This list of Cornell University faculty includes notable current and former instructors and administrators of Cornell University, an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York.
Nobel laureates Chemistry Peter Debye (professor of Chemistry, 1940–50; department chair) — Chemistry 1936; National Medal of Science (1965) Manfred Eigen (A. D. White Professor-at-Large, 1965–76) — Chemistry 1967 Richard R. Ernst (A. D. White Professor-at-Large, 1996–2002) — Chemistry 1991 Paul Flory (Chemistry faculty, 1948–57) — Chemistry 1974; National Medal of Science (1974) Otto Hahn (George Fisher Baker Lecturer of Chemistry, 1933) — Chemistry 1944 Gerhard Herzberg (George Fischer Baker Non-Resident Lecturer in Chemistry 1968) — Chemistry 1971 Roald Hoffmann (Frank H. T. Rhodes Professor in Humane Letters) — Chemistry 1981; National Medal of Science (1983) Linus Pauling (George Fischer Baker Non-Resident Lecturer in Chemistry 1937–1938; Messenger Lecturer 1959) — Chemistry 1954; the bulk of his most influential scientific book The Nature of the Chemical Bond was completed while he was at Cornell and was published by Cornell University Press in 1939 James B. Sumner (professor, 1929–55 and professor emeritus of Biochemistry/Nutrition) — Chemistry 1946 Henry Taube (instructor and assistant professor, 1941–1946) — Chemistry 1983; National Medal of Science (1976) Vincent du Vigneaud (professor of Biochemistry, Medical College, 1938–67, professor of Chemistry, 1967–75) — Chemistry 1955; Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research (1948)
Peace, Literature, or Economics
Norman Borlaug (A. D. White Professor-at-Large, 1982–88) — Peace 1970; National Medal of Science (2004) Linus Pauling (George Fischer Baker Non-Resident Lecturer in Chemistry 1937–1938; Messenger Lecturer 1959) — Peace 1962 Octavio Paz (A. D. White Professor-at-Large, 1972–74) — Literature 1990 Amartya Sen (A. D. White Professor-at-Large, 1978–84) — Economics 1998; National Humanities Medal (2012) Wole Soyinka (Senior Fellow, Society for the Humanities, 1985; Goldwin Smith professor for African Studies and Theatre Arts, 1988–1991) — Literature 1986 Richard Thaler (professor 1978–1995) — Economics 2017; member of the National Academy of Sciences (2018)
Physics
Hannes Alfvén (Distinguished Professor in Engineering) — Physics 1970 Hans Bethe (John Wendell Anderson Professor of Physics, 1935–2005) — Physics 1967; National Medal of Science (1975) Richard Feynman (Physics faculty, 1945–1950) — Nobel Prize in Physics 1965; National Medal of Science (1979) Pierre-Gilles de Gennes (A. D. White Professor-at-Large, 1977–1983) and Bethe Lecturer in Physics, 1989–90) — Physics 1991 Brian D. Josephson (NSF Senior Foreign Scientist Fellow, 1971–1972) — Physics 1973 David Lee (professor of Physics) — Physics 1996 Anthony James Leggett (visiting professor, April 1973, July 1974, Bethe Lecturer, April 1980, visiting scientist, January — August 1983) — Physics 2003; Wolf Prize in Physics (2002) Roger Penrose (visiting professor) — Physics 2020 Robert Coleman Richardson (Floyd R. Newman Professor of Physics) — Physics 1996 John Robert Schrieffer (A. D. White Professor-at-Large, 1969–1975) — Physics 1972; National Medal of Science (1983) George Paget Thomson (non-resident lecturer, 1929–1930) — Physics 1937 Kip Thorne (Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large, 1986–1992; visiting senior research associate, January — June 1977; Hans Bethe Lecturer, 1986; Yervant Terzian Memorial Lecture, 2016) — Physics 2017 Kenneth G. Wilson (professor of Physics and Nuclear Studies, 1963–1988) — Physics 1982; Wolf Prize in Physics (1980)
