Department Homepage
Department Homepage
The College of Arts & Sciences
A new biography reveals how Harlem Renaissance writer Jean Toomer’s vision of a new American race shaped both the creation of his modernist novel "Cane" and his struggle with racial identity. The study, by Cornell College of Arts and Sciences literature scholar George Hutchinson, reexamines Toomer’s legacy and complex views on race.
In her memoir, "I’m a Lot: Surviving Myself and All the People I’ve Been.," TV writer and stand-up performer Alison Leiby ’06, a Cornell College of Arts & Sciences alum, tackles comedy, tragedy, and more. The book is featured on the Cornellians website.
Cornell students are gaining new opportunities to extend classroom learning beyond campus through the fall 2026 round of Engaged Opportunity Grants from the Einhorn Center for Community Engagement. Four of the five funded projects originate with College of Arts and Sciences faculty members.
Cornellians’ July 2026 Reads highlights new books by Cornell University alumni, featuring nonfiction, historical fiction and mental health topics. The roundup showcases authors Betsy Rubiner, Karen Lootens Odden and Bonnie Zucker, promoting recent alumni publications.
Cornell University’s Center for Racial Justice and Equitable Futures funded seven 2026 Graduate Student Research projects across multiple disciplines. The awards provide research support for emerging scholars advancing racial justice, inequality, labor, identity and social change studies.
The School of Criticism and Theory at Cornell University, a six-week summer program that serves as a hub for interdisciplinary inquiry in the humanities and social sciences, celebrated its 50th anniversary with events June 16-17.
Lauren Weisberger’s novel The Devil Wears Prada is resurging with a 2026 film sequel, reflecting lasting cultural impact. The Cornell College of Arts and Sciences alum’s debut novel became a bestseller, film, and musical inspired by her Vogue experience.
Poet and Cornell College of Arts and Sciences professor Sandeep Parmar co-hosts, with poet Sarah Howe, a London Review of Books podcast exploring poetry’s connections to life issues: work, sex, money and more. The podcast launches June 7.
Each spring, undergraduate honors theses granted Distinction in English are considered for the M.H. Abrams Honors Thesis Prize and for The Guilford Honors Thesis Prize.
The Collected Writings Portfolio Award recognizes students’ writing accomplishments in diverse types of composition, including critical, creative, and public writing.
Books featured by the alumni website Cornellians for May 2026 include, y Cornell College of Arts and Sciences alumni and faculty, a ‘poetic memoir,’ a study of the Gospel of John, and the final mystery from a genre luminary.
Louisa Howe is majoring in sociology and English.
America Casanova is majoring in English, American Studies, Government and History
Scholars in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences are redefining trauma research across humanities, examining delayed memory’s effects on individuals, culture and history. Their insights from many different academic disciplines, including literature, history, archaeology and psychoanalysis connect trauma, testimony and collective witness.
Founded by Cornell College of Arts and Sciences alumnus Jacob Lehman '06, student group Ring of Steel trains members to stage fight with weapons including steel swords, wooden staves, and even lightsabers. The group performs at campus events and on May the 4th, a.k.a. “Star Wars Day.”
Two faculty members in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences have been named to the American Philosophical Society (APS) in honor of extraordinary accomplishments: Martha Haynes in astronomy and Caroline Levine in literature, humanities and climate change.
Seniors in the Humanities Scholars Program (HSP) in the College of Arts & Sciences at Cornell University will showcase their research at an all-day conference May 1 at the A.D. White House. Their work spans across humanities fields and also highlights intersections with science, technology, business, law and other disciplines.
Cornell College of Arts and Sciences professors Cathy Caruth and Francesca Molinari are among four Cornell faculty, including Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff, elected in 2026 to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences for their excellence and leadership. The academy announced 252 new members April 22.
An anniversary gala will mark the Cornell Black Alumni Association’s 50th anniversary April 24-26 in Washington, D.C. Hosted by alumni of Cornell University, the event honors leading alumni and launches a $1.5 million legacy fund.
Cornell’s College of Arts & Sciences hosts a screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary “I Am Ready, Warden” on April 23, 5 p.m. The film’s co-producer, journalist Keri Blakinger ’14, and faculty experts will discuss death penalty impacts.
A Cornell University student reflects on a transformative Oxford semester abroad. Student Ambassador Sarah Mittleman, an English and psychology major in the College of Arts & Sciences, recounts Oxford tutorials, travel across 11 countries and advocates studying abroad.
Jonathan Zhu, J.D. ’92, whose A.D. White Fellowship allowed him to attend Cornell, has established the Zhu Family Graduate Fellowships supporting humanities doctoral students at Cornell University. Each of the three 2025 fellows – who are pursuing art history, anthropology, and science and technology studies, appreciates that the fellowship’s financial support paired with release from…
Cornell admits the Class of 2030 emphasizing real-world impact, enrolling 5,776 students from 102 countries. At Cornell University, the diverse cohort reflects the land-grant mission and applied learning goals across multiple colleges.