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President Trump’s move to scale back U.S.-South Korea military exercises reflects military strain from the Iran conflict, says historian David Silbey, professor in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences. Also related, Silbey says, is reduced support for U.S. allies in Asia and Trump’s affinity for authoritarian leaders.
Rachel Sandwell of Cornell’s College of Arts & Sciences won the Joel Gregory Book Prize for "National Liberation and the Political Life of Exile," her study of women’s leadership in South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement. The scholarship highlights how women in exile shaped African National Congress policies and national identity debates.
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.
Cornell College of Arts and Sciences professor Casey Schmitt won a book award from the North American Society for Oceanic History for ‘The Predatory Sea.’ The study examines early Caribbean human trafficking and captivity that shaped racialized slavery.
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.
Cornell University alum and Smithsonian space history chair Margaret Weitekamp, PhD ’01 in the College of Arts & Sciences, explains how science fiction and real spaceflight shape each other while curating cultural artifacts at the National Air and Space Museum.
From the early days of Cornell’s founding to the present, scholars have studied the idea and the practice of democracy.
Since the Cornell in Washington program launched in 1980, about 4,400 Cornellians have taken part in immersive lessons in the nation’s capital. Alumni have become U.S. representatives, federal judges, agency leaders and political journalists.
A New York Senate bill seeks to make affordable housing available for artists, but Cornell University researcher Jacob Anbinder, postdoctoral fellow in history in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences, warns against 'petty squabbles' about who deserves most to live in the city. He says expanding overall housing supply is key to curbing housing inequality.
Cornell’s College of Arts & Sciences honors the winners of its 2026 teaching and advising awards. Faculty members Nicole Giannella, Karola Mészáros and Landon Schnabel stand out this year, earning major awards for excellence; many instructors and teaching assistants received recognition, as well.
During the rebuilding of McGraw Hall, workers have made several discoveries, and faculty are reusing and studying materials from the building in the classroom. Built in 1872, McGraw Hall is one of Cornell University's oldest buildings and home to College of Arts and Sciences departments of anthropology and history and the archaeology program.
Christina MacCorkle is majoring in government and history and is a Robert S. Harrison College Scholar.
Ten Cornell doctoral candidates have been inducted into the Cornell chapter of the Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society. Inductees from the College of Arts and Sciences are doctoral candidates Aleesha George and Jason Wu (chemistry and chemical biology) and Chelsea McNutt (history).
Newspaper columnists instructed generations of citizens about the Fourteenth Amendment, Lawrence Glickman, a history professor in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences, writes in The Atlantic. He writes that today, the country seems to have forgotten how clear the law is.
America Casanova is majoring in English, American Studies, Government and History
Bella Swope is majoring in history and environment & sustainability.
Sending Afghan allies who helped U.S. forces to the Congo would betray the debt owed them and set a terrible precedent, says David Silbey, professor in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences. He says dealing with local allies after war presents an ethical test.
María Cristina García, professor of history and American studies in Cornell's College of Arts & Sciences, has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Immigration and Ethnic History Society. The award recognizes “her service to the Society and her outstanding scholarly contributions to the fields of immigration and ethnic history.”
What can you do with a history major? If you take Cornell alumnus David Green as your case study, your answer might be “whatever you want to do.” David’s history journey began at Cornell, progressed through academia, pivoted to a finance career, and came full circle with a return to Cornell.
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.
Trump's threats against Iranian infrastructure could backfire legally and strategically, experts warn. Cornell University historian David Silbey says attacking bridges and power plants would harm civilians and undermine U.S. objectives.
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Cornell University will host “Indigenous Voices in Abiayala/Latin America,” on April 9 at 4:45 p.m., exploring Indigenous media self-representation in Latin America – known as Abiayala in the Guna language. Held in the in the A.D. White House and organized by Polly Lauer, a Klarman Postdoctoral Fellow in Romance studies in Cornell’s College of Arts and…
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.
