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Cornell University (Ithaca, NY), nestled in the scenic hills of upstate New York's Finger Lake district, was founded in 1865 and is a member of the venerable Ivy League. It has a long history of involvement with technology, starting with its founder, Ezra Cornell, who also started the Western Union telegraph company.
In addition to its membership in the nation's upper echelon of academic institutions, Cornell is among the country's more forward-thinking universities when it comes to diversity. DiOnetta Jones, director of diversity programs at Cornell's College of Engineering, says, "One of our primary goals and responsibilities is to increase the enrollment of women and minorities here. We recruit at diversity fairs, including those held by NSBE, SHPE, AISES and SWE. We also attend national and regional conferences, and college fairs at schools with high percentages of undergraduate women and minorities and strong engineering and science programs, like University of Texas-Austin, Texas A&M, Howard University, Spelman College, Smith College and University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez and Rio Pedras."
In addition, Jones' department brings prospective diverse undergraduate and graduate students to the Cornell campus for a taste of what the university has to offer and the opportunity to talk with students and faculty. "For prospective undergraduates, we have diversity hosting weekends to encourage diverse students to come here. One of the weekends is held in the fall for high-school students who have been recommended by their teachers, and the other is held in the spring for students who have applied and been accepted. The graduate level diversity hosting event is held in the spring and gives prospective graduate students a chance to meet with faculty and other graduate students and visit our research labs," Jones says.
Cornell is part of a National Science Foundation-funded consortium, the Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP). The University of Syracuse, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez are also AGEP members. The partnership was established in 2002 to significantly increase the number of U.S. students receiving PhDs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, particularly those going on to pursue careers in academia. Its emphasis is on students who come from underrepresented populations, and it provides opportunities for faculty recruitment at the member schools.
Cornell uses AGEP grants to bring prospective PhD students to campus and to fund summer research programs for students who have been accepted into MS/PhD and PhD programs there. The college of engineering's minority graduate fellowship program, funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (www.sloan.org), provides both tuition funding and support for faculty mentoring of PhD students.
At present 26 percent of students at the undergraduate level are women and 7.5 percent are underrepresented minorities. At the graduate level women constitute 23 percent of the student body and underrepresented minorities, 4 percent. Twelve percent of faculty are women and 4 percent are underrepresented minorities.
"This is very good when compared to other major engineering programs nationwide, but we have to do better," Jones stresses. "There's a huge commitment here to diversity among students and faculty."
Holistic approach to admissions
The Cornell engineering program has 2,773 undergraduates and covers a broad range of disciplines at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The program offers mechanical, chemical and civil engineering, as well as computer science, electrical and computer engineering, environmental engineering, physics, bioengineering, geological science, information science systems and technology, materials science, operations research and engineering as well as an independent major.
The graduate program has 1,185 students and offers three different degrees: a master of engineering, a master of science and a combined masters/PhD. Those pursuing the master of engineering have the option of choosing any discipline offered at the undergraduate level except information science systems and technology.
Master of engineering degrees are also offered in agricultural and biological engineering, biomedical engineering and systems engineering. The master of science program covers similar disciplines with the addition of applied mathematics, applied physics, biophysics, statistics, and theoretical and applied mechanics, while the combined masters/PhD program includes the disciplines for both masters degrees.
Cornell accepts transfer undergrads from other accredited engineering programs and, depending upon the foundation the student has received, many core courses can be transferred. Students accepted into the program generally have a grade point average of 3.5 or better and are in the top 10 percent of their classes. However, Cornell takes a "holistic" approach to admissions by also considering letters of recommendation, SAT scores and other factors. "The admissions office screens transfer applications and then sends them on to the individual departments," says Jones.
At the graduate level, Jones says, "Cornell again uses a holistic approach by focusing on the overall package versus a particular score or number." GPA, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, statement of intent/purpose, transcripts and research interests are all reviewed and considered in the selection process by the respective departments. Jones adds that a great deal of weight is given to letters of recommendation and the statement of academic purpose.
Programs ease adjustment to school
Once students have been accepted into one of the Cornell engineering programs, every effort is made to retain them. "Cornell is doing wonderful things along these lines," says Jones. "We have a pre-freshman summer program for our diverse students that helps them acclimate to college-level studying and the university as a whole. Those who go through this program generally do better in their first year than those who don't. Once our students get here, the diversity department offers resources and serves as an advocacy program that provides academic and personal support as well as opportunities to connect with other students."
Mentoring programs are available, including peer mentoring, group mentoring, e-mail mentoring by professionals in industry and alumni mentoring. There is also a professional development program to help prepare students for the various challenges they will face, such as job fairs, internships, GREs, tests and academic stress.
First Fridays is a networking event held on the first Friday of each month that helps make diverse students feel a part of the Cornell community. Faculty members attend along with both graduate and undergraduate students.
On-campus organizations include student chapters of NSBE, SHPE, SWE and AISES. Students can also join the engineering student council or the graduate student council.
Finances are an important part of the decision whether to attend a particular school for many students. As at most universities, full financial aid and stipends are available to those accepted into the MS/PhD program.
Cornell does not fund the other two masters programs directly, but financial aid is available through the National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science (www.gemfellowship.org) and other sources. "It's important to remember that if you can get accepted, you can get funding," says Jones.
Around town
College life is also a significant factor when choosing a school. Both the university and Ithaca, the beautiful town it calls home, are known for their progressive attitudes and welcoming natures. "This area has an intellectual climate with an appreciation for differences," Jones says. "We are a well-respected institution in this area, so the students feel appreciated."
Ithaca has plenty of restaurants, coffee shops and bookstores. There are athletic facilities for working out and many churches, synagogues and other places of worship to attend. Extracurricular activities abound, as do opportunities for mentoring local high-school students. Most of the students live in residential halls or in small towns in the nearby hills, and there is graduate housing on campus.
When asked about the dreaded upstate New York winters, Jones laughs, "Ithaca is just gorgeous. I've been here part of a winter and through this summer, and this is the most beautiful place in winter that I've ever seen."
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