This newsletter is brought to you by Human Resources.
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Special Retiree Event with Mike Hoffman |
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Our Changing Menu: Climate Change and the Foods We Love and Need
June 29, 2021, 12:00 – 1:00 pm
The following is a special presentation for Cornell retirees by Mike Hoffman, Executive Director of the Cornell Institute for Climate Smart Solutions:
This conversation will cover how the changing climate is affecting our globally interconnected and interdependent food supply—impacting just about everything on the menu. Plants, the basis of life, require the right temperatures, water, soil, air, and sunlight. All but sunlight are changing and this has subtle and, in many cases, ominous impacts on our foods and beverages—from spices and herbs to nuts. The flavors of teas, the protein and mineral content of wheat, vitamins in rice, and yields of many crops will all soon be different.
Addressing this challenge requires innovative research to develop more resilient crops, better practices, and tools that help the agricultural and the food sectors adapt to the new normal and mitigate the impact of these changes. This is also an opportunity for all of us, from farmer to consumer, to join forces. And by doing so, to find common ground and draw more attention and action to address this grand challenge of climate change. We all eat and we all have a role to play.
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Virtual Grief Support Group
Mondays, June 7, 14, and 21 from 3:00-4:30 pm
Free and open to Cornell faculty, staff, retirees, and spouses/partners
Are you grieving the death of a loved one? Join us for a three-week group designed to help attendees process their loss in a supportive and respectful virtual setting. Participants are asked to register and commit to attending all three group sessions.
About the Facilitator
Laura Ward, LMFT, CT is the Manager of Psychosocial Services at Hospicare and has been a bereavement counselor for 6 years. Previously, Laura worked as a crisis clinician and counselor at various non-profit counseling agencies and taught developmental psychology courses as an adjunct at TC3. In addition, Laura spent 10 years working in mediation and collaborative law as a child specialist, divorce mediator, and coach. During this time, Laura presented both regionally and nationally on topics related to supporting LGBTQAI individuals and families through the process of separation, divorce, and co-parenting.
Co-sponsored by Cornell Work/Life & Hospicare of Ithaca. Please contact worklife@cornell.edu with any questions.
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Merrill Family Sailing Center Seasonal Membership
Sailing Memberships at the Merrill Family Sailing Center are now open to the public. A seasonal membership allows you access* to the sailboats during open hours. Wellness Recreation Members who have a 1-year Wellness Recreation or CPHL Wellness Recreation Membership and attend a three-day class will receive a 20% discount on Sailing Seasonal Memberships of 2 or more months. (Note that this reduced rate is not available to 4-month Wellness Recreation Membership holders.)
Sailing Center memberships can be purchased for 2, 3, 4, or 5-month durations. If you have questions please contact Pat Crowley.
*You must be signed off on your ability to sail different lengths of boats before you can take them out on Cayuga Lake. If you complete one of the sailing classes, you should be signed off on at least one size of boat at the conclusion of the class.
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Sailing Lessons with Cornell Wellness
Sailing lessons, offered through Cornell Wellness, are now open to the entire Cornell community. There will be six classes offered; each class will consist of three lessons held on consecutive days. A class will cost $125 per person. A small participant to instructor ratio of 2:1 per boat will ensure a great experience while social distancing. If you are interested in learning all about sailboat safety, getting a boat ready to sail, and controlling the sailboat in the water - this class is for you!
Classes are available on these dates:
- June 2, 3, 4 (Wed-Fri) 3:00-5:30 pm
- June 9, 10, 11 (Wed-Fri) 3:00-5:30 pm
- June 16, 17, 18 (Wed-Fri) 3:00-5:30 pm
- June 23, 24, 25 (Wed-Fri) 3:00-5:30 pm
Instruction will be given on 19-26' keelboats. Boats and PFDs (life preservers) are provided. Just bring yourself and wear comfortable weather-appropriate clothing.
Registration is required and you must be 16 years or older to participate. To register or ask questions, contact Pat Crowley at the Sailing Center via email.
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Johnson Museum Book Club: Silk Roads: The Asian Adventures of Clara and André Malraux
Wednesday, May 26, 2021, 4:00 PM
This is a story of romance, art crime, and the political awakening of an uncommon couple determined to live a life of adventure. André Malraux, the French novelist, art theorist, and eventually France’s Minister of Cultural Affairs, and his wife, Clara, travel to Cambodia in 1923 with a plan to steal and smuggle artifacts out of the country and sell them in America. This fascinating tale chronicling the Malrauxs’s experiences offers readers a gateway into a vanished world.
