Date
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Time
11:30 a.m. – 1:45 p.m.
11:30 a.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Locations
Ithaca & New York City
Ithaca & New York City
Attendance
By invitation only
By invitation only
Bearers of Innovation: A One Cornell Celebration is an annual gathering honoring the Cornell researchers and inventors whose work took a meaningful step forward, whether by disclosing a technology for the first time or reaching a licensing milestone.
This year’s celebration recognizes inventors from FY2024 and FY2025, bringing together milestones from two years across Cornell campuses in Ithaca, Geneva, Cornell Tech and Weill Cornell Medicine.
From the moment a researcher identifies a discovery worth protecting, to the filing of a patent, to a licensing agreement or the launch of a company, every step in the commercialization journey represents a deliberate choice to move science forward. This event exists to recognize those choices, to celebrate the inventors who made them, and to inspire the broader Cornell community to take that first step.
2026 Event Snapshot
75
Lead inventors recognized for a first-time disclosure
241
Inventors recognized for a licensed technology
2
Fiscal years celebrated: FY2024 and FY2025
Who is recognized
First-time disclosures
Lead inventors who submitted their inaugural invention disclosure to CTL during the recognition period. They took the first step in the commercialization journey.
Licensed technologies
Inventors whose technologies were licensed or optioned during the recognition period. They reached a major milestone in potentially bringing their research to market.
Locations
Ithaca
Statler Ballroom
Statler Hall, Cornell University
106 Statler Dr, Ithaca, NY 14853
New York City
Griffis Faculty Club
Weill Cornell Medicine
1300 York Ave, New York, NY 10065
Agenda
11:30 AM
Lunch buffet open
Welcome reception, poster viewing, and pre-game activities
12:05 PM
Welcome remarks
Alice Li, Executive Director at CTL & Lisa Placanica, Senior Managing Director at CTL at Weill Cornell Medicine
12:10 PM
Welcome remarks
Krystyn J. Van Vliet, Ph.D.
Vice President for Innovation and External Engagement Strategy at Cornell Research & Innovation
12:12 PM
Keynote address
Hakim Weatherspoon, Ph.D.,
Professor at Bowers College of Computing and Information Science
Associate Director for Cornell Institute for Digital Agriculture (CIDA)
Associate Dean for DEI
Robbert van Renesse, Ph.D.
Professor at Bowers College of Computing and Information Science
Hosted by Krystyn Van Vliet in Ithaca; transmitted virtually in NYC.
12:30 PM
Recognition ceremony
Innovators who have submitted First Disclosure as Lead Inventor
12:40 PM
Fireside chat
Jason Spector, MD, FACS
Chief of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Professor of Surgery and Otolaryngology at Weill Cornell Medicine
Adjunct Professor in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering
Hosted by Lisa Placanica in New York City; transmitted virtually in Ithaca.
1:05 PM
Recognition ceremony
Innovators whose technologies have attained a License or Option
1:18 PM
Game and networking
Innovation Knowledge Challenge
1:45 PM
