Hyrum Edwards '25 awarded Fulbright/Turkish Universities Master's Program Award
Hyrum Edwards, Cornell Class of 2025 and Near Eastern Studies and Jewish Studies major, was awarded a 2026 Fulbright/Turkish Universities Master's Program Award.
Cornell experts on Trump Christ image, Catholic–evangelical tensions
Faculty experts from Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences analyze how Donald Trump’s AI-generated Christ image and attacks on Pope Leo have escalated Vatican tensions and drawn criticism from Catholics and evangelicals. The controversy reveals fractures linking faith, politics, and conservative Christian identity.
Admitted Class of 2030 seeks real-world impact
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.
Humanities students take D.C. trip to advocate for funding
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 nationwide.
End-times rhetoric in US military ‘didn’t infiltrate, was invited in’
Use of Christian apocalyptic language by commanders reflects a climate shaped from the top down, says one Cornell expert. Another adds: the belief that Christians should actively bring about the end times rests on a misreading of the Book of Revelation.
John: The life and times of the ‘maverick’ Gospel
The fourth Gospel of the New Testament holds many of the Bible’s most well-known passages, but also some of its controversies.
Brann's book is finalist in National Jewish Book Award
Ross Brann's recently published book, "Moses Maimonides: A Very Short Introduction," is a finalist in the 2025 National Jewish Book Award in Sephardic Culture.
Composer Michael Abels, famous for work on Jordan Peele films, to visit March 6-7
Events include film screenings, panel discussions and a concert by the Barbara & Richard T. Silver Wind Symphony.
Cornell's Alma Mater in Urdu
The Language Resource Center's eighth annual Lingua Mater competition just wrapped up, and they have announced the top three student entries.
Alum spotlight: Ibrahim Gemeah, Ph.D. ’23
Ibrahim Gemeah, Ph.D. ’23, is an alumnus of the Near Eastern studies doctoral program with a focus on the history of the modern Middle East. He is now an assistant professor of modern Middle East and North African history in the department of Middle Eastern languages and cultures at Indiana University.
#RaptureTok and the history of end-times beliefs: Cornell religion expert
Apocalyptic predictions are "far from new, but social media has whipped up a frenzy," says Cornell religion expert Kim Haines-Eitzen.
Einaudi welcomes SWANA Program
The Einaudi Center welcomes the Southwest Asia and North Africa Program and four new program directors this fall.
Alumni Spotlight: D. Gershon Lewental '03
"Without question, my years as an NES major had an enormous impact on my career path, my scholarship, and my teaching," says Dr. Lewental of his time at Cornell.
‘Sacred Ground’ exhibit receives Historic Ithaca preservation award
Open now through Dec. 31, the exhibit highlights findings from a four-year archaeological excavation of Ithaca’s St. James A.M.E. Zion Church conducted by Cornell faculty, students and Ithaca school children from 2021–2024.
New book introduces Maimonides, ‘one of civilization’s greatest minds’
Maimonides, one of the most significant intellectual figures of the medieval period,worked as a physician, thought like a scientist, and served as a leader of the Jewish community in Cairo.
New Faculty: Jordan Miller
Jordan Miller, Near Eastern Studies
2025 Nexus Scholars talk about academic growth, transformation
Ten students who participated in this summer's Nexus Scholars Program share their stories..
History Center exhibit chronicles excavation at Ithaca’s ‘Freedom Church’
The exhibit on Ithaca’s St. James A.M.E. Zion Church will open on Juneteenth with a community event scheduled for 4 p.m.
From posters to precedent, humanities scholars showcase their research
Projects spanned topics from Confederate cemeteries to Korean textiles.
Outstanding faculty win 2025 teaching and advising awards
Among those being recognized for exceptional teaching and mentorship this year are faculty members Begüm Adalet, Claudia Verhoeven, and Marcelo Aguiar.
'Courses outside of my major were among the most fascinating and valuable I took'
Sam Bueker is majoring in government & Near Eastern studies.
'I have a better sense of my place in the world'
Hyrum Edwards is a Robert S. Harrison College Scholar who also majored in history, Jewish studies & Near Eastern studies.
'I understand truly how interconnected the world and its people are'
Ashley Koca is a Robert S. Harrison College Scholar and also majors in Near Eastern studies and history of art.
Death of Pope Francis marks end of historic papacy
Cornell experts comment on the legacy of Pope Francis, who died on Monday, marking the end of a historic papacy.
Ethnic cleansing explored in Annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration Lecture
Columbia University's Khatchig Mouradian will give a lecture, “Ethnic Cleansing in the Long 19th Century: The Native American, Circassian, and Armenian Cases,” on April 24.
Fulbright funds research on early Egyptian radio
With the award, Ziad Fahmy is working on the first critical history of early Egyptian radio.
