- Dec 1, 2023
- Social Impact + Justice, Alumni
The architect who shattered the glass ceiling in India
When she was 16, Ponni Mukundan Concessao, M.S. ’89 walked into one of India’s premier technical colleges and demanded a seat in the undergraduate architecture program. The Principal said they didn’t accept girls, citing security concerns. She quoted the Indian Constitution, which guarantees gender equality and went on to pursue legal action. “For me, it was that or an arranged marriage,” she recalled.
She became the first woman undergraduate at the National Institute of Technology’s
Marianella Casasola
Marianella Casasola earned her undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Spanish Literature from the University of California, Berkeley. She earned her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. Her expertise is in infant cognitive development and early word learning with a particular interest in the interaction between language and thought during the first years of development. Along with her students, she examines various aspects of early cognitive and linguistic development, but is especially interested
- Sep 25, 2024
- Community Engagement, Social Impact + Justice, Sustainability + Society
A research trip to India’s indigenous communities makes global health personal
Last July, a group of Cornell students sat on mats in a wooden pavilion at the edge of a forest in southern India, passing around plants. A traditional healer from a local indigenous community explained which ones ease menstrual cramps, treat joint pain and soothe colicky infants.
The visit was part of a five-week program that brought seven Cornell students — including four from Cornell Human Ecology — to the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, a protected
- Sep 26, 2023
- by Emily Groff
- Holistic Human Health, Social Impact + Justice
Visiting scholar to discuss health equity
The inaugural Flemmie Kittrell Visiting Scholar in the College of Human Ecology, Dr. Ruth C. Browne — president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House New York (RMH-NY) — will come to campus Oct. 4–6 for a series of events, including a public lecture. Her lecture, “Nourishing Innovation and Impact through Health Equity: Is Everyone at the Table?” will be from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 4, in the Human Ecology Commons.
During her
- Jul 16, 2026
- by Marisa LaFalce
- Alumni
B Sanborn champions design research
B. Sanborn is an environmental psychologist and anthropologist who uses design research to make buildings and communities more innovative and usable. With an M.S. in Human Environment Relations (2015) and 12 years of experience in the architecture industry, they now run their own practice, driven by a deep curiosity about how people interact with space.
Q. What does your work look like day to day?
A. I collaborate with designers, owners, clients, community groups, and
- Aug 4, 2026
- by Marisa LaFalce
- Alumni
Curiosity drives research analyst Jhovanna Perez, M.S. ’23
Jhovanna Perez is a research analyst at FutureBrand, part of McCann Worldgroup. She explores how changing consumer behaviors shape the future of experience design. She helps organizations uncover opportunities for design innovation by exploring questions such as how younger generations shop for beauty care products, what they expect from next-generation retail environments, how the candy shopping experience can be reimagined, and how the home buying journey can feel more human. Her research informs experience strategies