2-16-2023 entire issue hi res

The Corne¬ Daily Sun

Lab of Ornithology's Great Backyard Bird Count Takes Flight

By ERIC REILLY Sun Staff Writer

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology launched the 2023 Great Backyard Bird Count in a virtual event on Wednesday afternoon. Hosted on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology YouTube channel, the webinar was attended by over 2,700 bird lovers from around the world.

Faculty Senate Convenes

Tenure tracks, gynecology and Global Hubs discussed

By JULIA SENZON Sun Staff Writer

The Cornell Faculty Senate met in Schwartz Auditorium at Rockefeller Hall on Wednesday to discuss three proposed resolutions — standardizing tenure tracks, implementing a permanent M.D. gynecologist and guaranteeing free speech at global partner campuses — which they will vote on via online ballot from Feb. 16 to March 2.

First, Prof. Suzannne Shu ’90 M.Eng. ’92, applied economics and management, who is also dean of faculty and research, discussed harmonizing tenure tracks for faculty within the same areas in the S.C. Johnson College of Business.

Most colleges within Cornell utilize a six-year tenure clock, where tenure is allocated to faculty based on their scholarship, teaching and service during their first five years of work.

In 2012, the Faculty Senate passed a resolution to extend the Johnson Graduate School of Management’s tenure clock to an eight-year period. This move was made based on competitive pressures, with other business schools opting for longer pre-tenure periods.

Last year, the S.C. Johnshon College of Business restructured its tenure process to align faculty under research areas, rather than under their respective schools: the Johnson Graduate School of Management, the Nolan School of Hotel Administration and the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management.

However, Nolan- and Dyson-affiliated staff still see six-year tenure clocks, while their Johnson colleagues see eight-year tenure clocks. According to Shu, this discrepancy has caused recruitment issues.

“We are up against a competitive set that has been moving to longer tenure clocks, anywhere from seven to nine years,” Shu said. “And our candidates we’re bringing in know this — they prefer longer clocks.”

During the meeting, Shu also commented that the majority of current faculty supports a switch to an eightyear clock.

Next, Ariel Johnson grad, a Ph.D. candidate in the school of integrative plant science, who is also the co-founder and current treasurer of Pelvic Pain Association at Cornell, discussed a resolution to implement an M.D. gynecologist at Cornell Health.

According to Johnson, gynecology care on the Cornell Ithaca campus is performed by nurse practitioners with expertise in gynecology.

See SENATE page 3

Running from Feb. 17 to Feb. 20, this year’s GBBC encourages participants from around the globe to birdwatch for at least 15 minutes this weekend. Participants can birdwatch from anywhere — a nearby park, their backyard or simply outside their window — counting and identifying any birds that they see or hear.

“The thing to decide is where you can go and give your best counts when you’re there. Where can you be comfortable and do your best job?” said Chad Witko, senior coordinator at National Audubon Society. “That’s really the best place for you to be.”

For new birders, identifying unfamiliar species may seem daunting. However, GBBC encourages everyone to join in,

offering a wealth of information to help get new birders on their feet — from location-based checklists of likely bird sightings to apps that suggest potential species from photos and sound recordings.

“[The GBBC] is one of the best entry-level programs to get people into birding,” said Jody Allair, director of community engagement at Birds Canada. “The data’s great for sure …but really, [the GBBC] is a great excuse to get outside and count and ID things.”

Participants will compile and submit checklists through eBird, an online database managed by the Lab of Ornithology. The database is the world’s largest biodiversity-related citizen science project, collecting worldwide data on bird species, number and location.

To continue reading this article, please visit www.cornellsun.com

Profs. Craig Altier and Kyu Rhee Lead Antimicrobial Research

By AIMÉE EICHER Sun Assistant News Editor

In an effort to better understand microorganisms’ resistance to medicines and improve treatment for disease, Prof. Craig Altier, population medicine and diagnostic sciences, and Prof. Kyu Rhee ’91, microbiology and immunology, medicine, have combined their expertise to co-direct the University’s new Center for Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education.

The center aims to tackle the issue of antimicrobial resistance, bringing together experts from across Cornell’s campuses to engage in research and education efforts. Although both Altier’s and Rhee’s individual research interests relate to antimicrobial resistance, their academic backgrounds differ slightly.

A professor at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Altier has focused much of his research career on microbial ecology, the study of interactions

and relationships within communities of microbes.

