- Aug 13, 2026
- by Holly Hartigan, Cornell Chronicle
- Student Life
Many paths, one destination: Cornell welcomes new students
The 3,681 first-year students and 603 transfers who begin moving to campus Aug. 17, hail from 49 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and American Samoa, and 62 countries.
Laura Bellows
Laura Bellows, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D.N., is a Professor in the Division of Nutritional Sciences. She is a public health nutrition scientist whose research program centers on developing, evaluating, and translating evidence-based interventions that improve nutrition, physical activity, and health among children and families.
Her interdisciplinary research integrates nutrition, physical activity, behavioral science, implementation science, and digital health to develop evidence-based interventions in partnership with communities. Working collaboratively with families, caregivers, educators, and community organizations, her
Kristen Carter Elmore
Kristen is the executive director of the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, director of the Program for Research on Youth Development and Engagement in the BCTR, and the community-engaged learning coordinator for Cornell Human Ecology. Her work focuses on applied research and teaching that connects researchers, undergraduate students, and community partners, with a particular focus on partnerships that support educators in helping youth from all backgrounds succeed and thrive.
Janis L. Whitlock
Janis Whitlock is a research scientist emerita in the BCTR. A developmental psychologist and public health specialist, she specializes in advancing understanding of and support for adolescent and young adult mental health and wellbeing. For the last several years of her BCTR tenure, she served as the Associate Director for Teaching and Training and as the Director for Cornell Summer Translational Research Institute. Dr. Whitlock is the founder and director of the Cornell Research Program