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The College of Arts & Sciences
Cornell’s Department of Anthropology is one of the most respected programs in the world with a long tradition of innovation and a legacy of leadership in the discipline. The work of its faculty traces the human career from the emergence of the species to the contemporary global moment.
The Anthropology Collections include approximately 20,000 items representing human activity around the world from the Lower Paleolithic to the present. Archaeological and ethnographic materials are about equally represented.
Located in the basement of Olin Library (161 Ho Plaza), the Collections are open for visitors during the term on Mondays from 1-4 PM and by appointment on a first-come, first-served basis to classes and members of the public, including school groups. Contact curator Alison Rittershaus at akr73@cornell.edu in order to set up a visit that connects the collections with your group’s interests and learning goals. Rotating exhibit cases that showcase student research and Collections highlights are located outside of the Collaboratory and available to visit during Olin Library opening hours. Click here for more information on the Anthropology Collections.
The Cornell Department of Anthropology, as a separate entity, was formed in 1962. However, anthropology has been practiced at Cornell nearly from the founding of the university.
The department history page details our rich past, including the first century, the Cornell totem pole and the cross-cultural methodology project.
Location: 120 Mary Ann Wood Drive, B21
Location: Cornell Cinema
Location: Stimson Hall, 206
Location: 120 Mary Ann Wood Drive, B21
Location: Uris Hall, G08
Nia Whitmal, a doctoral candidate in anthropology in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences, studies wealth accumulation strategies of Harlem’s Black property-owners and real estate agents. In an interview, Whitmal says a Zhu Family Graduate Fellowship benefits her work.
Jonathan Zhu, J.D. ’92, whose A.D. White Fellowship allowed him to attend Cornell, has established the Zhu Family Graduate Fellowships supporting humanities doctoral students at Cornell University. Each of the three 2025 fellows – who are pursuing art history, anthropology, and science and technology studies, appreciates that the fellowship’s financial support paired with release from teaching responsibilities allows them the flexibility to pursue research questions as they arise.
Cornell admits the Class of 2030 emphasizing real-world impact, enrolling 5,776 students from 102 countries.
At Cornell University, the diverse cohort reflects the land-grant mission and applied learning goals across multiple colleges.
“The law is consistent with a dramatic recent policy shift, to suppress the ethnic diversity formally recognized since 1949," says one Cornell expert. "The next step may be the formal abolishment of ‘ethnic minorities.’"
Congrats to our faculty and students on these awards and accomplishments!
The Cornell Center for Social Sciences has selected 10 faculty members, including several from A&S, as 2026–27 Faculty Fellows, providing course release and funding to support interdisciplinary social science research with real-world impact.