Cornell Global Development

The Daniel G. Sisler Global Development Student Hub is officially open! 🎉 On October 10, the Global Development and CALS community came together for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to official name our Student Hub in honor of Daniel G. Sisler, Ph.D. ’62, who was an inspiring teacher, beloved mentor and world-renowned hunger fighter who touched the lives of over 12,000 students during his 34-year career in Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. We were honored to have the Sisler family in attendance with us to celebrate the special occasion. “My dad dedicated his life to hard work and love,” said Professor Sisler's son, Peter Sisler, at the ceremony. “There were so many obstacles that he overcame — from his humble beginnings on his family farm to pursuing a Ph.D. as a blind man — but he always persevered by dedicating his life to two principles: courage and humanitarianism.” Read more about the Sisler Student Hub: https://lnkd.in/dF3EZUaW

In November, I had the privilege of presenting my summer research project on a panel at the Laidlaw Undergraduate Research Conference at Columbia University, and later at Cornell’s Global Research Poster Symposium. These events provided me a unique opportunity to share my work with a broader academic audience as well as learn from the inspiring research conducted by my peers at Cornell and across the Laidlaw student network. A big thank you to the Laidlaw Foundation and the Einaudi Center for International Studies for organizing such enriching events!

Proud to celebrate with our remarkable December 2024 Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences graduates. Congratulations to the newest alumni of our Cornell family! 🎓🐻

Thrilled to share that our paper on the EU CBAM and its implications for Brazil has made it into the top 10 most-viewed papers at Climate Policy—ranking 8th! Grateful for the incredible collaboration with my co-authors, Sigit Perdana and Marc Vielle. Here's to continuing our journey and producing even more impactful research in 2025! 🌍📄

I am delighted to share the 2024 Annual Report of the Tata-Cornell Institute (TCI). I am proud of the pathbreaking and high quality work our students and research fellows are doing on sustainable food systems transformation.

"We cannot of course create ancient dark earths, as they would not be ancient if we create them now," Johannes Lehmann says in BBC Science Focus. Scientists can, however, use organic matter to develop charcoal-like substance called biochar.

I'm extremely happy to share this new publication. It is my first attempt to synthesize the socio-historical approach I have been using for researching community engagement. The article is mostly a theoretical contribution drawing from different disciplines, including sociology of higher education, political economy and global history of science, and network theories. Free access: https://lnkd.in/euGbWqJX "This approach could be used as a supplement to the managerial and normative debate, to create new research questions and bring the CE academic debate in connection with broader issues in higher education. A socio-historical approach is a way of putting fields and sub-disciplines into dialogue to foster more research on CE beyond the search for “good practices” or assessments. On the contrary, our lenses should be directed to “bad” practices or so-called failures." I would like to thank the editors and reviewers for their support. Also, to acknowledge the work of my Dissertation Committee, as this paper came out of one of my qualifying or "A" exam at Cornell Global Development

Countdown to December graduation is on! 🥁 🎉 🎓Senior spotlight: Jack Porter '25! 🎓 "My most important takeaway from Cornell and from CALS is how important it is to take risks, meet new people, and go outside. The most impactful experiences and best memories I have made here all came from braving the unknown. Cornell is a beautiful place with fantastic people and I think all students should try to take advantage of it as much as possible." 📸 Swipe through for some of Jack's favorite Cornell memories on the rugby team, taking soil samples at the research ponds, the small boat sailing PE race, and many outdoor adventures!

Congratulations to Ijeoma Seraphie Obiedelu for earning the 2025 Ronny Adhikarya Niche Award (RANA)! 🎉 The RANA Prize, which recognizes Global Development graduate students pursuing innovative thinking in their studies and careers, will fund Ijeoma’s vision to create a safe, women-driven mobility service in Nigeria that not only reduces the risks of gender-based violence during commutes but also empowers women through job creation and economic independence. “By giving women greater control over their mobility and financial futures, this initiative disrupts traditional gender roles in an impactful way. I want to directly challenge gender norms in my home country of Nigeria, and I see employment and mobility sectors as an innovative place to start,” Ijeoma shares. Ijeoma is a Master of Professional Studies student in Global Development at Cornell and an Einaudi Director's Fellow with the Institute for African Development. Her graduate studies at the intersection of conflict and climate adaptation build on her wealth of experience as an activist, entrepreneur and peacebuilder in her home country of Nigeria. 📌 Read more about Ijeoma's selection for the 2025 RANA Prize: https://lnkd.in/eNy2bxmb Einaudi Center for International Studies Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Laidlaw scholar Jensen Njagi '25 spent the summer doing community-based translational research in his home country of Kenya. He has also gained research experience working with Charles Midega and Rebecca Nelson, pioneer researchers on Circular Bionutrient Economy (CBE), which facilitates the transformation of organic waste into valuable products. "At the beginning of time as a Laidlaw scholar, I was excited and anxious about how I could channel my energy, skills, ideas, and training in international development, to best contribute to the CBE projects and opportunities that lay ahead," said Jensen. But what he learned was that "We’re not the only experts; a lot of our engagements involved a lot of learning—learning at heart with an action-based mindset that empowered everyone in the process." Read more of Jensen's story with Laidlaw and as a Cornell Global Development major: https://lnkd.in/enB6Py4E We're accepting applications now for our next cohort of #LaidlawScholars! Apply by January 31 to start your leadership and research journey: https://lnkd.in/ehA3HZAj