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The College of Human Ecology held its fourth annual HumEcathon, a hackathon-style design challenge, on May 1, bringing together 27 undergraduates to work in multidisciplinary teams on this year’s topic of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives on campus.

Organized by the Dean’s Undergraduate Advisory Council (DUAC), the event was inspired by an information session for prospective students that had stuck with the members of DUAC.

“While a lot of other colleges have large information

Sander Kersten Ph.D. ’97, an experienced molecular nutrition researcher and academic leader, has been named the new director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences, which is shared by the College of Human Ecology (CHE) and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). 

Kersten, who was also named the Schleifer Family Professor in CHE, comes to Cornell from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, where he was most recently professor and chair of the Division

The Contribution Project is once again funding student ideas to make the world a better place. Of the 100 students selected for the 2023 awards, 17 are in Cornell Human Ecology. Their projects range from improving campus gathering spaces, to providing toiletries to homeless people in Ithaca, to encouraging teenagers to help make blankets for children in South Africa. 

Since it started in 2019, the Contribution Project has provided an opportunity for Cornell Human Ecology

On a brisk Thursday morning, 65 first-year students sat in rapt attention in NS 1600 Introduction to Public Health as Jennie Joseph challenged conventional thinking with a powerful concept: materno-toxic zones. She described these as environments so harmful to pregnant or new mothers that they threaten the safety of the mother and/or her children.

“Think about a problem that you or your loved ones had with the health system and why,” urged Joseph, founder and

Equipped with rat tail combs, hair clips and braiding gel, Lauren Hooks begins the workshop by explaining the purpose of each tool. Then, with patient precision, she guides each student as they try to braid a mannequin’s hair. 

Hooks is a hair artist based in Atlanta, Georgia. She specializes in braiding, blending historical and cultural traditions with her own creative vision to create novel, wearable art. Her designs have featured in both film and fashion