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Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues

Hwang

Fresh Perspectives

In founding The Triple Helix, Kevin Hwang '07 left an indelible mark on Cornell University—and the broader world of science.

This interdisciplinary journal analyzes the social, political, and legal issues surrounding science. Now in its fourth year, the journal involves more than 500 students at 22 universities.

New technologies and discoveries in the life sciences are generating challenges—such as how to ensure the safety of genetically modified foods, how to protect privacy in the face of genetic profiling, and how to guard against potential dangers of nanomaterials.

Cornell’s social scientists, historians, and interdisciplinary scholars are examining the effects of life sciences discoveries on individual lives and society as a whole.

The Department of Science and Technology Studies and the university’s major in biology and society are anchors in Cornell’s efforts to educate students, stimulate and inform public dialogue, and expand expertise in this important area through faculty hires.

Cornell is also training graduate and postdoctoral students to work at the intersection of genomics and society in research and policy centers across the country.