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Why Cornell Engineering?
"Scientists study the world as it is; engineers create the world that never has been."—Theodore von Karman
Cornell engineers challenge the status quo and do great things. Steeped in an environment of questioning, and with a focus on innovation, Cornell Engineering pursues excellence in all areas. Its faculty, students, and alumni design, build, and test products, improve the world of medicine, inform and shape our laws, create and drive businesses, become research luminaries, and overcome real and perceived barriers to achieve scientific breakthroughs that advance the quality of life on our planet.
We invite you to learn more about Cornell Engineering and its programs.
Did you know?
Grad students Ernest Schoder (Ph.D., 1902) and August Saph (Ph.D., 1902) working in the Hydraulics Laboratory authored a classic study in hydraulic experimentation. Their precise measurements on frictional water resistance in pipes verified the exponential relationship between velocity and head loss. Prof. Schoder’s commitment to hydraulic research and brought such renown to himself and Cornell that it could be said that the majority of the leading American hydraulicians of the first quarter of this century were educated, or participated in tests conducted at Cornell.
Walter Lynn, a distinguished professor at Cornell for most of his academic career, was particularly interested in water quality. He was at the forefront of environmental studies and coined the term "sustainability."
In 2006, the Fab@Home project, designed and produced by MAE students, was launched . This first fully open-source 3D printer in the U.S., helped launch the consumer 3D printing revolution. Within one year, the Fab@Home website received 17,000,000 hits and the project received a Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award.
Padmasree Warrior (Chemical Engineering, M.S., 1984) in 2013 and 2014 was named as one of the top 100 powerful women in the world by Forbes Magazine. She is the chief technology and strategy officer at Cisco shaping technology development and corporate strategy.
Prof. Malcolm S. McIlroy created the Electric Analyzer for Fluid Distribution Systems. This device’s tungsten lamp lit up with varying degrees of intensity to indicate change in fluid pressure of municipal gas or water pipes. At Cornell, he continued the development of a nonlinear resistor and resulted in an analog computer that has been a significant contribution to the solution of fluid pipeline network problems.