Altier earned his B.A. in biology from Hiram College before going on to earn his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Ohio State University. After completing his veterinary program, Altier completed a Ph.D. in the department of molecular biology and microbiology at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Restful robin | An American robin perches peacefully, overseeing pedestrians and passerby on the College Avenue bridge.

Professor propositions | Prof. Suzanne Shu '90 M.Eng. '92, applied economics and management, proposes longer tenure periods at Wednesday's Faculty Senate meeting.

Daybook

A LISTING OF FREE CAMPUS EVENTS

Masculinities and Gendered Violences With Shannon Philip, Ph.D.

11:25 a.m. - 12:40 p.m., Virtual Event

Visualizing Emergent Electron Orders With Xiaomeng Liu, Ph.D.

12:10 p.m., 700 Clark Hall

Buddhist Women and Biographical Time in Burma With MK Long Grad

12:30 p.m., Virtual Event

Cold War History With Jolyon Thomas, Ph.D.

5 p.m., Guerlac Room, A.D. White House

The Afterlife of “The Bluest Hands” With Prof. Judith Byfield, History

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., Virtual Event

Multidimensional Devices With Yuhao Zhang, Ph.D. Noon, 233 Phillips Hall

Cornell Systems Engineering Information Session Noon, Virtual Event

Tissue-Specific Transcriptional Regulation With Amanda Poholek, Ph.D.

12:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m., Lecture Hall 3, College of Veterinary Medicine

Toni Morrison Birthday Celebration: Reading From Her Works

2 p.m. - 4 p.m., Hoyt Fuller Room, Africana Studies and Research Center Institute for German Cultural Studies

Spring 2023 Colloquium Series

2:30 p.m., 155 Klarman Hall

Ideology, Culture and Social Meaning

With Sally Haslanger, Ph.D

3 p.m. - 5 p.m., G01 Stimson Hall

The Global University, Addressing New Subjects of Knowledge

3 p.m. - 5 p.m., Virtual Event

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

“Un-Charting Territories” Research Symposium

4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., 401 Physical Sciences Building

Banff Mountain Center Film Festival Night One 10 p.m., Bailey Hall

Senate Considers Gynecological Health Access

Although many students have had positive experiences seeing nurses at Cornell, others need extended care not offered by the University.

“Currently, students are referred off campus for common pelvic pain conditions and to get basic diagnostic care like ultrasounds,” Johnson said. “These off-campus referrals are especially an issue here at Cornell, because we are relatively isolated in Ithaca. And most M.D. gynecologists are only focused on pregnancy, which doesn’t cover all of the needs of our student population.”

M.D. gynecologist by Cornell Health, she went to many gynecological practices in town before finally getting diagnosed by an M.D. gynecologist in Rochester.

Johnson acknowledged that as a white, cisgender woman from a wealthy background, she was able to access a high quality of care where she was respected and trusted by health professionals, unlike many minority and underserved individuals in similar positions.

“I have effectively only been able to get good healthcare and continue with my degree because of my privileged position,” Johnson said. “I shudder to think about what’s probably happening to other students right now, if they’re forced to leave their gynecological health issues untreated.”

Finally, Prof. Richard Bensel M.A. ’76 Ph.D. ’78, government, discussed a proposal to protect academic freedom and freedom of speech throughout the Global Hubs system.

Cornell’s Global Hubs program was established to increase opportunities for Cornell undergraduates to directly engage with student peers at partner institutions, while students who attend the schools that serve as Hubs can study for a semester or year at the University.

According to Johnson, an M.D. gynecologist would provide students with more efficient diagnoses and care for common conditions including Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, endometriosis and ovarian cysts. Currently, peer institutions — including Harvard and Yale — provide this level of care to students.

Johnson called on her own personal experience with endometriosis, a common condition that affects approximately 10 percent of women. After being referred to an

While the University expands its academic programs in China and other nations with authoritarian regimes, the proposed resolution states that the Faculty Senate should guarantee the same academic freedom and free speech rights to those in the Cornell community and those who teach in classes and programs sponsored by the University. Similarly, his proposed resolution calls on the University’s central administration to take all necessary action to protect the academic freedom and free speech of students in the Global Hubs system.

