Pursuing tech-driven innovation in nutrient management: Meet Issa Diaz

Field Note

Graduate student Issa Diaz ‘28 grew up in San Luis, Comayagua, Honduras. She has always been passionate about helping farmers streamline their practices and dreamed of coming to Cornell University. Now that she has joined the Nutrient Management...
  • PRO-DAIRY
  • Animal Science
  • Agriculture
  • Digital Agriculture
  • Field Crops
Woman smiling in front of a tree.

2024 Undergraduate summer research poster session a smashing success

Field Note

This year's animal science undergraduate summer research poster session featured interns from the Nutrient Management Spear Program (NMSP), PRO-DAIRY, Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) and Cornell Initiative for Digital Agriculture (CIDA) as...
  • PRO-DAIRY
  • Animal Science
  • Field Crops
  • Dairy
A group of young adults posing in a room smiling at the camera together.

One Health in action: A student summer of conservation in Uganda

Field Note

The delicate balance between humans and chimpanzees in Uganda's Kasongoire Forest is at risk. As forest land and animal habitats are cleared for commercial sugar cane fields, chimpanzees resort to “crop raiding” in neighboring villages —...
  • Animal Science
  • Animals
  • Ecosystems
  • Health + Nutrition
a mother chimp holds her baby in the forest

In the field: Empowering farmers through agroforestry, carbon markets

Field Note

Meet Seongmin Shin , a Ph.D. candidate in Development Studies at Cornell University with a deep commitment to environmental sustainability at the nexus of climate change, the carbon market, and agroforestry. Recently recognized with the IUFRO...
  • Global Development Section
  • Global Development
Four people sit in circle and converse

Striving for sustainable crop production: SuMAS intern Francisco Lopez

Field Note

First generation Puerto Rican Francisco J. López Núñez attends the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez. He was selected for the Sustainable Management of Agricultural Systems (SuMAS) internship program, which connected him with the Cornell...
  • Field Crops
  • Soil
Man in a neon work vest smiling at the camera holding equipment in a field.

Jensen Njagi ’25: Inspired by a cause to turn waste into value

Field Note

As a Laidlaw scholar , Jensen Njagi ’25 spent the summer doing community-based translational research in his home country of Kenya. As a Global Development major, Jensen is driven by a purpose to improve community health while considering the...
  • Global Development Section
  • Agriculture
  • Environment
  • Global Development
  • Health + Nutrition
Student organizes buckets

Sushmi Majumder '25: Artistic reflections on our connections to food

Field Note

Cornell’s Food Systems and Global Change program launched a storytelling project called “Food is…,” which aims to meld digital illustration with personal narratives on the multifaceted nature of what food means to each of us. Hear from Sushmi...
  • Department of Communication
  • Global Development Section
  • Communication
  • Food
  • Global Development
  • Health + Nutrition
three digital drawings

Meet the grain-swimming robot set to revolutionize crop management

Field Note

Lorenzo Conti admits he wasn’t thinking about starting a business when he first discovered the “Crover effect.” Conti was completing his PhD in granular materials at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland when he discovered that the...
  • Center of Excellence in Food and Agriculture
  • Cornell AgriTech
A man holding a trophy

Student inspired by teaching experience at local prison

Field Note

What did you find rewarding about being a TA for the class? This experience was full of firsts. Most of the students had never heard of plant diseases. Bill and I introduced them to a whole world of biological phenomena and vocabulary. I’ve been...
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
Libby Indemaur and CPEP plant science students

Diana Reyes Gomez: Harnessing red seaweed to reduce cow methane emissions

Field Note

Diana Reyes Gomez is a postdoctoral associate in the lab of Joseph McFadden at Cornell University. Her work focuses on innovative strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance the efficiency of dairy cattle. In particular, she...
  • PRO-DAIRY
  • Animal Science
  • Animals
  • Climate Change
  • Dairy
a woman in a lab coat looks at a beaker of liquid

Taking the journey from animal science to One Health

Field Note

When Tyra Jenkins ’19 graduated with a degree in animal science, she envisioned a future in veterinary medicine. However, her path extended beyond traditional clinical practice to a significant role in public health, where she now protects both...
  • Animal Science
  • Animals
  • Disease
headshot of tyra jenkins

Lessons from US agricultural cooperatives for China

Field Note

The Humphrey PACT (Practitioner - Assistant - Collaborative - Training) Program pairs undergraduate students in Global Development with Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows to work on a research endeavor in the fields of agriculture, rural development...
  • Global Development Section
  • Global Development
Aerial view of farm and tractor

New Visions student Lauren Anderson digs into soil health

Field Note

Lauren Anderson started working with the Nutrient Management Spear Program (NMSP) in Fall 2023 through the TST BOCES New Visions program . Anderson is now continuing with NMSP as a summer intern, working on a soil health project. Read on to...
  • Animal Science
  • Microbiology
  • Agriculture
  • Soil
Woman standing in front of a seated crowd speaking about a slide that is displayed to the right.

Natural curiosity rears essential research

Field Note

Meet Hannah Tolz We recently talked to Hannah about what inspires her work and how it’s contributing to NYSIPM’s mission to lead research and education on the selection and use of pest management options to protect personal, environmental and...
  • Cornell Integrated Pest Management
  • Entomology
Hannah Tolz with a spotted lanternfly on her hand

Food loss & waste for climate action and reduced carbon emissions

Field Note

Ruhşan Özdemir Çifçi , a 2023-24 Humphrey Fellow at Cornell , is committed to addressing sustainability and food access challenges across Türkiye. During her Humphrey Fellowship, she completed her Professional Affiliation at the International...
  • Global Development Section
  • Global Development
Group picks strawberries

Rahul Goel: Coding a tool for the future of farming

Field Note

Graduate research assistant Rahul Goel worked on a precision agriculture project with Cornell’s Nutrient Management Spear Program (NMSP) alongside Subha Srinivasagan , Atkinson postdoctoral fellow. Having worked for NMSP for the 2023-24 school...
  • Animal Science
  • Crops
  • Soil
A woman is smiling on the left as a man on the right smiles and talks, gesturing with his hands.

Angela George: Monitoring manure pits to tackle greenhouse gas emissions

Field Note

Angela George is a dairy environmental specialist with the Dairy Environmental Systems group of PRO-DAIRY. She focuses on researching greenhouse gas and methane emissions, utilizing renewable energy from dairy waste and assisting farmers with...
  • PRO-DAIRY
  • Animal Science
  • Climate Change
headshot of angela george

Sadie Groberg ’24: Advocating for criminal justice reform

Field Note

Meet Sadie Groberg ’24, an undergraduate in Global Development who seeks to make the world a better place through criminal justice reform. During her time at Cornell, Sadie gained unique insights into the carceral system through her research on...
  • Global Development Section
  • Global Development
Headshot of Sadie Groberg

Sammi Lin '23: Navigating a career in conservation and advocacy

Field Note

Meet Sammi Lin '23, a recent graduate in the Department of Global Development with a passion for sustainability and equity, particularly in transforming food systems and empowering marginalized communities. Upon graduating in December 2023...
  • Global Development Section
  • Global Development
Woman sits by the water

NY FarmNet brings suicide prevention education to communities across NYS

Field Note

While suicide is a leading cause of death nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rates soar even higher in rural areas – between 64 and 68 percent higher than in urban areas. Farmers, in particular, are...
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • NY FarmNet
NY FarmNet Family Consultants Elaine Eaton and Audrey McDougal after presenting TSL for the Cornell Vet School in September of 2023.