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The Corne¬ Daily Sun 16 Pages – Free
Vol. 141, No. 16
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2025 n ITHACA, NEW YORK
News
Arts
Sports
Weather
Conflict With Kotlikoff
Red Carpet Rifts
Brawl Breaks on Ice
Snowy
Amid ongoing negotiations, the president rejects graduate students’ demands, instead backing an open shop policy. | Page 4
Mia Roman-Wilson ’28 discusses the implications of political backlash surrounding recent Oscar nominees. | Page 14
Lynah Rink erupted into violence following a 6-1 Dartmouth victory over the men’s hockey team. | Page 16
HIGH: 36º LOW: 15º
Museum of Earth Looks to University for Support
The natural history exhibition faces severe financial difficulty after a $30 million donor pledge fell through By TAEHEE OH Sun Senior Writer
Jan. 24 — At the Museum of the Earth, visitors can journey through the history of life on Earth. Located on 1259 Trumansburg Rd, the 8,000-square-foot natural history museum features exhibits from “Hyde Park Mastodon” to “Rock of Ages, Sands of Time,” highlighting Ithaca’s geological history within the broader context of Earth’s past. But now, the museum is facing severe financial challenges after a $30 million donor pledge collapsed, putting the institution’s stability at risk. Drawing on Cornell’s partnership with Paleontological Research Institution — the independent nonprofit that owns and operates the museum — students and professors are advocating for the University to provide greater support for the museum through its financial issues. When the Museum of the Earth was founded in 2003, a group of anonymous donors pledged more than $30 million to support various aspects of the organization. For over 20 years, their annual contributions of over $1 million have played a critical role in supporting the museum’s operations. However, since late 2023, donors have been unable to fulfill their annual pledges and the 20-year pledge they had previously made, forcing the museum to downsize operations significantly, including drastic staff reductions that slowed progress on science-based projects, reduced public programming and limited its operating hours. “We’ve prided ourselves on developing really quality programs across our institution, but obviously, we can’t do everything with the downsized staff, so we’ve just been strategic in
deciding what can get done and the timelines that they can get done on,” said Amanda Piha, the associate director for philanthropy and communications at PRI. While the museum does not have immediate plans to close, according to Piha, without significant financial support, the museum will be unable to cover the expenses required to continue operations. “There are no plans to close, but of course, that is also dependent on being able to continue to raise funds and keep ourselves financially stable, while we also build some really longterm partnerships in the background so that we could build even more stability and make the organization sustainable moving forward,” Piha said. Piha explained that the financial challenges faced by the Museum of the Earth are not entirely unique, with similar institutions across the nation grappling with difficulties. A 2024 survey of museum leaders by the American Alliance of Museums found that half of museums faced revenue loss or tough decisions on personnel, programs or expenses, while 25 percent are using reserves or endowments to cover operating costs. The museum’s 8,000-square-foot permanent exhibition features a mix of natural history displays, interactive science features and art exhibitions, according to the museum website. With over seven million specimens — marking one of the largest fossil invertebrate collections in the United States — the Museum of the Earth and PRI significantly contribute to local students’ science education since the formal affiliation between the two institutions in 2004. See MUSEUM page 10
SUN FILE PHOTO
Funding fallout | The Museum of the Earth, a key resource for science education in Ithaca, faces an uncertain future without urgent financial support, as students and faculty rally to advocate for University contribution.
MING DEMERS / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Alleviating anxieties | Cornell leadership addressed concerns about recent policy changes, offering students support and resources.
Administration
Reacts to Trump’s Executive Orders
By MATTHEW KIVIAT Sun News Editor
Jan. 28 — In a statement sent to the Cornell community on Tuesday night by Interim President Michael Kotlikoff, Provost Kavita Bala and Provost of Medical Affairs Robert Harrington, M.D., the administrators responded to concerns surrounding how new executive orders and policy announcements from President Donald Trump might impact University affairs. The White House budget office on Monday sent a memo to government agencies officially ordering a pause in “grants, loans, and other federal financial assistance” authorized by Congress across the U.S. Cornell, which receives federal and state funding for research and federal grants for students, would immediately be affected by the order. The executive action was temporarily blocked by Federal Judge Loren AliKhan of the District of Columbia on Tuesday. In the University statement, the administrators highlighted that senior leadership on all of Cornell’s campuses, the Office of General Council and federal relations staff located in Washington D.C. are “actively working to analyze and assess new guidance coming from the federal government.” The administrators also advised that ongoing programs or research that rely on federal funding should not be halted. “It is vital that we continue this important work in partnership with our federal sponsors, unless otherwise directed,” the administrators wrote. The statement also addressed concerns about President Trump’s recent executive order on immigration, which calls for the “expedited removal” of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. According to the administrators, the University remains committed to supporting “all members of the university community,” while noting that Cornell “will comply with university policy and federal law regarding the protection of sensitive personal information.” The statement also announced the creation of a new email address — ExecutiveOrders@cornell.edu — that community members can use to ask questions and “share examples of impacts” of the new federal policies. Administrators also announced the creation of a new website that will provide key updates and guidance to Cornellians on President Trump’s executive orders and policies. While the administrators recognized that the recent “extraordinary developments are unsettling,” they claimed that as Cornell has done before, it will come together to address these great challenges. “Thank you for continuing to work together to ensure that we maintain our efforts to ‘do the greatest good,’” the administrators wrote. Matthew Kiviat can be reached at mkiviat@cornellsun.com.