Administration Responds to Shooting

By CARLIN REYEN and MARISA CEFOLA Sun Staff Writers

On Monday night, a mass shooting occurred at Michigan State University, where a gunman killed three students and injured five others at Michigan State University. This comes less than two years after a shooting at Michigan’s Oxford High School.

According to the New York Times, the gunman first opened fire in Berkey Hall around 8:30 p.m., killing two people immediately. Soon after, a third person was shot in the Michigan State student union. Both buildings were unlocked and open to the public.

Dave Honan, associate vice president for public safety and Anthony Bellamy, chief of Cornell Police sent a joint email to members of the Ithaca and AgriTech campus communities midday Tuesday.

In the message, Honan and Bellamy informed students that CornellALERTs will be sent to students’ mobile phone numbers and email addresses in case of any health and safety threats to the campus community, including active weapon and explosive device threats and extreme weather incidents.

The email also notes that Cornell’s Facebook and Twitter pages will be home to real-time updates in the case of “any evolving situation.”

Honan and Bellamy urged students to review the Run-Hide-Fight procedure in the case of an active shooter and to become familiar with exits in both residential and academic buildings.

“Do not allow unauthorized people into secure

facilities. Anyone who is meant to be in your space will have a key, card access or an individual signing them in,” the statement read, urging students to report any suspicious activity to the Cornell Public Safety Communications Center phone line.

Bensel said that arguments in favor of Cornell’s neutrality on foreign nation policies are flawed, as Cornell has already stood against the actions of countries like Russia. On March 2, 2022, President Martha Pollack announced Russia’s deplorable invasion of Ukraine.

“The resolution does remind us that academic freedom and freedom of speech are fundamental values.”

Prof. Richard Bensel M.A. ’76 Ph.D. ’78

“If you take a stance on one country that does deplorable things and you’re silent on another country that does deplorable things, you create an imbalance in which the silence looks like the consent or legitimation of the second country’s policies,” Bensel said.

Bensel also emphasized that the proposed resolution would not remove Cornell programs in the addressed foreign nations.

“[This resolution does not impinge on] individual faculty in conducting research, or teaching in an authoritarian nation,” Bensel said. “[However,] the resolution does remind us that academic freedom and freedom of speech are fundamental values wherever Cornell creates or maintains an academic program.”

New Center Explores Microbe Resistance

PROFS

Continued from page 1

Currently, Altier’s research lab focuses on the pathogenesis of Salmonella — that is, the way in which the bacteria makes people and animals sick.

Altier and Rhee connected over their shared passion for antimicrobial resistance.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences also issued a statement to its students. Student services offered mental health resources such as a “grief and loss” pamphlet and a 24/7 help hotline.

“This devastating and senseless loss of life has become far too common across the country,” the email stated. “During times like this, we need to grieve, but we also must remember the values that define us and bind us together, calling upon our collegial and caring CALS community.”

Honan and Bellamy’s email referred students to community support resources, which included Counseling and Psychological Services and a Cornell Health document about Grief and Loss.

Rhee, a professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, has co-authored numerous publications on tuberculosis, his research focus. Like Altier, he has an academic background in medicine, having earned his B.S. from Cornell before completing an M.D. and Ph.D. program at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine.

Rhee’s research aligns with his work at the center, as tuberculosis is the leading cause of death due to antimicrobial resistance.

“[The research done at the center] overlaps with some of the work that I’m interested in, because some of the answers and principles that drive antimicrobial resistance in tuberculosis [may] be biologically relevant to other microbes too,” Rhee said.

Although they hail from different Cornell colleges and center their research on different topics,

The two came to work together through the Office of the Provost’s Radical Collaboration Initiative, a program with faculty task forces across ten discipline areas. Rhee served on the infection biology committee, through which collaboration between faculty interested in antimicrobial resistance led to the center’s establishment.

“It was a happy accident,” Rhee said. “Over the course of that task force, the topic of antimicrobial resistance was the area of shared interests between the two of us… We were largely just spokespeople for a larger, campus-wide community of people that were interested in microbial resistance.”

Altier commented on his and Rhee’s complementary skills, given that they specialize in different research areas at different schools.

To continue reading this article, please visit www.cornellsun.com.

the mass shooting at Michigan State University on Monday night, Cornell admin-

members of the Ithaca and AgriTech campus communities.

Carlin Reyen can be reached at creyen@cornellsun.com. Marisa Cefola can be reached at mcefola@cornellsun.com.