Physiology or Medicine James P. Allison (professor, Weill Cornell Medicine 2004–2012) — Physiology or Medicine 2018, Wolf Prize in Medicine (2017) Robert F. Furchgott (Assistant Professor of biochemistry, Research Associate, Medical College, 1940–49) — Physiology or Medicine 1998 Herbert Spencer Gasser (Medical College, 1931–34) — Physiology or Medicine 1944 Paul Greengard (A. D. White Professor-at-Large, 1981–87) — Physiology or Medicine 2000 Haldan Keffer Hartline (associate professor, Medical College, 1940–41) — Physiology or Medicine 1967 Robert W. Holley (Ph.D. 1947 Organic Chemistry; professor and department chair in Biochemistry, 1948–64) — Physiology or Medicine 1968 Har Gobind Khorana (A. D. White Professor-at-Large, 1974–80) — Physiology or Medicine 1968; National Medal of Science (1987) Fritz Albert Lipmann (research associate, Medical College, 1939–1941) — Physiology or Medicine 1953; National Medal of Science (1966) Peter Medawar (A. D. White Professor-at-Large, 1965–71) — Physiology or Medicine 1960 Harold E. Varmus (Lewis Thomas University Professor of Medicine, 2015–) — Physiology or Medicine 1989; National Medal of Science (2001)
MacArthur awards Archie Randolph Ammons (professor of Creative Writing, 1964–98) — poetry 1981 William Dichtel (associate professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, 2008–2016) — Chemistry 2015 Craig Fennie (assistant professor of Applied and Engineering Physics) — materials science 2013 Mitchell J. Feigenbaum (postdoc 1970–1972, professor, 1982–1988) — physics 1984; Wolf Prize in Physics (1986), member of the National Academy of Sciences and fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Alice Fulton (professor of Creative Writing) — poetry 1991 Deborah Estrin (associate dean and Robert V. Tishman ’37 Professor of Cornell Tech, 2013–) — computer science 2018; member of the National Academy of Engineering (2009) Henry Louis Gates Jr. (professor, 1985–90) — literary critic (1981); National Humanities Medal recipient (1998) Paul Ginsparg (professor of Physics and Computing & Information Science) — physics 2002 Jon Kleinberg (Tisch University Professor of Computer Science) — computer science 2005 Stephen Lee (professor of Solid State Chemistry) — chemistry 1993 Michal Lipson (faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering 2001–2015) — optical physics 2010; member of the National Academy of Sciences (2019) Robert Parris Moses (Frank H. T. Rhodes Class of '56 Professor, 2006–) — educator and philosopher (1982) Rebecca J. Nelson (associate professor of Plant Pathology, Plant Breeding and International Agriculture) — plant pathologist (1998) Sheila Nirenberg (professor at Weill Medical College) — neuroscience 2013 Margaret W. Rossiter (Marie Underhill Noll Professor of the History of Science) — historian of science 1989 Gregory Vlastos (faculty 1948–1955) — classicist and philosopher 1990
Sports Bob Blackman (head coach, football, 1977–82) — member of the College Football Hall of Fame Charles E. Courtney (head coach, rowing, 1883–1920) — rower and rowing coach Melody Davidson (head coach, women's ice hockey) — head coach of the Canadian national women's hockey team and the Canadian 2006 Winter Olympics women's hockey team Hilary Gehman (head coach, women's rowing) — two-time Olympian; six-time member of the U.S. national rowing team Edward Moylan (head coach, tennis and squash, 1962–72) — tennis player; gold medal winner at the 1955 Pan American Games with Art Larsen Nicole Ross (assistant coach, fencing, 2016–18) — Olympic foil fencer; won the 2010 NCAA individual women's foil title Michel Sebastiani (coach, fencing, 1963–70) — Olympic fencing coach and member of the US Fencing Association Hall of Fame; his women’s team won the Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association (NIWFA) National Championship in 1967, 1968, and 1969, and his fencers also won the NIWFA individual title in 1968, and another won the NCAA men’s épée title in 1968 Michael Slive (director of Athletics, 1981–83) — commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, 2002–15 Phil Sykes (interim head coach, field hockey, 2003) — U.S. Olympic field hockey defender Al Walker (head coach, basketball, 1993–96) — former basketball player and college coach, now a scout for the Detroit Pistons of the NBA