Junior wins international reporting honor
Gabe Levin, editor in chief of the Cornell Daily Sun and a student in the College of Arts & Sciences, spent the summer of 2024 reporting on the Israel-Gaza war.
New Klarman Fellows to join the College of Arts and Sciences
Fellows will pursue research in the sciences, social sciences and humanities.
Alums offer mentoring to students exploring career options
Melissa Lewin ’00 and her husband Rob ’99 are active backers of Cornell through their support of Cornell’s Public History Initiative and the archaeology program.
Manning honored for contributions to archaeology
Sturt Manning, received the P. E. MacAllister Field Archaeology Award at the Annual Meetings of the American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) in Boston in November.
Klarman Fellow wins Middle East Studies dissertation award
Olga Verlato's dissertation, “Languages of Power and People: Multilingualism, Politics, and Resistance in Modern Egypt and the Mediterranean,” received the Malcolm H. Kerr Award from the Middle East Studies Association of North America.
University celebrates top faculty for outstanding teaching, mentoring
Eleven teaching faculty from across the university have been awarded Cornell’s highest honors for graduate and undergraduate teaching, Interim President Michael I. Kotlikoff announced Oct. 22.
Archaeology conference focuses on cultural erasure
“Unearthing Unseeing: Archaeology, Heritage, and Forensics in the Shadow of State Violence” will highlight new approaches to cultural remains caught up in contemporary conflicts and past trauma.
A&S announces membership in MLA Strategic Partnership Network
“We felt this is an important resource that should be available to our humanists at all levels, whether they have the resources to pay for membership or not,” said Peter John Loewen, the Harold Tanner Dean of Arts and Sciences.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author from Jerusalem to speak Oct. 10
Nathan Thrall will talk about his most recent book, “A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy.”
Modeling an ancient house and garden in 3D
Cornell researchers have received a $150,000 NEH Digital Humanities Advanced Grant to create a 3D virtual modeling project based on the Casa della Regina Carolina, a large Pompeian house.
Final speaker in series examining antisemitism, Islamophobia
Cornell’s “Antisemitism and Islamophobia Examined” series concludes this semester with a talk by Derek Penslar, the William Lee Frost Professor of Jewish History at Harvard University.
Language ‘Sustainability through Collaboration’ Conference at Cornell
Cornell, the only institution offering regular multilevel instruction in all six of the major Southeast Asian languages – Burmese, Indonesian, Khmer, Filipino (Tagalog), Thai and Vietnamese – will host a conference on the teaching of these languages on Sept. 19-21.
From portfolios to pizza, fall A&S career events explore diverse fields
"Cornell alumni are generous with their time and efforts to assist students, to answer questions from students, or connect them to people and places."
New A&S dean relishes ‘life in a university’
Peter John Loewen says he's excited to support faculty in their research, meet students and showcase the value of a liberal arts education.
Peter Loewen named dean of Arts and Sciences
Coming from the University of Toronto, where he was the director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, Loewen began his five-year appointment as the Harold Tanner Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Aug. 1.
Committee to recommend final expressive activity policy
The committee of faculty members, students and staff has begun a review of the university’s interim expressive activity policy and will recommend a final policy early in the fall semester.
National Humanities Center selects two A&S professors as 2024-25 Fellows
Kim Haines-Eitzen, the Paul and Berthe Hendrix Memorial Professor of Near Eastern studies, and Mostafa Minawi, associate professor of history and director of Critical Ottoman and Post-Ottoman Studies, will pursue research projects in residence in Durham, North Carolina.
Outstanding A&S teachers, advisors honored with 2024 awards
Among the faculty members being recognized this year for exceptional teaching and mentorship are Liliana Colanzi, Durba Ghosh, and Nick Admussen.
'I learned to push the boundaries of what I could accomplish'
Tessa Walden is a Near Eastern studies and government major.
A career focused on voting rights
Alumna Jenna Zitomer '18 discusses her involvement with civic engagement through the Voter Participation Center in Washington, D.C.
Exploring the remains of ancient daily life
The collection “Households in Context: Dwelling in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt” shifts the archaeological perspective from public and elite spaces such as temples, tombs and palaces to everyday dwellings and interactions of families.
Milstein faculty fellow's course examines tech's role in cultural preservation
As a new faculty fellow in the Milstein Program in Technology & Humanity, Adam T. Smith co-developed the new course this spring.
Summer Experience Grant applications now open
The grants provide funding for students in unpaid or low-paying summer experiences to offset the cost of taking on those positions.
Understanding politics at home and abroad: Sarah Cutler '16
Sarah Cutler, an alumna of Arts & Sciences, has used her work in journalism to help people understand political polarization in the U.S.