Radical Collaboration

Cornell faculty are reaching across disciplines to tackle society’s most complex challenges and to make breakthrough discoveries. These radical collaborations—collisions of thoughts and perspectives from vastly different fields—lead to unexpected and unconventional solutions and deepen our thinking.


Scientists harness machine learning to lower solar energy cost

A Cornell-led collaboration received a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to use machine learning to accelerate the creation of low-cost materials for solar energy.

Academic Integration efforts lead to $33M in grants

Seed grants and symposia based on themes from the Office of Academic Integration have bridged researchers from the Ithaca and New York campuses and have brought a high return on investment to Cornell. 

Grad student is breath of fresh air for C2C filtration project

The Cornell Campus-to-Campus buses have resumed service thanks to a new air filtration system that was designed, built and installed by a team of faculty and staff, and at the center of the collaboration, a master’s student who decided to do something challenging with his summer break.

Facial recognition AI helps save multibillion dollar grape crop

A radical collaboration between a biologist and an engineer is supercharging efforts to protect grape crops, and the technology they’ve developed will soon be available to researchers nationwide.

Transportation innovations could boost public health

A Cornell-led team has used transdisciplinary systems modeling to calculate the future health benefits of vehicle electrification, driverless cars and ride-sharing in the United States.

Machine learning tool sorts the nuances of quantum data

An interdisciplinary team developed a tool to parse quantum matter and make crucial distinctions in the data, helping scientists unravel the most confounding phenomena in the subatomic realm.

Library acquires Irene Castle collection

The archives of silent film icon Irene Castle have found a home in Cornell University Library's rare and distinctive collections.

Around Cornell

‘Go-getter’ director nurtures McGovern incubator to maturity

When Lou Walcer ’74 stepped into the new business incubator in Weill Hall 10 years ago, he saw opportunity. Now, the center has enjoyed a decade of success.

COVID-19 vaccines show safety, immunity in infant model

The research, co-led by Weill Cornell Medicine, suggests that vaccines for young children are likely important, safe tools to curtail the pandemic.