Education Arthur S. Adams (university provost 1946–1948) — president of the University of New Hampshire (1948–1950); president of the American Council on Education (1950–1961) Charles Kendall Adams (university president, 1885–1892) — president of the University of Wisconsin, 1892–1901 John L. Anderson (Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, 1971–1976) — president of the Illinois Institute of Technology (2007–2015), provost and university vice president of Case Western Reserve University (2004–2007), dean of the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (1996–2004); member of the National Academy of Engineering and Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Elisha Andrews (faculty 1888-89) — president of Denison University (1875–79) and Brown University (1889–1898); chancellor of the University of Nebraska (1900–1909) Sanford Soverhill Atwood (university provost 1955–1963) — president of Emory University (1963–1977) Sarah Gibson Blanding (dean of Human Ecology, 1941–46) — president of Vassar College, 1946–1964 Detlev Bronk (professor of Physiology at Cornell University Medical College 1939–1941) — president of Johns Hopkins University and the Rockefeller Institute; member of the National Academy of Sciences (1939) Robert F. Chandler (professor of Forest Soils) — president of the University of New Hampshire (1950–1954); winner of the World Food Prize, 1988 James Mason Crafts (chemistry professor, 1867–1870) — president of MIT, 1897–1900 Cornelis W. de Kiewiet (university provost 1948–1951; acting president 1949–1951) — president of the University of Rochester (1951–1961) Lloyd Hartman Elliott (professor of Educational Administration) — president of the University of Maine (1958–1965) and George Washington University (1965–1988) Thomas E. Everhart (professor of Electrical Engineering, dean of Engineering 1979–1984) — chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1984–1987), president of the California Institute of Technology (1987–1997); member of the National Academy of Engineering and foreign fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering W. Kent Fuchs (university provost, 2009–2014) — president of the University of Florida, 2015- Richard H. Gallagher (faculty 1967–1978) — president of Clarkson University (1988–1995) and member of National Academy of Engineering Charles De Garmo (faculty) — president of Swarthmore College (1891–1898) Theodore L. Hullar (faculty, 1979–1984, 1997–) — chancellor of UC Riverside (1985–1987) and UC Davis (1987–1994) Harry Burns Hutchins (Law faculty 1887–1894) — president of the University of Michigan, 1909–1920 William Rea Keast (professor, department chair, dean of Arts & Sciences, vice president for Academic Affairs, 1951–1965) — president of Wayne State University, 1965–1971 David C. Knapp (university provost, 1974–1978) — president of the University of Massachusetts (1978–1990) Asa S. Knowles (vice president of University Development, 1948–1951) — president of the University of Toledo (1951–1958) and of Northeastern University (1959–1975) Edward H. Litchfield (dean of School of Business) — twelfth chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh (1956–1965) Carolyn Martin (university provost, 2000–2008) — chancellor of the University of Wisconsin, 2008–2011; president of Amherst College, 2011– Alan G. Merten (dean of the Johnson School) — president of George Mason University (1996–2012) John Niland (assistant professor 1970–1972) — vice-chancellor and principal of the University of New South Wales, Australia (1992–2002) Paul Olum (faculty, 1949–1974; Mathematics Department chair, 1963–1966) — president of the University of Oregon, 1980–1989 Russell K. Osgood (dean and professor of Law, 1988–1998) — president of Grinnell College 1998–2010 Robert A. Plane (chemistry professor; university provost 1969–1973) — president of Clarkson University (1974–1985) and of Wells College (1991–1995)