Robert Balluffi, materials science professor, dies at 98

Robert W. Balluffi, a retired professor of materials science and engineering who spent 27 years at Cornell, died Dec. 8. He was 98 years old.

Around Cornell

Bartels Awards honor custodians for excellence, dedication

The event, held Dec. 20, recognized the six award recipients and the nearly 400 building care professionals who create a safe, clean environment throughout the Ithaca campus.

Harnessing AI technology for IVF embryo selection

An artificial intelligence algorithm can determine non-invasively, with about 70% accuracy, if an in vitro fertilized embryo has a normal or abnormal number of chromosomes, according to a new study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Florida Field Course benefits biology students, study finds

Participation in the immersive Florida Field Course led to positive professional outcomes, higher rates of publications, and faculty positions at research institutions, according to a new study from Cornell ecology and evolutionary biology researchers.

How much money is too much for obesity treatments?

A new generation of effective weight loss drugs is now available in the U.S., but the drugs’ high cost highlights a reality hurting the nation’s economy and those who want to shed pounds: Obesity is expensive, and so are the treatments.

Eminent astronomer Riccardo Giovanelli dies at 76

Riccardo Giovanelli, professor emeritus of astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences and a former leader at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, died Dec. 14 in Ithaca after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 76.

Staff News

Shielding likely reduced COVID exposure for pregnant people early in pandemic

Those already pregnant at the beginning of the pandemic had a 50% lower exposure to SARS-CoV-2 compared with those who became pregnant after the pandemic began and the general population, Weill Cornell researchers and colleagues found.

December graduation celebrates unique paths to Cornell education

On Dec. 18 in Barton Hall, more than 700 recipients of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees were honored at the university’s 20th recognition ceremony for December graduates, held in-person for the first time since 2019.

Top stories of 2022: COVID solutions, student heroics

The first recorded proof of a bird not seen for 140 years, a gut bacteria that could regulate cholesterol and a senior who risked his own life to rescue a man from an oncoming subway train were among the most-read Cornell Chronicle stories of 2022.