Renata Leitao
Dr. Renata M. Leitão is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Centered Design at Cornell University. She is a graphic designer and social design researcher with extensive experience in intercultural and participatory projects with Indigenous and local communities.
At the helm of the Pluriversal Futures Design Lab (PluriFutures), Dr. Leitão focuses on ontological and communication design. The lab's mission is to foster societal transformation towards new, flourishing futures. PluriFutures tackles the pressing environmental
- Jun 27, 2024
- by Juan Vazquez-Leddon
- Holistic Human Health, Sustainability + Society
Ecology offers framework for understanding human behavior
Marlen Z. Gonzalez, assistant professor of psychology, has frequently heard behavioral scientists say “context matters” when trying to make sense of problems caused by human behavior.
Her answer: Align the science of human behavior with the science of behavioral ecology, or how animals – in this case, humans – interact with their environment. In a comment published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, Gonzalez and Marissa Rice, a postdoctoral researcher in Gonzalez’s Life
- 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
Andy Turner
Andrew Turner accepted a position with Extension Administration in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences after working for 22 years in the Cornell Cooperative Extension system in Rockland, Greene and Columbia Counties in New York's Hudson Valley. Turner accepted an interim role as the Director of the New York State 4-H Youth Development program in the BCTR in 2014 and is currently in the process of being promoted to Senior Extension Associate in BCTR
- May 7, 2026
- by Juan Vazquez-Leddon
- Community Engagement, Holistic Human Health, Social Impact + Justice, Sustainability + Society, Technology + Human Thriving
BCTR Poster Symposium highlights student research across disciplines
Student research from across campus was on display during the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research (BCTR) Poster Symposium on April 28, 2026 in the Physical Sciences Building. The symposium included undergraduate students from Cornell Human Ecology, the College of Arts and Sciences, Cornell Duffield College of Engineering, along with graduate students.
“This event showcases the remarkable translational research work students are involved in across the campus,” said Kristen Elmore, BCTR associate director. “They’re excited to
Sheila Danko
Professor Danko’s multi-disciplinary design background includes formal training in architecture, industrial, graphic, and interior design. This first-hand insight into designing across disciplines enables her to emphasize problem seeking - ie creative exploration of needs and opportunities -- coupled with a wide range of design methods to tailor process to problem space.
Her scholarship focuses on the intersection of design and leadership. Her goal is to expand the everyday concept of design beyond material artifact to
- Oct 28, 2024
- by Marisa LaFalce
- Community Engagement, Technology + Human Thriving, Donor, Student Life
Designers in Residence offer fresh perspectives and new challenges
Amid a riot of colors and textures, faculty and students from Cornell Human Ecology’s Department of Human Centered Design (HCD) marvel at the swatches and garments on display in the MVR 1250 gallery.
Knitwear experts Thijs Verhaar and Lyske Gais spent two weeks embedded in HCD as the 2024 Designers in Residence. During the residency, they attended classes; hosted workshops, a gallery exhibit and a lecture; and made themselves available to faculty and students.
Verhaar