Julia Senzon can be reached at jsenzon@cornellsun.com.

Aimée Eicher can be reached at aeicher@cornellsun.com.

“During times like this, we need to grieve, but we also must remember the values that define us and bind us together.”

Dave Honan and Anthony Bellamy

“I have effectively only been able to get good healthcare and continue with my degree because of my priveleged position.”

Ariel Johnson grad

Delectable Dining Destinations When Dining Hall Food Just Won’t Cut It

By Jake Fishman Sun Contributor

Fun fact: Ithaca, NY has more restaurants per capita than New York City. You know what that means? It’s time to explore, Cornellians!

As a new student to Cornell, I was very excited to write this article because it gave me a reason to get off campus and explore different restaurants. I had the oppor-

Bibibowl Asian Grill Ithaca.

To start, Bickering Twins Restaurant, located in the Ithaca Commons, offered a great ambiance and excellent service. The chips and guacamole are a must-have. I also recommend getting a taco platter as it gives diners the opportunity to try various tacos and sides.

I got the chicken tinga tacos plate which came with a side of rice. It was the perfect combination of avocado, cheese and chicken. I enjoyed my meal and definitely recommend what I got. While I didn’t get the chance to try one, my waiter insisted their margaritas are one of a kind. So if you are of age, you should give them a try.

Asia Cuisine is another great restaurant located in the Ithaca Commons and has a cozy environment that makes new students feel comfortable and welcome. One thing to note is that they close at 8 p.m. so make sure to get there before then.

town a bit before going and it seemed like a bar. I then found out it was a restaurant after being invited to eat there and I am glad I took that invitation. There were a surprising

have ever eaten. I finished the whole basket after telling myself I wouldn’t — it was that good.

The atmosphere was also vibrant and modern which I appreciated. Like at Bickering Twins Restaurant, I did not get a drink at this restaurant, but I am assuming that Ithaca Beer Co. has a handful of good selections considering Beer is in the name.

My next restaurant is a Collegetown and Cornell classic: Collegetown Bagels. When I visited for the first time, I was expecting the fun and fresh location to only serve bagels, but quickly found out this is not true. Collegetown Bagels exceeded my expectations more than I could have imagined, offering not only bagels but sandwiches, baked goods, smoothies, avocado toasts, salads and grain bowls.

dent. I was able to select from different options, choosing a base of purple rice, a protein and different vegetables and sauce to complement it all — a similar setup to Chipotle. Despite not being a wellknown option according to my peers, I think it deserves to be put on the map. My meal was very flavorful and I’d recommend trying a bowl from them.

It was difficult to make this list as I have eaten such great food since being at Cornell over the past few weeks.

tunity to try a variety of different restaurants in Ithaca and came away with a top 5 (in no particular order): Bickering Twins Restaurant, Asia Cuisine, Ithaca Beer Co., Collegetown Bagels, and

They offer a wide variety of dishes, from sushi to Korean and Chinese options like jjajangmyeon and jjamppong. When I went, I had the chicken yakisoba and it was probably one of the best noodle dishes I have ever had — I’ve been counting down the days until I can go back ever since.

To be honest, I was not sure what to expect from Ithaca Beer Co. – I had walked around College -

amount of menu options and I had trouble deciding what to order, eventually going with the Cornell Chicken Sandwich. Being a new student at Cornell, I felt eating this Cornell-named sandwich was, in a way, a right of passage. With the Cornell Chicken Sandwich came a side of some of the best french fries I

I tried the Zabs panini sandwich consisting of roast turkey, avocado, chipotle aioli dressing and sliced mozzarella on ciabatta just because it was the first thing I saw on the slightly overwhelming menu.

Everything sounded very tempting and I will have to go back to try all the different offerings. The location also offered various cute places to study, perfect for any student looking to grab a bite and stay a while. They made the food fast for anyone in a rush, as well.

Bibibowl Asian Grill Ithaca was a unique fast-casual spot – the perfect place for a stu-

Of course, I had to include a few honorable mentions: Taverna Banfi at the Statler Hotel is not a typical place for students, which is why I did not place it on my list, but it is definitely a must-try. The dishes there tend to be a little more expensive, but they are worth it. If I could eat there every day, I would. A few additional places I wish I had the chance to visit are Simeon’s American Bistro and Thompson and Bleeker. I have heard great things about these two restaurants and as a new student, these are on the top of my list of places to try.

