Campus & Beyond Gain Knowledge from Big Red Experts—Without Leaving Home Stories You May Like These Alums Are So Inventive, They’re in the Hall of Fame! ‘Good Health, Tempered Courage, and Sound Common Sense’ Marketing Wisdom, From the Alum Who Helped Turn Domino’s Around The University's online learning platform, eCornell, offers a dizzying variety of content; here's a sampling, from AI to wines to real estate By Melissa Newcomb Interested in learning about investment strategies from Cornell experts? How about creative writing? Or coding, beekeeping, craft brewing—or any one of a host of other topics? And what if you could study it without traveling to the Hill? It’s all available through eCornell, the University’s online education platform, which has a variety of free and paid content, including more than 240 certificate programs, customized offerings in executive education, and one-off lectures and panel discussions. “It extends Cornell’s reach,” says Paul Krause ’91, vice provost for external education and eCornell’s executive director. “We are reaching over 150,000 unique students a year around the world—primarily adults. When you have a job or a family, you aren’t always able to come to Ithaca for traditional learning.” Behind the scenes of a live session on sustainable lifestyles, with producer Chris Wofford (left) and econ professor Michèle Belot. Founded in the early 2000s, eCornell was the Ivy League’s first online education startup. Its programs are led by Big Red faculty from around the University (with many based in the S.C. Johnson College of Business). Its paid certificate programs, which are run in small cohorts with an instructor, take from three to nine months to complete, depending on the student’s preferred pacing. The most popular subjects: leadership, project management, and generative AI. The one-off sessions, dubbed Keynotes and running roughly 30–60 minutes, are offered free of charge. It extends Cornell’s reach. When you have a job or a family, you aren’t always able to come to Ithaca for traditional learning. Paul Krause ’91, eCornell executive director Also available in podcast format, they comprise an archive of dozens of streaming videos—ranging from recordings of live events to panel discussions to studio sessions—that delve into subjects of interest to a broad audience. “Our faculty has expertise in such a wide range of topics,” says Krause. “Keynotes allow them to stay engaged with alumni, the industry, and anybody who is interested, without the commitment of signing up for a full course.” Here’s a sampling of some of the many Keynotes available for viewing. The content can be watched directly from the embedded videos below, or click "Learn more" to navigate to the Keynote's page on the eCornell site. A Vino Trio Cheryl Stanley ’00, a senior lecturer in the Nolan School and teacher of the famed Intro to Wines course, reveals three of her favorite under-the-radar wines from around the globe and discusses their tasting notes. Learn more. The Challenges of Remote Work Brad Bell, who directs ILR’s Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies, explains the top five ways that hybrid teams are mismanaged—while providing solutions that create a high-functioning environment for all. Learn more. Healing Family Estrangement Gerontologist Karl Pillemer authored Fault Lines, a key text on family estrangement. He teams up with Daniel Van Der Vliet, who heads a Cornell-based initiative that supports people in family businesses, to discuss strategies on repairing rifts—or finding peace when that isn't possible. Learn more. Stories You May Like These Alums Are So Inventive, They’re in the Hall of Fame! ‘Good Health, Tempered Courage, and Sound Common Sense’ Global Migration—on Wings and Feet Amanda Rodewald leads the Center for Avian Population Studies, while Marielena Hincapié is a visiting scholar in the Law School. The two migration experts team up to explore how climate and environmental changes impact the movement of people and birds worldwide. Learn more. What’s Up with Artificial Intelligence? Karan Girotra, a management professor who was also a founding faculty member at Cornell Tech, delves into the current capabilities and business uses of generative AI technology—and what’s coming next. Learn more. Real Estate Trends Three alums on the Nolan School faculty offer the latest info on the real estate industry, particularly in urban cores. Jan deRoos ’78, PhD ’94, Dan Lebret, PhD ’08, and Jeanne Varney ’85 discuss the opportunities that post-pandemic markets pose, despite their ongoing challenges. Learn more. Is There Life on Other Planets? Astronomy professor Lisa Kaltenegger—author of the recent book Alien Earths—describes how she and her colleagues at the Cornell-based Carl Sagan Institute strive to answer the question “Are we alone?” by searching for life on other planets. Learn more. How Black Artists Have Shaped Film Samantha Sheppard, chair of performing and media arts, discusses how powerful work by actors and other creatives, from Sidney Poitier to Denzel Washington and Halle Berry, have helped shaped cinema—and explores the impact of the latest generation of writers and performers. Learn more. The Power of Meditation CALS professor Y. Connie Yuan has appointments in both communication and global development—and she taps both areas of expertise in this talk on the benefits of mindfulness meditation, while dispelling some common Westernized misconceptions about the practice. Learn more. Top: Photo illustration by Caitlin Cook / Cornell University. All other media provided by eCornell. Published February 13, 2025 Comments Jon Vinograd, Class of 1968 16 Mar, 2025 Given the possible interior rot of Mr. Franklin’s “Republic,” perhaps some thoughtful essays of where we came from so we could better understand where we are! Think Professor Allan Bloom’s last lecture of each semester. Reply Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Chime In In Praise of Exercise, the True ‘Fountain of Youth’ Cornelliana April Fool! ‘Daily Sun’ Parodies Poke Fun at Life on the Hill Alumni Is This Alum’s Clothing Firm Thriving? Ewe Betcha!