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Seed Giveaway
Saturday, May 29, 2021, 10:00 am-1:00 pm
@ CCE-Tompkins Education Center
615 Willow Ave.
Ithaca, NY
It's time to get your family garden started! CCE-Tompkins Horticulture Program will hold its 3rd seed and plant giveaway of 2021 and will distribute seeds and donated seedlings that can be grown in the warm summer months. From 10:00-11:30 am, priority will be given to BIPOC community members, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and families with limited incomes. All are welcome - seeds and plants will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis.
CCE-Tompkins staff members and Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions from an appropriate distance. Growing information will be provided for the varieties of seeds we distribute.
If you want to start gardening for the first time or hone your skills, the Grow Along Project is offering mini-grants to members of the community, planning/maintaining a demo plot at the Community Gardens, and teaching free classes.
Please contact Margaret Royall, Horticulture Program Assistant, at (607) 272-2292 voicemail ext. 244 with any questions.
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Cornell Caregiver Support & Education Network
Caregivers come together monthly to share the challenges, joys, and resources of caregiving as well as listen to occasional speakers presenting on topics of interest specifically to caregivers. Caregiving workshops and webinars will be made available through Zoom so you can join in the privacy of your own office or home.
The next meeting will be held on April 22, 2021, from 12:00-1:00 pm. For additional information, visit the group web page.
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Cornell Bird Cams
A sure sign of the change of seasons is the return of area springtime birds. The Cornell Lab Bird Cams let viewers from all over the world observe the lives of birds we don't often see. With cameras set up from Bermuda to Texas, the lab watches nests and feeders of multiple birds and raptors - even the hawks right here on our campus.
Our Cornell hawks currently have three chicks in the nest - tune in to watch them grow and fledge!
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Do you use Cornell email?
Learn about the new log-in process
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Starting Tuesday, June 8, 2021, Two-Step Login for Office 365 will be required for your Cornell retiree email account.
If you have recently retired from Cornell, you may already be familiar with Two-Step Login from accessing resources like Faculty Center or Canvas before your retirement. Two-Step Login protection for Office 365 uses a very similar process. Over ten thousand Cornell Office 365 users have already transitioned to using Two-Step Login without issues.
If you access Cornell email using one of the following methods, you will need to take extra steps to ensure your email access transitions smoothly.
Things you need to know:
If you encounter issues using Two-Step Login for Office 365, contact the IT Service Desk for assistance.
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Local and Virtual Offerings |
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Virtual Chair Yoga
Wednesdays from 10:00 to 11:00 am
Led by certified yoga instructor Caryn Sheckler, this weekly (through June 23rd) class will focus on gentle stretching to help adult participants develop better balance and flexibility. Each class will include mantra, breath, meditation, and exercise in a relaxed and joyful virtual setting.
Register to receive updates and the Zoom link for participation by visiting the event web page.
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Crime Fiction Reading & Discussion
Tuesday, May 25 from 6:00 to 7:30 pm
Tompkins County Public Library is offering a virtual author event, “An Evening of Mystery: Crime Fiction Reading and Discussion.” Local authors will discuss the varied nature of crime/mystery writing and read selections from their work. This virtual event is for readers and writers alike and for anyone interested in learning more about the genre.
Hear from the following authors:
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Kathy Kaminiski (blogger at Cozy Up with Kathy)
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Lori Duffy Foster, A Dead Man’s Eyes
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Susan Solomon, The Magic of Murder.
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Jim Toner, Summer Danger
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Lissa Marie Redmond, The Parting Glass
This event is co-sponsored by Murder on Ice, the Western and Central New York Chapter of Sisters in Crime. The mission of Murder on Ice is to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition, and professional development of women crime writers. Murder on Ice is open to all genders.
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A Scientist Walks Into the Virtual Pub…
How stand-up comedy and storytelling can break the science-communication paradox
Thursday, June 3, 2021, 7:30 pm
We are living in a time in which our knowledge of the world has never been so advanced -- and yet we disagree on many issues. This is known as the science communication paradox. Few people talk about science regularly and in many cases, they find it difficult to connect science to their daily lives. Additionally, there is increasing distrust in institutions and scientists are perceived as unapproachable.
