CALS just received the largest gift in the college’s history.💰 A massive $55 million donation from alumnus Stephen B. Ashley is officially establishing the new Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment. This initiative merges the Department of Global Development with the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment to create a hub focused on solving complex global challenges like climate change and poverty. For students currently enrolled in these programs, you do not need to worry about your degree standing. The administration confirmed that current students will not be affected by the restructuring and no majors are disappearing. Instead, the move promises more resources, including plans to hire ten new faculty members to strengthen the intersection of environmental science and economics. It marks a significant expansion of Cornell’s land-grant mission to improve lives in New York and beyond.