with fellow students.
From volunteering with local elementary school students to building friendships through weekly house dinners, Chaw discovered that finding your place at Cornell often starts with simply getting involved.
In Cornell Human Ecology, transfer students bring their stories, passions and resilience with them and find communities that help them thrive.
Learn more about the transfer experience at the link in our bio!
21 student researchers. Countless hours in the lab, in the field and behind the poster boards. 🔬📊🎓
Last week, students from Cornell Human Ecology and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences came together for the Division of Nutritional Sciences Undergraduate Honors Symposium, presenting original research spanning nutrition, cancer biology, psychology, aging, neuroscience, public health and more.
The symposium marks the culmination of the DNS Honors Program, a rigorous multi-semester experience in which students design, conduct and present independent research alongside faculty mentors, ultimately completing an undergraduate thesis and formal symposium presentation.
During the celebration, students were also recognized with honors stoles and cords, representing the dedication, perseverance and scientific curiosity that shaped their research journeys.
This year’s top honor, the Professor Robert S. Parker Honors Thesis Prize, was awarded to Carla Hu ’26, a human biology, health and society major. Named in honor of longtime DNS professor and mentor Robert S. Parker, the award recognizes exceptional achievement in research, scholarship and presentation.
The DNS Honors Symposium marks the end of this journey, celebrating the students’ dedication, perseverance, and academic achievements, while also recognizing the meaningful contributions each has made to their respective fields of research," said Melisa Medina-Rivera, lecturer and DNS honors program director.
For more than 40 years, Parker helped shape undergraduate education in DNS through his teaching, mentorship and leadership, leaving a lasting impact on generations of students and researchers. His legacy continues through the students carrying forward that same spirit of curiosity, rigor and discovery.
Congratulations to all of this year’s honors students for an incredible symposium and for the research, passion and perseverance that brought them there. ❤️
Photo Credit: Galib Braschler/Ana Adinolfi
Congratulations to the PRYDE Scholars Class of 2026! 🎓♥️
Last week, the PRYDE Scholars Program celebrated its graduating cohort, honoring a remarkable group of students whose commitment to youth development, community engagement and positive change has shaped the PRYDE community over the past two years.
As part of the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research in Cornell Human Ecology, PRYDE, the Program for Research on Youth Development and Engagement, connects students with faculty, researchers and youth-serving organizations through hands-on, community-engaged learning experiences.
Working with partners across New York and beyond, including longstanding collaborations with New York State 4-H, students explore how research and practice can come together to support young people and communities.
Bringing together students from disciplines ranging from developmental psychology to nutrition and neuroscience, the program fosters leadership, empathy, collaboration and translational impact. Along the way, this cohort built meaningful relationships, challenged one another to grow and created a supportive community grounded in shared purpose, community-engaged learning and care for others.
Congratulations to Dhruti Raghuraman, Hopper Kendregan, Daniela Arredondo-Sanchez, Reagan Allvin, Julian Iwasko, Jiayi Guo, Benjamin Loong, Jennifer Gerfen, Jenna Cho and Ooreofeoluwa Ogunyinka!
The PRYDE community looks forward to all they will accomplish next. ❤️
Photo Credit: Juan Vazquez-Leddon
Global Spotlight: Katrina Samuda ’26 Major: Human Development
Program: SIT Cities in the 21st Century: People, Planning and Politics
Katrina Samuda ’26, a human development major, spent the semester studying abroad through SIT’s Cities in the 21st Century program, exploring community, urban life and social systems across Buenos Aires, Barcelona and Cape Town.
Q: What was your global learning experience goal? A: I wanted to do something different from my HD major. My goal was to see people in different places, learn how they create community, and work to fill gaps.
Q: Describe your program: A: SIT’s program is small and I was the only Cornell student participating. I spent just over a month in each city: Buenos Aires, Barcelona and Cape Town. The professor travels with you and has established relationships in each place. These connections allow you to see things you might never experience as a tourist. For example, in Cape Town, we spent time in townships where there is still no indoor plumbing.
Q: Share one takeaway or highlight from your experience: A: Let yourself be uncomfortable; immerse yourself in that uncertainty. I took a few opportunities for solo travel and I really enjoyed them.