Cornell University Humanities Scholars traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for increased National Endowment for the Humanities and National Archives funding, meeting with congressional offices to highlight the impact of humanities programs on education. Their two‑day trip underscored how federal support strengthens community partnerships, language programs, and public humanities initiatives benefiting campuses and local organizations…
HIST 4084 How to be Modern: Thinking with Max Weber (HST-AS, SSC-AS (HIST-HEU)
HIST 2154 Sex and Power in Jewish History (also JWST 2851, RELST 2154) (HST-AS) (HIST-HEU, HIST-HPE)
With the the Pentagon seeking $200 billion for the escalating Iran conflict, David Silbey, historian in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences, sees a typical escalatory pattern. He analyzes Strait of Hormuz closures, risks, and deployment options shaping U.S. defense policy.
This course will offer a broad overview of African history from the development of early human societies to the modern era, and a critical introduction to how historians approach the writing of African history. We will think about the origins of the discipline and field of African history, the politics of history writing, and the…
HIST 1631 Sex, Crime and the Courts in Early Modern Europe, 1500-1800 (HST-AS) (HIST-HEU, HIST-HPE) Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 9:05-9:55 Professor Rachel Weil Why did wives who killed their husbands in early modern Europe get charged not with murder but with petty treason? Did rape victims ever get justice? Why did the witch craze happen when…
“In economic terms, this is already the largest oil supply shock ever," says historian Nicholas Mulder.
Amorette Lyngwa, a doctoral student in history with a focus on modern South Asia from Shillong, India, studies the urban and social history of Shillong through a community-focused perspective.
The Cornell Center for Social Sciences has selected 10 faculty members, including several from A&S, as 2026–27 Faculty Fellows, providing course release and funding to support interdisciplinary social science research with real-world impact.
Iran’s retaliation to the intensifying war may be swift, but the longer-term risks lie in how prolonged fighting could strain U.S. defenses and tempt rivals like China.
On the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, what’s notable is the lack of change in the last year, says David Silbey, a professor at Cornell University who specializes in military history and defense policy.
Two Cornell researchers collaborated with colleagues in the United Kingdom in an effort to understand the organized violence of modern war.
Cornell faculty, staff, students and community members celebrated the 95th birthday of Toni Morrison, M.A. ’55, by unveiling a new historical marker in front of 513 N. Albany St., where she lived while in graduate school.
This month’s featured titles by A&S alumni and faculty include a look at the urban-rural divide, a biography of an anti-poverty activist, and a business guide for "winning dream jobs, awards, and elite opportunities.”
Scholar of law Philippe Sands will give the LaFeber-Silbey Lecture in History on March 5, considering "Lessons from History and Literature, from Nuremberg to Pinochet and Beyond.”
The new book explores what happened to “mixed blood” children born to Japanese women and foreign soldiers.
The 12 early-career scholars will pursue research in the sciences, social sciences and humanities.
The History Department recently welcomed students to its annual Open House and Trivia Night, offering students a chance to engage with history in a dynamic and informal setting. The event was designed to showcase upcoming course offerings and foster connections between faculty and undergraduates and reinforced the department’s commitment to building community and inspiring intellectual…
Built in an era when the University was under fire for being nonsectarian, it offers respite from a bustling campus.
Prof. Kristin Roebuck comments on the plans of Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to dissolve parliament next week and call a snap election.
Women played a major role in debates surrounding the fight against apartheid in South Africa, Rachel Sandwell writes in a new book, “National Liberation and the Political Life of Exile: Sex, Gender, and Nation in the Struggle against Apartheid.”
A Cornell historian and military expert doubts a NATO military response to the US annexation of Greenland would not happen, Despite tough talk from European leaders.
The region never fit easily among its neighbors, as regimes including the Habsburg Empire and the Soviet Union tried to remake it in their image.
Based on poems by A&S alumna Tsitsi Ella Jaji, M.A. ’06, Ph.D. ’08, the songs by Shawn Okpebholo bring to life individual stories preserved by the Cornell-based Freedom on the Move project.
This month’s featured titles include fiction from A&S alum Thomas Pynchon ’59, an award-winning poetry collection and a study of a small town.