From faculty and philanthropy to family and friends, there is much to enjoy and discover during our Family Fellows events.
In Spring 2021, we offered a variety of virtual events, and that virtual programming is listed below. The 2020 Family Fellows Spring Weekend on-campus program is listed below for you to get a sense of the unique activities typically offered when we are on campus.
Cornell Family Fellows Spring Semester 2021
The Cornell Family Fellows are invited to Ithaca each spring for a special weekend program that offers personal interaction with university leadership, seminars of substance from top faculty in diverse fields, and activities with their children. In 2021, the program consisted of online opportunities spread out over the semester, which are listed below. A look at a typical on-campus Family Fellows experience is provided at the bottom of the page.
June 8, 2021, 12:00 pm (EDT)
Transforming the Student Experience
presented by Student and Campus Life (SCL)
Vice President Ryan Lombardi and members of his leadership team discussed new ways Student & Campus Life will support students in the year to come, and how they foster a sense of belonging. At the heart of the student experience, Student & Campus Life inspires transformation in all Cornell students so they may thrive in and out of the classroom, and well beyond their time on the Hill.
Ryan Lombardi has served as the Vice President for Student & Campus Life (SCL) since August 2015. Ryan’s leadership, and the work of this division, impacts virtually every student at Cornell and strives to create a campus environment that enables student transformation. The Division of SCL is composed of Athletics and Physical Education, Office of the Dean of Students, Campus and Community Engagement, Cornell Health, Campus Life Enterprise Services, Cornell Career Services, and the Office of the Vice President.
May 3, 2021, 6:00 pm (EDT)
The Buzz on Birding
presented by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
This past year, as we spent more time outdoors, did you become curious about bird activity and nature around you? Have you or your Cornell student visited or wondered about the Lab of Ornithology? Bird migration is about to get (even more) exciting in much of the country. Please join us, whether you are a birding novice or expert, to learn about the Lab and the joy of birding.
Jennifer Fee, an experienced naturalist at the lab, explained how any yard can provide a front row seat to the spectacle of migration.
April 10, 2021, 3:00 pm (EST)
Family Fellows Wine Tasting, presented by the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
There are many ways to enjoy a glass of wine. In early April, we did so with the expertise of Cornell’s viticulture and enology department and an alumna whose family owns one of the premier wineries in the Finger Lakes. In partnership with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Family Fellows offered a wine tasting with Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery, named by Wine & Spirits as one of the top 100 wineries of 2019 and whose founder was the pioneer of the Eastern United States’ vinifera movement.
After registering, guests received a shipment of three bottles of Dr. Frank’s best vintages to enjoy during the program. Gavin Sacks of the Food Science department and Head of the Sacks Research Lab spoke about how viticulture and enology is taught at Cornell’s teaching winery and Meaghan Frank ’11, MPS ’16, vice president of Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery provided insights into the wines tasted, as well as the growth of the industry in the Finger Lakes.
March 17, 2021, 7:00 pm (EST)
From Robots and Pipettes to Rolled Up Sleeves:
An Inside Look at Cornell’s COVID-19 Testing Lab and How the Veterinary College is Fighting the Pandemic Statewide
Cornell’s scientific expertise, testing strategy, on-site labs, and use of data and modeling help keep students safe on campus last year. Senior leaders on the front lines in the Veterinary College took us behind the scenes and offered insights into the pandemic.
For any questions, please email, familyfellows@cornell.edu.
Location: Atrium, Physical Sciences Building
Meet university leaders, faculty, and staff at the opening reception hosted by Provost Michael Kotlikoff. Each family may also honor a faculty member, coach, advisor, or staff person important to their student’s Cornell experience by inviting them to the reception.
Enjoy a free evening and dinner on your own with your student.
Location: Room 196, Beck Center, Statler Hall
Kavita Bala, professor and chair, Computer Science Department, Computing and Information Science and founder of GrokStyle
From classroom to boardroom, Kavita Bala bridges the academic and the applied. Her research spans computer vision, computer graphics, and human perception. Her remarks will touch on her experience as a founder of a Bay Area start-up and the responsibility of higher education to prepare students to enter the workforce.
Location: Room 196, Beck Center, Statler Hall
Tamara Loos MA '94, PhD '99, professor and chair, Department of History, College of Arts & Sciences
Professor Loos teaches in the department of History and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Studies Program. Her research and writing covers Thailand and Southeast Asia, gender and sexuality, emotions and social history, auto/biography and history, travel, and extreme sports. She will discuss her most recent book, Bones Around My Neck: The Life and Exile of a Prince Provocateur.
Location: The Carrier Ballroom, Statler Hotel
John Fitzpatrick, professor; Louis Agassiz Fuertes Director, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
Steven Osofsky, Jay Hyman Professor of Wildlife Health & Health Policy in the College of Veterinary Medicine; Director, Cornell Wildlife Health Center
Catherine L. Kling, Tisch University Professor in the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management and faculty director at the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability
Cornell faculty speak about ecological pathways and interactions between humans and nature.
Location: Room 196, Beck Center, Statler Hall
Aija Leiponen, professor and director of the Master in Professional Studies in the Applied Economics and Management, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business
In the age of digital platforms and big data, we are often oblivious to what happens to all the information in the background. Professor Leiponen will discuss the economic and legal nature of the data that fuels the digital economy. Data being fundamentally different from other types of intellectual assets, markets for data will require new types of business models and new regulatory solutions. We will all be participants in these data market solutions.
Location: Room 196, Beck Center, Statler Hall
Vanessa Bohns, associate professor, Department of Organizational Behavior, School of Industrial and Labor Relations
We often search for ways to become more influential. Professor Bohns' research on social influence, compliance, and consent suggests that in our search for ways to gain influence, we fail to recognize the influence we already have. Bohns will talk about the misperceptions that can make us feel as if we have little impact when, in fact, people see us, listen to us, and agree to do things for us more often than we realize—for better and worse. This lack of awareness can cause us to miss opportunities for influence or to be careless with the influence we do wield.
Location: Stocking Hall Conference Center
Did you know that Cornell's Dairy Plant supplies much of the milk, yogurt and, of course, ice cream on campus? Did you know that each fall students in Food Science 101 compete to have their ice cream flavor offered at the Dairy Bar? That the Dairy Plant is the only kosher-certified dairy plant on a college campus? Take a tour of the plant and sample some of our favorite flavors at this special, decadent reception.
A parents-only event.
Location: Memorial Room, Willard Straight Hall
Ryan Lombardi, Vice President for Student and Campus Life
Corey Ryan Earle '07, visiting lecturer, College of Arts & Sciences
Along with co-founding Cornell University, Ezra Cornell influenced a generation of philanthropists including Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller. Join Ryan Lombardi and Corey Ryan Earle ’07 in the historic Memorial Room within Willard Straight Hall where they will teach us about Cornell’s unique history through stories of philanthropy and its impact on campus.
With an annual gift of $15,000 or more, you join the Cornell Family Fellows. By investing further in Cornell, you extend your support to all Cornell students. Family Fellows gain a special perspective about the campus and community.
Make a gift online
Take a one-week course taught by leading Cornell faculty on campus! Courses include wine and food pairing, physics, photography, and more. Register before March 31 for early bird pricing!
Learn more and register
Division of Alumni Affairs and Development
130 E. Seneca Street, Suite 400
Ithaca, NY 14850