Q: Do you have advice for other students? A: It was tempting for me to choose a more popular abroad destination like Barcelona or Florence, but my experience was unique. This program was a great opportunity to go an untraditional route. Don’t be afraid to try something new and choose a less conventional path.
Also, if home-stays are an option, I highly recommend them! The language barrier was challenging, but living with a family offered an incredible opportunity to experience the culture more deeply.
With planning, you can study abroad in any of our CHE majors. Link in bio to learn how to make the most of your global experience.
We’re proud to celebrate Laurel Whidden ’26 and Jiayi Guo ’25, recipients of the 2026 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence: the highest student honor conferred by the State University of New York system. 👏
The award recognizes students for exceptional achievement in academics, leadership, community engagement and public impact. Laurel and Jiayi reflect the spirit of Cornell Human Ecology through interdisciplinary work that bridges research, design, public health and community engagement to improve lives at every scale.
As a global and public health sciences major in the Division of Nutritional Sciences, Laurel has advanced health communication and climate justice initiatives through research fellowships in Ecuador and Cambodia, collaborations with the UCLA Art & Global Health Center and leadership through Cornell’s Global Health Student Advisory Board.
“It is an honor to receive the SUNY Chancellor’s Award and to be recognized by the Chancellor,” Whidden said. “At the same time, I see this not as an endpoint, but as a reminder that the purpose of this work is to continue serving others beyond this moment.”
Jiayi, who graduated in December with a degree in design and environmental analysis in Cornell Human Centered Design, pursued translational research focused on healthier relationships between people and their environments. Her work spans transportation equity, youth climate engagement and sustainability leadership in Ithaca.
“It was an honor to stand alongside so many inspiring fellow SUNY students and hear their stories,” Guo said. “I am deeply grateful for the support and opportunities that have shaped my journey, and I hope to continue paying that support forward.”
Congratulations to Laurel and Jiayi on this well-deserved recognition! 🎉
Read more about the SUNY Award winners at the link in our bio.
Photo Credit: Provided/Darcy Rose/Margaret Tsai
Senior Spotlight: Wells Lee ’26
Major: Human Biology, Health and Society (HBHS)
Wells Lee ’26 almost missed the phone call that changed everything. 🎳📞
In the middle of bowling practice, the HBHS major stepped away from the lanes to answer a call telling him he’d been accepted to medical school: a full-circle moment in the same place where he first learned how to push through setbacks, spend hours improving his game and turn rejection into growth.
At Cornell Human Ecology, Wells combined research, community work and leadership experiences to shape a prevention-focused approach to care. Through dementia caregiving research and work with older adults in Ithaca, he learned that healthcare is about more than treating symptoms: it’s about understanding people’s lives, experiences and needs.
As part of the Community Elderly Partnership at Cornell, Wells also helped lead a grant-funded initiative providing tablets to older adults experiencing social isolation. During one training session, he helped a resident reconnect with a family member they hadn’t spoken to in years: a moment that showed him how access, support and human connection can change lives.
“The biggest thing I’m proud of is putting myself out there in ways I hadn’t before,” Wells said. “Being more confident, more willing to reach out, even if there’s a chance of setbacks.”
From bowling captain to future physician, Wells is carrying that perspective forward with empathy, patience and a commitment to helping others thrive.
Read Wells' full story at the link in bio.
Photo Credit: Margaret Tsai/Casey Martin/Provided
Transferring from community college to Cornell came with a lot of unknowns for Michael DiGrado ’26, but he found community, connection and Cornell spirit through the Big Red Band. 🎷❤️
From hockey games at home to football weekends on the road, band became more than a pastime. It became the place where he found friendships, study partners and a sense of belonging on campus.
At Cornell Human Ecology, students bring their passions with them and discover new ways to grow, connect and thrive across campus.
Learn more about the transfer experience at the link in our bio!
From adolescent health and child development to aging, mental health and the impacts of social media, students across Cornell are advancing research designed to improve lives and strengthen communities.
At the 2026 Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research (BCTR) Poster Symposium on April 28, nearly 40 undergraduate and graduate students gathered at the Physical Sciences Building to share interdisciplinary projects connecting research with real-world impact.
