A Unique Addition to Cornell

Before attending Professor Adam Schwartz’s talk on Cornell Tech I really did not know much about the program besides that it was going to be in New York City and I didn’t really have any preconceptions of it either. Given that, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that the program seemed to be very unique in comparison to both the undergraduate and graduate programs offered in Ithaca. Unlike a traditional academic institution, Cornell Tech seemed to have a considerable focus on the applications of knowledge, in this case, the application of technology in different areas of business. One example of this Professor Schwartz specifically mentioned was the Health Technology program that trains people in the intersection of medical practice and computer science, an area that is of increasing importance in the professional world. Cornell Tech seemed further connected with the business world in the collaborative structure of its programs—Professor Schwartz told of how students apparently work in relatively large teams on most of their assignments. Furthermore, all of the departments at Cornell Tech are relatively small especially in comparison with what one might see on the Ithaca campus, and as a result, are able to adapt as new technologies continue to be developed. Professor Schwartz mentioned that on the advice of one of the professors, they were able to totally restructure one of the degree programs within a few months. Overall it seemed like Cornell Tech is an amazingly unique addition to Cornell’s existing schools, and once the new campus is built, I’m sure it will grow very quickly.

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