Feel free to email me any recommendations you might have — I am always looking for new places to try.

Jake Fishman is a sophomore in Nolan School of Hotel Administration. He can be reached at jf838@cornell.edu.

Bickering Twins

Restaurant, located in the Ithaca Commons, offeredagreat ambiance and excellent service.

When I visited for the first time,I wasexpecting the fun and fresh location toonlyserve bagels,but quicklyfound out this is not true.

The Corne¬ Daily Sun Independent Since

Roei Dery Te Dery Bar

Roei Dery is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at rdery@cornellsun.com. Te Dery Bar runs every other Monday this semester.

Leaving Town on a Chili Day

Throughout my time at Cornell, Saturdays have morphed to take on a variety of different routines and plans. A glimpse into a freshman year Saturday would feature me playing 8-ball pool in the Bauer game room. A Saturday morning during my sophomore or junior years would require staring up at the ceiling from bed to muster the energy to begin a problem set.

This past Saturday during my final semester on the Hill, I began with no plans, and before I knew it, I was amidst a hungry crowd at the annual Oneonta Chili Bowl: An annual cook-off where local community members and businesses offer samples of their best chili recipes.

Though I have lived in Rochester for most of my life — and have subsequently

wholesome experiences exist for those looking both in Ithaca and the surrounding towns.

In prior semesters, day-long excursions outside of Ithaca meant visiting the surrounding nature scene. From the local waterfalls to the further-out Watkins Glen, and even the slopes of Greek Peak, students flock to explore breathtaking parks and trails. All too often, however, the nearby upstate New York towns get lost in the shuffle. We hear about Cornellians rallying for trips to Robert H. Treman State Park and First Dam — very rarely are students descending the slopes of West Hill to engage with communities in Geneva or Skaneateles.

These local villages may not have major reputations, but still provide a unique change of pace from the Cornell experience, and most notably one in which you can do more than leave the campus bubble only to still interact exclusively with your Cornell social bubble. You never know when an innocuous Saturday could turn into a Chili Bowl in Oneonta unless you explore and branch out. After all, with many Cornell graduates soon leaving for major cities for jobs and internships, when’s the next time we’ll end up in the “middle of nowhere”?

attended school in Ithaca — this weekend marked my first local upstate New York Chili Bowl. Upon hearing the possibility of escaping our grimy collegetown house with a near-empty refrigerator for a sunny day in Oneonta sampling dozens of local chili recipes, my housemates and I packed ourselves into a compact sedan and hit the road.

I had no idea what to expect as I walked into a tent enclosure outside of the mansion hosting the event near downtown Oneonta. Ceramic bowl in hand, I followed the smell of chili and filed into a line, where a hefty serving was soon spooned into my bowl. I grabbed a plastic spoon and took my first bite, which immediately felt more warm and homey than any of the collegetown or campus meals of the weeks prior. Between the dozens of bowls of chili I shared with friends, the local folk band’s music and even the raffle I lost, I was refreshingly reminded that life is not always as fast-paced and bustling as it sometimes feels on campus.

Between students’ overloaded schedules, the common belief that there simply is not that much to do beyond the confines of Cornell and weather that is most conducive to staying inside, it can be discouraging to seek opportunities to explore the area where our alma mater stands. Attending the annual Oneonta Chili Bowl this past weekend, I appreciated just how much community and

However, there is a greater reason why students in a small collegetown, who would otherwise feel compelled to explore the surrounding region, are instead landlocked by the slopes of West Hill or the greater Ithaca area.

The hustle-bustle Cornell experience causes many of us to believe that day trips equate to days behind on studies or work. Only upon embarking on such spontaneous excursions this semester have I been able to understand that in many situations, that revered “day I could have spent working” was just an excuse to remain closed off in my campus comfort zone.

Exploring neighboring towns will help Cornellians feel rooted in a community greater than their Olin Library desk buddies during their four years in Ithaca. Students should not have to wait until after the semester, or even until school breaks, to travel away from Ithaca.

To promote an adventurous culture, Cornell should do more to facilitate these kinds of student excursions. This support could be in the form of more visible promotion of events such as festivals and fairs within neighboring towns, as well as some form of transportation for those who do not own a personal vehicle on campus.

As the weather begins to ease up, this spring presents countless opportunities to explore the surrounding Finger Lakes region. Look further than the Commons for your next excursion, Cornellians — you might like what you see … or taste.