“This event showcases the remarkable translational research work students are involved in across the campus,” said Kristen Elmore, BCTR associate director. “They’re excited to share the findings they’ve discovered while working on this research with communities, which is a hallmark of Cornell’s land-grant mission.”
Students from Cornell Human Ecology, the College of Arts and Sciences and Cornell Duffield Engineering presented research spanning adolescent health, early childhood education, caregiver wellbeing, neurological conditions, healthy aging and the lived experiences of youth.
For students like Hyun Hwang ’26, the symposium was also an opportunity to grow as communicators and collaborators. “Presenting at the symposium gives me the opportunity to grow as an academic communicator, pushing me to translate complex ideas into clear, concise and accessible language for all audiences,” Hwang said.
Three awards recognized outstanding student work:
🏆 Best Presentation: Brooke Kivel ’26, whose research explored how the gap between wanting control and feeling in control relates to OCD symptoms over time.
🏆 Best Poster: Lorie Li ’28 and Madeline Lee ’28, who presented summer internship research as BCTR Scholars with The Village at Ithaca.
🏆 High Impact Project: Francoise Cattaneo, Ph.D. candidate, whose research identified distinct eating patterns among teenagers in rural Bangladesh.
Read more at the link in our bio.
Photo Credit: Devin Flores/Kristen Elmore
Yesterday, faculty and staff from Cornell Human Ecology gathered for our Spring Town Hall and Reception to reflect on the semester, share updates and celebrate the people helping shape the future of the college through teaching, research, service, outreach and storytelling.
We were especially proud to recognize four members of our community who received SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence:
Anthony Burrow — Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service As director of the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research and senior associate dean for outreach and extension, Burrow has advanced community-engaged learning, strengthened partnerships across New York state and expanded opportunities for students to connect research with community impact.
Lauren Korfine — Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching A senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology, Korfine fosters learning environments grounded in compassion, curiosity and connection while supporting students through mentorship, advising and innovative first-year programming.
Kimberly O'Brien — Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities An internationally recognized leader in maternal-fetal nutrition and professor in the Division of Nutritional Sciences, O’Brien’s research and mentorship continue to shape the field and support future nutrition scientists.
Robin Roger — Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service Through strategic storytelling and visionary leadership as assistant dean for communications, Roger has elevated the visibility of Human Ecology’s research, outreach and student experiences while helping lead the college’s centennial celebration and launch of its redesigned website.
Congratulations to Tony, Lauren, Kimberly and Robin on this well-deserved recognition, and thank you to all who joined us for this meaningful community gathering!
Photo Credit: Galib Braschler/Provided
Cornell Human Ecology was honored to support a dinner during the Ivy Native Conference on April 17, hosted by Native American and Indigenous Students at Cornell (NAISAC). An affiliated student organization of the American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program (AIISP), NAISAC welcomed Indigenous students from across the Ivy League and regional institutions for an evening centered on community, cultural exchange and connection.
Students traveled from Brown, Columbia, Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth and Harvard, alongside peers from Colgate, Syracuse, Williams and RIT, to gather at Cornell for this annual, student-led four-day conference centering Indigenous presence, scholarship and knowledges in higher education.
“Hosting the Ivy Native Conference this spring has created a special opportunity for our Indigenous student community to gather and build good relations. We need hospitable spaces and partnerships on our campuses to do this work,” said Sarah Buffett (Métis/Michif), student support specialist with the AIISP.
The evening also featured an exhibit by HCD grad student Shawkay Ottman, Anishinaabe and a member of Fishing Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan, curated with support from Catherine Blumenkamp of @cornellfashioncollection . Inspired by the conference theme, Plants & Our People: Rooted in Indigenous Community, the exhibit highlighted Indigenous design traditions and relationships between people, plants and culture. “I included pieces from Indigenous Peoples around the world… to create a sense of welcome,” said Ottman.
The night also recognized graduating students and the journeys that brought them to this milestone. “I was thrilled to offer support for this special dinner and send my gratitude to CHE for seeing the importance of extending our collective hands along the students’ journey,” said Robin Snowden, facilities coordinator in CHE, who is from the Crow and Blackfeet tribes of Montana.
Through a shared meal and meaningful conversation, the gathering reflected the strength of the Indigenous student community across the Ivy League and the importance of co-creating spaces where students feel supported, connected and seen as their whole selves.
