Students learn to handle livestock like pros

Field Note

Working with livestock can be exciting and challenging—even intimidating for those who didn’t grow up on a farm. But even if you grew up in the city and have never interacted with large animals you can still learn to work with livestock. How? By...
  • Animal Science
  • Animals
Two women stand with a sheep set up in show position.

Ojok Okello: Experimenting a model for African rural villages of the future

Field Note

In the face of entrenched conflict, climate change, and poverty in rural Uganda, Ojok Okello embarked on a bold mission to create the first sustainable rural city in the country. As the founder and CEO of Okere City , Ojok engages with residents...
  • Global Development Section
  • Global Development
Man herds cows

Rethinking the issue of solid household waste in Ethiopia

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
Pile of waste

Brian Aukema: 4H animal science, so much more than animals

Field Note

Brian Aukema ’98 joined the Department of Animal Science in fall 2023 as the New York state 4-H livestock and companion animal specialist. We sat down with him for a chat about his interests, goals and background. What is the focus of your new...
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • Animal Science
  • Animals
headshot of Brian Aukema

Brieanna Hughes: Empowering youth through equine education

Field Note

The New York State 4-H Horse Program and Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) offer a wide variety of equine projects and activities to New York youth ages 5–19. Brieanna Hughes is the New York State 4-H equine youth specialist. With a background...
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • Animal Science
  • Animals
a woman hugs the head of a horse peering out of its stall

Eliana Amoh ’26: Understanding Ghanaian youth migration dynamics

Field Note

Meet Eliana Amoh ’26, an undergraduate student in Global Development whose research explores youth development, educational equity, and economic migration. As a Laidlaw scholar at Cornell , Eliana is examining the interplay of education, labor...
  • Global Development Section
  • Global Development
Eliana Amoh

Exploring the world of wool: An adventure in fiber

Field Note

In the heart of Morrison Hall on a Monday afternoon, Bruce Berggren-Thomas ’79, instructor for ANSC 1400 Wool: Animal Fiber Production and Processing, and a wool enthusiast, teaches students the process of washing and carding fresh wool. As they...
  • Animal Science
  • Animals
a man picks raw wool in a lab classroom

Lidia Komondy lauded as ‘future leader’ in agricultural science

Field Note

Lidia Komondy is a Ph.D. candidate working in the lab of Brian Nault, professor of entomology at Cornell AgriTech. Komondy has so excelled in vegetable entomology research, she was one of only five graduate students in the U.S. selected for the...
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • Entomology
Lidia Komondy stands among USDA future leaders

Zach Stansell: Curating the USDA-ARS seed collection at Cornell AgriTech

Field Note

Zachary Stansell, Ph.D. ’20, is a geneticist, horticulturalist and curator of the hemp crop collection of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service at Cornell AgriTech. When he was a Ph.D. student at Cornell AgriTech...
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
Zach Stansell pulls out a tray of seeds

Mercy Abutsa, MPS '24: Engaging youth in climate action in Nigeria

Field Note

In the wake of Nigeria's devastating 2022 floods, Mercy Awazi Abutsa, MPS ’24 , a dedicated advocate for climate action and rural development, found renewed purpose. Inspired by the urgent need to address climate change alongside existing...
  • Global Development Section
  • Global Development
Woman tends to a strawberry field in Nigeria

Caring for urban forests in Nairobi’s informal settlements

Field Note

Master of Landscape Architecture student Kate Chesebrough spent six weeks this summer working as an urban forestry research fellow with the Center for International Forestry and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) in Nairobi, Kenya. The fellowship...
  • Landscape Architecture
  • Climate Change
  • Environment
  • Landscape
  • Global Development
Kate Chesebrough sits with four youth group members near a small waterfall and stream.

Jeff Kang’acha ‘24: Bridging tech and agriculture for global impact

Field Note

Meet Jeff Kang’acha ‘24, a global development student with a deep-rooted commitment to making a positive impact on food systems and digital agriculture. As a fourth-generation smallholder farmer from Central Kenya, Jeff's passion lies in...
  • Global Development Section
  • Digital Agriculture
  • Global Development
Headshot of Jeff Kang'acha

Meet our faculty: Quinn Kolar

Field Note

Quinn Kolar ’15 joined the Department of Animal Science in Fall 2023 as the Dairy Fellows Alumni Senior Lecturer in Dairy Herd Management. We sat down with her for a chat about her interests and goals. What’s your academic focus? I’ll be...
  • Animal Science
  • Animals
  • Dairy
  • Dairy Fellows Program
headshot of Quinn Kolar

Explore NMSP internships with 2023 interns and mentors

Field Note

Each summer, Cornell’s Nutrient Management Spear Program (NMSP) offers a variety of internships which provide experiences in the field and the lab. Interns are mentored by faculty, staff, graduate students, and professionals. We sat down with...
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • Animal Science
  • Statistics and Data Science
  • Agriculture
  • Field Crops
  • Climate Change
  • Environment
  • Dairy
  • Crops
  • Soil
All of the NMSP interns standing next to each other, smiling at the 2023 ANSCI poster session.

Beans for breakfast: How Cornell AgriTech helped this NYC startup grow

Field Note

Vasquez moved to New York from Ecuador in 2017 with the primary goal of learning English. Toward the end of 2019, after two years of language school, she stopped in at the City University of New York (CUNY) Welcome Center, intrigued after a...
  • Center of Excellence in Food and Agriculture
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • Cornell Food Venture Center
A blue bag of pancake mix next to a plate of pancakes.

Coverdell Fellow Elizabeth Arrazola's drive for immigration justice

Field Note

After serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco, Elizabeth Arrazola returned to the United States with a passion to support equitable immigration rights, particularly for unaccompanied minors. This path led her to the Master of Professional...
  • Global Development Section
  • Global Development
Elizabeth Arrazola headshot