The hustle-bustle Cornell experience causes many of us to believe that day trips equate to days behind on studies or work.

Fill in the empty cells, one number in each, so that each column, row, and region contains the numbers 1-9 exactly once. Each number in the solution therefore occurs only once in each of the three “directions,” hence the “single numbers” implied by the puzzle’s name. (Rules from wikipedia.org/wiki/ Sudoku)

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Johnny Woodruff part 179

Johnny Woodruff part 177

Johnny Woodruff part 178

Cornell Alumna Encourages Community-Based Climate Action

By MEGAN KELLER Sun Staff Writer

The Peabody Essex Museum brought together artists and climate activists in its Feb. 9 panel, co-hosted and led by Miranda Massie ’89. Coinciding with an exhibit titled Climate Action: Inspiring Change, the panel gave space for voices of the youth, artists and scientists who are making climate action a top priority.

Massie initially pursued a career in law but decided to change paths as she felt called to answer the climate crisis. This switch came after taking an African-American historiography class by Prof. Margaret Washington, history, and writing an honors thesis about the fight for land reform.

“As this advocacy taught me more about the climate crisis, both generally and in its severe intensification of racist and other inequalities, I felt compelled to try to address it centrally in my work,” Massie said.

In 2015, she became the founding director of the Climate Museum in New York, the only museum of its kind in the nation. The

museum aims to educate and inspire visitors to take action regarding the climate crisis through inclusive and equity-centeredprogramming.

“The first step is to recognize your own civic influence — ideas are contagious — and the authority of your own voice. Young people have utterly changed climate policy; there wouldn’t be an Inflation Reduction Act without the youth climate movement. Use your power,” Massie said.

The theme of the panel centered on positivity and connectedness. Janey Winchell, director of PEM’s Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center and host for the event, said she hoped participants would leave feeling empowered and hopeful.

“Each one of these panelists are such an inspiring person to me. And that allows anyone attending this event the opportunity to see themselves in this very diverse group of people who are unified in their passion, and also in their enthusiasm for life,” Winchell said.

The panelists were selected for their shared optimistic outlook on climate change, love of life and passion for

integrating art and science.

“I was looking forward to the conversation’s focus on emotions and climate advocacy and hearing what other panelists — three of whom are young climate artists or activists the approximate age of most Daily Sun readers — had to say about the importance of emotion in moving the struggle for climate justice forward,” Massie said.

Jordan Sanchez, a youth activist and poet, opened the panel with a reading of her poem “Reimagine, Recreate, Restore,” which is featured in PEM’s art exhibit.

Another panelist was Kevin Green, leader of Rare’s Center for Behavior and Environment, where scientists bring human behavioral studies into response strategies to the climate crisis. His goal is to spark individual action into large-scale change.

Natalia Jacobs, a first-year student at Bates College and member of the 2022 Mass Audubon Youth Climate Leadership Program, also participated in PEM’s climate exhibition. She also has planned regional climate summits focusing on youth

action.

The final panelist was Noella Altvader, who grew up on the Passamaquoddy Reservation at Sipayik, was a 2022 Brookie Award winner and has a strong passion for water conservation and sustainability within local communities.

The panelists emphasized having climate conversations that are encouraging but still convey the urgency of the crisis.

“We are looking at developing this exhibition that would be an accessible, meaningful, but not traumatizing exhibition about what’s going on with the climate and the role we can

take to circumvent the worst of climate climate change,” Winchell said.

Winchell said she felt her collaboration with Massie was invaluable, as they had been working together to facilitate collective action.

Massie echoed this sentiment, encouraging people interested in climate to start conversations about the topic.

“Change is possible [and] necessary and lies ahead,” Massie said. “You don’t need any expertise to share. In fact, it’s more effective to begin with your own thoughts, concerns and questions. So, my main takeaway would be to talk

KELLER

[about] climate.”

By spreading the word about climate and connecting with one’s community, Massie said that individuals will find most people are concerned about the climate crisis, and she reminded students that they are not alone in their worries.

“With both the creative potential of science and the creative capacity of art, and that in a place of accessibility for people,” Winchell said, “there is great potential going forward for finding solutions.”

C.U. Researchers Exploit Viscosity to Broaden Capacity of Soft Robotics

By LAINE HAVENS Sun Contributor

This January, a group of researchers in Cornell’s Collective Embodied Intelligence Lab overcame a barrier in soft robotics by designing and modeling a system that takes advantage of fluid viscosity.

