Richard Friend, a University of Cambridge physicist who recently was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, has been named the Mary Shepard B. Upson Visiting Professor at Cornell University. During his residence, Friend will give lectures and collaborate with Department of Materials Science and Engineering faculty on teaching and research. He will present his first free, public lecture Oct. 28 at 4 p.m. in 155 Olin Hall. His subject will be "Organic semiconductor heterojunctions: Electricity to light and light to electricity." Other lectures will be given Monday, Nov. 3, when he will discuss organic semiconductors, and Monday, Nov. 24, when he will talk on polymer electronics, both at 4 p.m. in B11 Kimball Hall. (October 22, 2003)
Cell membranes -- the sacs encompassing the body's living matter -- can assume a variety of shapes as they morph to engulf materials, expel others and assemble themselves into tissues. In the past it was possible for theoreticians only to analyze the thermodynamic forces behind membrane shape-shifting. But now a team of biophysicists from Cornell University, the National Institutes of Health and the W.M. Keck Foundation has been able to watch the sacs, or vesicles, reshaping themselves under the light of multiphoton three-dimensional microscopy. The forces behind the membrane morphing, the researchers say, is akin to a party entertainer shaping balloon animals by tensioning the surfaces. (October 21, 2003)
Downloading copyrighted music from the World Wide Web without paying for it is a violation of federal law. Is it unethical, too? A representative of the Recording Industry Association of America.
Pledging to make strong relations between Cornell University and the city of Ithaca "a hallmark of my presidency," Cornell President Jeffrey S. Lehman began his inaugural celebration in Ithaca today (Oct. 16) by announcing a proposal for a new memorandum of understanding that would significantly increase the university's monetary contributions to the city. "A strong university and a strong community go hand in hand," Lehman said this morning at a meeting with community leaders at the Tompkins County Public Library in downtown Ithaca. "A community with outstanding services, outstanding schools, and outstanding recreational and cultural opportunities makes Cornell attractive to outstanding students, faculty and staff members. Those students, faculty and staff members, in turn, help keep the community strong and contribute to the overall quality of life. We need to recognize the importance of our town-gown partnership. We need to celebrate it. And we need to strengthen it, especially in an era of budget constraints." (October 16, 2003)
Most of the work of Cornell ergonomist Alan Hedge focuses on applying ergonomic design criteria to make workplaces more productive, such as redesigning computer stations, keyboards and mice, chairs and lighting.
Bill Nye, noted television popularizer of science, will be coming to Cornell University, Oct. 19-25, for his final visit as a Frank H.T. Rhodes Class of '56 University Professor. Nye will give a free public lecture, titled "Galileo's Grapes: A Cosmological Perspective," Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the David L. Call Auditorium of Kennedy Hall. The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required and will be distributed starting Oct. 16 at the Willard Straight Hall ticket office. Tickets are limited to two per person. (October 15, 2003)
Jamaica Kincaid, one of the most important and influential authors writing today, will give a reading Friday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m. in the Hollis E. Cornell Auditorium of Goldwin Smith Hall on the Cornell University campus. The event is free and open to the public. Kincaid is the third reader in the James McConkey Readings in American Fiction series sponsored by the Cornell Department of English's Creative Writing Program. The previous readers in the series have been Tobias Wolff, in 2001, and Tim O'Brien, in 1999. (October 15, 2003)
As the entire Cornell University community "celebrates a new beginning" with the inauguration and installation of President Jeffrey S. Lehman, a timely new history of Cornell also is arriving at the Cornell Store during Inauguration Week. Cornell: Glorious to View, written by Cornell lecturer and historian Carol Kammen and published by Cornell University Library, takes a fresh and engaging look at the university's origins, historical challenges and its achievements. The title of the book is derived from Cornell's famous alma mater. Drawing on the extensive holdings of manuscripts and photographs housed in the Cornell Archives, Kammen's concise account conveys the intimate details and the unique character of almost a century and a half of the Cornell experience. (October 15, 2003)
New York, NY (October 14, 2003) -- As part of an historic "triple inauguration," Jeffrey S. Lehman will be inaugurated as president of Cornell University at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City on Wednesday, October 15. This follows inaugural ceremonies at the Weill Cornell Medical College in Doha, Qatar, and precedes ceremonies at Cornell's main campus in Ithaca. The New York City ceremonies feature an inaugural address articulating President Lehman's global vision for Cornell and higher education, and a presentation by international AIDS leader Dr. Anthony Fauci on urgent current challenges to global health. Reflecting his global vision, Lehman is probably the first university president to be inaugurated both within and beyond national borders."Cornell Celebrates a New Beginning" is the theme of the inauguration, in which Lehman, 47, will challenge higher education to provide fresh leadership in areas, like health care, that are critical to the well-being of all humanity.
New York, NY (October 13, 2003) -- Sex has many health benefits -- including mental, cardiovascular, and immune system health -- according to two physicians and sexual health experts at NewYork Weill Cornell Medical Center. Likewise, sexual dysfunction, which is largely untreated, has many associated health risks and should be treated as a major public health issue, they say, especially as more adults are enjoying sex later in life."Sex is good for you, with benefits including a longer, healthier, and happier life," says Dr. John Mulhall, Director of the Sexual Medicine Program and Associate Attending Urologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center, and Associate Professor of Urology at the Weill Cornell Medical College. "Conversely, sexual problems like erectile dysfunction (ED) can contribute to a variety of other mental and physical problems, including depression and relationship discord. ED may also be a harbinger of diseases, including diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, coronary artery disease, among others."