A panel of top Cornell faculty members, a reception for more than 1,000 Cornellians and a day of volunteer service projects will highlight "Big Red in the Big Apple," Jan. 25-26 in New York City.

Alumni will be joined by President David Skorton, members of the Cornell Board of Trustees and Weill Cornell Medical College Board of Overseers, students, staff, faculty and friends for "a celebration of bold ideas and big aspirations." The weekend is sponsored by Alumni Affairs and Development and by Far Above ... The Campaign for Cornell.

"Our Cornell celebration in New York is the first of a small number of similar gatherings we will plan during the campaign," said campaign director Jim Mazza '88. "These programs are a wonderful way to showcase many aspects of the university's aspirations and priorities."

Mazza said that faculty and student participation are key, and the program reflects their involvement.

Provost Carolyn (Biddy) Martin will moderate the panel discussion, "A Meeting of the Minds," Jan. 25 at the Grand Hyatt, which will focus on the intersection of culture, science, politics and international relations. The panel features the following faculty members:

• Daniel Huttenlocher, computer science;
• Peter Katzenstein, international studies;
• Fredrik Logevall, history;
• Susan McCouch, plant breeding and genetics;
• Ralph Nachman, clinical research, Weill Cornell Medical College;
• Maureen O'Hara, management; and
• Eswar Prasad, applied economics and management.

The panel will be followed by an evening reception at Cipriani's 42nd Street for a capacity crowd of more than 1,000 guests, with remarks by Skorton. Multimedia presentations will showcase Cornell's achievements, its present and future; and the university's and Weill Cornell's local, regional and global impact.

On Saturday, Jan. 26, nearly 300 Cornell volunteers will assist more than a dozen agencies throughout the city as part of Cornell Cares, a service event coordinated by Cornell's Public Service Center. The service programs range from youth development and neighborhood revitalization in the Bronx to homeless youth services and soup kitchens citywide. One program, Doc to Dock, is based in Brooklyn and packs and ships unused medical supplies to developing countries in Africa.

The agencies involved have an ongoing partnership with Cornell and are assisted by current students working with the Public Service Center.

The events have been organized with additional assistance from colleges and units across the university, the Cornell Annual Fund and Cornell Information Technologies' Technology Solutions, as well as Alumni Affairs and Development Events Management, Marketing and Communications, Metro-New York Regional Office, Office of the Vice President and Business Services.