The College of Arts and Sciences welcomes new faculty for 2026-27

Twenty new faculty have joined the College of Arts & Sciences this year, strengtheningdepartments and programs with their wide-ranging expertise and filling numerous leadershiproles for the College and university.

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Chemistry professor honored for work on biodegradable polymers

Geoffrey Coates was named a co-winner of the prestigious Balzan Prize for his work transforming renewable feedstocks and recovered carbon dioxide into high-performance, degradable and recyclable materials.

How writer Jean Toomer envisioned an American race beyond color

In “Jean Toomer: Writer for a New America,” literature scholar George Hutchinson reveals how Toomer’s theory of a new “American” race, defying old categories, shaped both his literary genius and his personal struggles,

Device gives first view of animal brain activity in the field

Researchers will be able to track the brainwaves of animals as they move in natural habitats and interact with each other – complex behaviors that have been impossible to study in the lab.

Title of Teaching Professor and new award announced

The College of Arts and Sciences has created Teaching Professor titles to recognize excellence in teaching, advising and academic leadership. 

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Peter Katzenstein receives triennial James Madison Award

The APSA James Madison Award recognizes professor Peter Katzenstein for distinguished contributions to political science.

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Economist Kerwin Charles, Ph.D. ’96, to give 2026 Staller Lecture

Yale economist Kerwin Charles, Ph.D. '96, will deliver Cornell University’s 2026 Staller Lecture on racial labor market inequality Sept. 22. 

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Midterm forecast strongly favors Democrats to win House majority

The forecast model developed by Peter Enns and graduate students is highly accurate historically, correctly predicting winners of the previous 14 congressional elections.

Medina Tovar joins Weill Institute to study cellular evolution, pathogenesis of fungi

Edgar Medina Tovar joins the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology and the College of Arts & Sciences as an assistant research professor in September. He will begin as an assistant professor in January 2027.

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