Denniston joined UCS lobbyists and science experts, religious leaders, and social activists to discuss the results of new computer models which suggest that the business-as-usual emissions of carbon dioxide will result in dire consequences for Iowa and the upper Midwest by the end of the century.

According to the report, which was funded and published by the UCS, by the year 2070, severe heat waves such as that experienced in 1995 will occur multiple times per decade in Iowa, and spring flooding will be more severe and more frequent.  However, the model also suggests that if significant steps are taken to reduce carbon dioxide outputs, Iowa may avoid much of this damage.

Denniston and the UCS delegation met with staffers from the offices of Congressmen (and Cornell professor emeritus) David Loebsack (D –Iowa 2nd District), Bruce Braley (D – Iowa 1st District), Leonard Boswell (D – Iowa 3rd District), Senator Grassley (R) and Senator Harkin (D).

The UCS is a highly respected independent scientific research and citizen action group dedicated toward developing solutions for environmental issues via government policy and corporate policy.  Denniston is chair of the Cornell College geology department and director of the environmental studies program.

Cornell closed out the 2008-2009 year strongly, raising $9.8 million in gifts, pledges, and grants, including nearly $1 million for the environmental studies program and $2.2 million for the annual fund. Nearly 4,000 donors contributed to funds that allowed students to study overseas, renovated dormitories, created new classes and programs, brought in lecturers and provided student scholarships.

“Once again I am humbled by the tremendous generosity from friends and alumni of Cornell College. In a difficult financial year when less than 50 percent of non-profits reported an increase in donations our generous supporters propelled the Hilltop to an increase of nearly $1 million.” said Vice President for Alumni and College Advancement Peter Wilch. “There are many charities our alumni and friends choose to support and I am grateful so many count Cornell as a top priority for their philanthropy.”

These funds are creating opportunities for students that make the Cornell experience exceptional. Over 20 classes were held overseas this year, nearly 30 students had funded Cornell Fellowships all around the country, and renovations were completed that created or upgraded residential living spaces, improved offices and services, and created classroom and study spaces.

“I’m especially grateful to those who supported us in a very challenging year,” said Cornell College President Les Garner. “These gifts strengthen us in many ways, most importantly by allowing our students to pursue a truly distinctive liberal arts education.”

Many of these opportunities were made possible by donations to the Annual Fund, the yearly trust that creates an immediate and profound impact, enriching the lives of every student and faculty member, every day, in all corners of the college, through scholarships, improved teaching environments, and classroom improvements.

“We had an incredible response to the Annual Fund this year,” said Annual Fund Director Trish Kohl. “That so many stepped up and contributed in such a difficult year shows how much people care about Cornell and our students.”

This was also a banner year for the environmental studies program. The program, one of the first in the nation when it was formed in 1975 by geology professor and alumnus Herb Hendriks, received nearly $1 million in support this year from the Cornell College Class of 1958, the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation, and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

“Environmental studies at Cornell is a program with extraordinary potential,” said Garner. “It typifies what a liberal arts education should look like.”

This year also marked the completion of renovations to Pfeiffer Residence Hall, The Paul K. Scott Alumni Center at Rood House, and The Peter Paul Luce Admission Center at Wade House. All of these renovations were made possible by generous gifts from Cornell donors.

Cornell is distinctive in U.S. higher education in offering the combination of liberal arts and science study within the One Course At A Time framework in an active residential community. Cornell is featured as one of 40 institutions in Loren Pope’s “Colleges That Change Lives,” was cited by the New York Times as one of 20 “stealth powerhouses,”  and has consistently ranked among the best liberal arts schools in the country according to the U.S. News & World Report, Forbes Magazine, and The Fiske Guide to Colleges.

On Cornell’s One Course At A Time calendar, students study a single subject for a 3 1/2-week term. The average class size is 16. Nine terms are offered each year, enabling students to pursue multiple internships and international domestic off-campus programs during the year.

The funds will be used to enhance integration of existing courses, develop field courses in Latin America, help introduce new courses, and to create a capstone course for environmental studies majors. In the past year environmental studies has received nearly $1 million in gifts and grants from donors such as the Cornell College Class of 1958 and the Margaret A. Cargill foundation.

“Environmental Studies emphasizes the links between fields of study.  Geologists, biologists, and chemists need to understand how intertwined political and economic forces are with science, just as policy makers need to appreciate the complexities of the systems on which environmental policy is built,” said geology professor Rhawn Denniston. “This generous grant from the Mellon Foundation will go a long way toward advancing our ability to help our majors make these connections.”

Environmental studies is a rapidly-growing interdisciplinary program founded at Cornell by geology professor and alumnus Herb Hendriks. The program was one of the first in the nation when it was formed in 1975. Environmental studies stresses sustainability across multiple disciplines-from politics to geology to English to biology.

“Environmental studies at Cornell is a program with extraordinary potential. It typifies what a liberal arts education should look like,” said Cornell College President Les Garner. “We are grateful for the generosity of the Mellon Foundation and for the Foundation’s recognition of the excellence of Cornell’s environmental studies program.”

The Mellon Foundation grant is part of Cornell College’s comprehensive campaign Extraordinary Opportunities: The Campaign for Cornell College which will continue through December 2009. The campaign will enhance the Cornell experience by increasing the college’s endowment, upgrading its facilities, and enhancing the academic program.

For more information about the campaign or making a gift, visit cornellcollege.edu/campaign or contact Peter Wilch, Vice President for Alumni and College Advancement at 319-895-4315 or pwilch@cornellcollege.edu.

The gift will provide funding for Cornell’s environmental studies program.

“This is an exceptional gift from an exceptional foundation,” said Peter Wilch, vice president for alumni and college advancement at Cornell. “The Cargill foundation’s generosity will allow us to expand a distinctive environmental studies program to a level envisioned by its founder, Herb Hendriks.”

Margaret A. Cargill was the granddaughter of William Cargill, who co-founded Cargill Inc., one of the world’s largest agribusiness companies. Cargill donated much of her wealth to charity, and provided that, upon her death, the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation would support causes dear to her, including environmental studies.

The Margaret A. Cargill Foundation gift comes during Cornell College’s comprehensive campaign Extraordinary Opportunities: The Campaign for Cornell College which will continue through December 2009. The campaign will enhance the Cornell experience by increasing the college’s endowment, upgrading its facilities, and enhancing the academic program.

For more information about the campaign or making a gift, visit cornellcollege.edu/campaign or contact Peter Wilch at 319-895-4315 or pwilch@cornellcollege.edu.