Soft robotics is a subset of robotics that utilizes soft materials to create systems capable of moving independently and mimicking natural organisms. Rather than using hard materials

like metal or plastic, soft robots use rubbery materials that resemble muscles or skin. They extort the qualities of a material that predispose it towards a particular motion — such as how the traits of a slinky lead it to naturally “walk” down the stairs on its own. The research group, led by Prof. Kirsten Petersen, electrical and computer engineering, used small tubes and a bellow system, which is a grouping of small, inflatable balloons, to create a robotic limb capable of an unprecedented range of

movement.

In the recent paper, lead author Yoav Matia, a postdoctoral associate in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, employs predictive modeling — which uses mathematics to describe and forecast physical phenomena — to summarize the experimental results. The outcome is a product of years of work on soft robotics within the Collective Embodied Intelligence Lab.

Soft robotics often uses the flow of fluids through tubing

and valves to produce movement. In doing so, viscosity, which is the resistance of a fluid to flow, delays its movement. Viscosity can differ between fluids and the size of the channel they move through.

“You can imagine if you had a really long straw, and you were trying to suck air through, it’s not a problem, but if you’re trying to suck up water or a cold slushy it takes a while to suck it up,” Petersen said.

This delay in movement makes traditional soft robot motion unpredictable, and as a result, researchers often design soft robots with large tubes to avoid high viscosity.

Despite its unpredictability, Petersen’s team utilized viscosity as the driving force behind the robot’s motion. They created a core unit limb capable of movement when air was pushed through the tubes with a syringe. The unit consists of two stacks of balloon-like bellows connected by very thin tubes and a syringe that inflates or deflates the bellows with air. The small size of the tubes induces viscosity.

“It’s sort of like a bendy straw, but the big difference is that in between the bends, instead of having a big channel, we have really really thin channels so that we can use the fact that there’s a delay for the air to propagate through all of the bends,” Petersen said.

This delay in movement causes uneven pressure distribution — the differences in force from the air on the walls of the bellows. As a result, the stacks of bellows contort in different directions depending on the way the air diffuses. For example, if the left of the two stacks was more pressurized, the limb would appear to curve, bulging towards the left.

Pressure can be carefully controlled, creating an infinite range of available movement with only one syringe inputting fluid.

“There’s tons of applications for traditional robots but more and more people are also starting to look at these soft robots,” Petersen said. “ If you’re clever in your way of controlling them, the entire robot becomes much much simpler.”

The use of small tubes to move the bellow system also creates greater flexibility in motion over time. Limb motions develop stroke-like fluidity, with varying speeds throughout the cycle that can be manipulated to produce different movement patterns.

The intricacies of the movement were summarized in the paper by a predictive model developed by Matia. The mathematical model closely examined the physical phenomena behind this motion. Matia built the model from the ground-up, combining intricate physics theory, such as viscous dynamic the-

ory, with the material properties. The model isolated five variables experimenters could change, which inevitably alter limb movement patterns: bellow configurations, fluid properties, fluid input, viscosity and initial pressure. They can be combined in any way but are powerful alone. For example, changing only the tube alignment can mean the difference between long strides and a trot when the limbs are used as legs.

Identifying these parameters in conjunction with the model gives other researchers in the field a recipe to build their own soft robot.

“We were trying to say: Here’s a whole new type of soft robot which we haven’t seen before, and here’s all of the foundational knowledge you need in order to play with the science in this space,” Petersen said.

As robotics technology continues to advance, soft robotics becomes increasingly appealing due to its embedded safety, simplicity and functionality. The work done by Petersen’s team carves a clear path forward.

“We managed to identify a void in what soft robots had exploited in the past,” Petersen said. “This is one example — there’s so much we can do from here.” Laine Havens can reached at lfh36@cornell.edu

Megan Keller can reached at klee@cornellsun.com.

COURTESY OF KIRSTEN PETERSEN

Collective climate action | A rtists and climate activists participated in a panel, co-hosted by Miranda Massie ’89, to inspire change.

MEGAN

/ SUN STAFF WRITER

Fluid viscosity | This robot uses small tubes and a bellow system, which is a grouping of small inflatable balloons, to create a limb capable of an unprecedented range of movement.