Join Dr. Danielle L. Eiseman, Visiting Lecturer, Department of Communication, Cornell University, at Science in the Virtual Pub, and learn how we can use humor to break the science-communication paradox.
Sponsored by the Paleontological Research Institution.
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Winery Tasting Room Host at Frontenac Point Winery
Guide the guest experience in the tasting room at Frontenac Point Vineyard, an estate winery located 15 minutes from Ithaca on Route 89. People from all over the world visit the Finger Lakes and the winery.
In this position you can also learn about growing grapes, making wine, and running a small estate winery. If desired, additional work is usually available in the winery itself and vineyard. Weekends are necessary but hours are flexible. This is a part-time, seasonal position and ends November 20, 2021.
Frontenac Point specializes in premium, primarily dry wines including Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay, as well as Brut Méthode Champenoise. Our ‘hybrid’ varieties, including Chambourcin, Maréchal Foch, and Seyval Blanc are important in a sustainable vineyard.
Requirements:
- Willingness to learn about wine and appropriately presenting it to visitors is necessary.
- Knowledge of wine is helpful but not necessary.
- Ability to work alone as well as with others.
- Ability to lift 40 pounds (a case of wine) and carry it up the stairs from the winery to the tasting room.
- Inventory management.
- Setting up and closing the Tasting room at the end of the day.
- Transportation to and from the winery necessary but not needed on the job.
Frontenac Point Winery is owned by a Cornell retiree and encourages fellow Cornell retirees to apply! Email a letter of interest to the winery by June 1, 2021.
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New Climate Stewards Volunteer Program
A new Climate Stewards Volunteer program at Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County (CCE-Tompkins) is now taking applications for its first 12-week training class this summer. Modeled on Extension’s successful Master Gardener and Master Composter volunteer programs, this effort will equip participants to take action to address climate change in their communities through educational outreach and volunteer-led climate-smart projects.
The Summer 2021 Climate Steward Volunteer Training will be held weekly via Zoom on Wednesday evenings, 6:00-8:00 pm, from June 9th to August 25th. During the first 10 weeks, trainees will learn about a specific climate change topic, with additional outside readings, videos, and group activities designed to develop skills needed to lead and educate their communities in climate science, adaption, and problem mitigation. Throughout the course, trainees will design and work toward an individual or group community action project that they will present and discuss in the final two class sessions. This program’s curriculum was developed by Cornell University in partnership with CCE-Tompkins.
Volunteer applications can be found online and are due by Friday, May 28th. A $60 training deposit is required and will be refunded upon course completion. Financial exemptions can be granted.
For more information on exemptions or any other part of the program, please contact Rachel Zevin, Climate Smart Communities and Climate Stewards Coordinator at CCE-Tompkins, or call (607) 272-2292.
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Virtual Reality Gardening for Older Adults Study
The Cornell Design & Augmented Intelligence Lab is looking for participants for a 40-minute online survey, followed by a 90-minute in-person experiment in Ithaca.
During the experiment, volunteers will be asked to fill out the questionnaire, interact with a digital garden either via immersive virtual reality or via a tablet, and answer the follow-up questions.
Who can participate:
- 60+ years old
- never used immersive virtual reality before
- not suffering from mental disorders
This project has been reviewed by the Cornell University's Institutional Review Board (IRB) for Human Participants. Participants will earn a $25 gift card.
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Bike Mentors Needed
Bike Walk Tompkins (BWT) is seeking motivated people to join their 2021 Bike Mentors program! Bike Mentors are volunteers who work directly with their friends, co-workers, neighbors, and other community members to encourage biking as a safe and convenient way to get around, stay healthy, and have fun.
Mentors will receive extensive training and support to be able to help teach people how to bike, encourage more bicycling this summer, and connect folks to all the bicycling resources available in our community. Volunteers are expected to support BWT bike classes, host bike rides, and provide 1-on-1 support to friends and family. Mentors may also qualify for a $1200 scholarship if they’ll be supporting a low-income community, community of color, or other marginalized community that they’re connected to in Tompkins County.
Learn more about this opportunity and apply today! The deadline to apply is Sunday, May 23.
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Miscellaneous Articles & Webinars |
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