Cornell (thank) U
Take a trip down memory lane with other Cornellians. Weekly conversations with Michelle and Stephanie will introduce you to past and present Cornellians to hear where they are now and why they are most thankful to Cornell. (Not affiliated with or sponsored by Cornell University)
Episodes
235 episodes
Liz Mahoney: Behind the PR of the Stars
What does it actually mean to “control the narrative” in Hollywood?Liz Mahoney ’99 is the publicist behind some of Hollywood’s biggest stars—and in this episode, she pulls back the curtain on a world most people never see.From tra...
Dr. Sarah Temkin: What Female Surgeons Wish the Public Knew
What is life in the operating room really like? And for women in surgery, how much has actually changed for the better?In this episode, we talk withDr. Sarah Temkin '93 - gynecologic oncologist, physician-scientist, filmmaker, a...
Ex-CIA Officer Marc Polymeropoulos Returns: From 60 Minutes to Iran and Havana Syndrome
He’s back—and a lot has changed.Since we last spoke with Ex-CIA Officer Marc Polymeropoulos, he’s gone from a somewhat private recovery to national headlines, including a powerful appearance on 60 Minutes.In this episode,...
Digit Murphy: Broken System. New Playbook. Women’s Sports.
The headlines say women’s sports is booming.Digit Murphy isn’t so sure.We brought back hockey legend, Cornell alum, and one of the most well-spoken and outspoken voices in sports for our first Since We Last Spoke ep...
78% of Cornell Students Left Campus for This… Did You?
78% of Cornell students left campus for spring holidays.But what about everyone else?From sorority house seders…to Easter traditions…to surviving on matzah and tuna —we realized we all experienced this time differently...
Ken Kunken: A Football Hit Changed Everything. Then He Did the Impossible.
When Ken Kunken took the field for a Cornell football game, he had no idea his life was about to change in an instant.That moment left him a quadriplegic.What happened next is hard to comprehend—because the life he went on to buil...
Ivy Woolenberg - The Cornell Freshman Behind a 40-Million-View Cake
We had a great time with Ivy Woolenberg — a freshman at Cornell’s Hotel School, Disney Bake-Off winner, and the creator behind the viral baking account Baked With Love by Ivy.Ivy shares the baking fail that somehow turned into a 40-milli...
Why New Yorkers Are Lining Up for This Gelato - Matthew McCarthy Knows
Why are New Yorkers lining up for gelato in SoHo?In this episode, we talk with the entrepreneur behind RivaReno Gelato about the moment in Italy that sparked an obsession—and ultimately led him to bring authentic Italian gelato to New Yo...
The Question We Had to Ask Bill Nye The Science Guy
We had the joy of sitting down with Bill Nye the Science Guy to hear the story behind how he became the person who made Science feel fun, approachable, and even a little bit cool. Long before the bow tie and the TV shows, Bill was a...
Hayley Paige - They Took Her Name. Then She Designed the Super Bowl Halftime Wedding Dress.
Hayley Paige created the kind of wedding dresses brides pin, save, and dream about. By her mid-20s, she was leading a global bridal brand with her name on every gown. And then, after signing a contract at 25, everything shifted.In this e...
Rebecca Rutstein: This Artist Uses the Ocean Like a Studio
Meet our new idol, Rebecca Rutstein ’93, an artist whose creative process takes her somewhere almost no one else has ever been: more than 2,000 meters beneath the ocean’s surface.Rebecca collaborates closely with scientists, joins deep-s...
Roy Danis Didn’t Take Cornell’s Wine Class…Then Became a Wine and Spirits Legend
Roy Danis ’78 never took Cornell’s famous wine tasting class — and yet he went on to build a 40-year career at the top of the wine and spirits world.Roy takes us from Oceanside, Long Island to Cornell, where he captained the men’s gymnas...
You Could Be Having Better Sex — Dr. Nicole McNichols Explains Why
Dr. Nicole McNichols ’97 is a professor whose work explores sex, intimacy, and how people connect.In this episode, Nicole breaks down what’s actually happening in modern dating and relationships — why so many people feel disconnected, ho...
How Lily Tung Crystal Is Changing Who Gets Seen on Stage
Asian Americans make up a small percentage of artists on major stages — and Lily Tung Crystal is actively changing that.Lily is the Artistic Director of East West Players, the nation’s largest and longest-running Asian American theater c...
Cornell Soccer Star Eric Kusseluk - The Mindset That Keeps Opening Doors
Meet Dr. Eric Kusseluk ’97, a board-certified dermatologist, former Cornell soccer player, and a true example of persistence."Dr. K" (to us) shares the remarkable story of how sheer tenacity got him into Cornell off the waitlist, onto th...
Something You May Not Know About NBC’s Dave Price
Some people build careers.Others build trust (and an incredible career).Beloved return guest Dave Price joins us for a deeper conversation about what it means to show up — not just on television, but for people who need connection mo...
This Episode Might Change Your Whole Year - Elena Brower is Back!
This episode is a reset.Lainie returns for a rare, mostly unedited conversation that unfolds like a masterclass in letting go. Her new book, Hold Nothing: An Invitation to Let Go and Come Home to Yourself, left us reflecting (an...
The Woman Companies Call When They’re Out of Ideas: Beth Yancey Storz
What actually happens when companies run out of ideas—and who do they call next? Beth Yancey Storz ’92Beth is an innovation leader, creative strategist, and co-author of Outsmart Your Instincts. For decades, she’s helped teams b...
Cornell’s Elena Neuman ’88: How a 10-Minute Video Became a Feature Documentary (Plus The Song You Need on a Monday)
We kick off the episode with the upbeat song from Looking Up, because it’s exactly the Monday energy you need. Elena Neuman ’88 joins us to share how a 10-minute video unexpectedly became a full feature documentary—filmed on the face o...
Shari Brasner - Why Patients Trust This Cornell Doctor
This week we sit down with Dr. Shari Brasner, a (semi famous!) OB/Gyn, widely respected for her approach to patient care.Dr. Brasner reflects on how her time at Cornell shaped her path in medicine and shares why the relationship between ...
Cornell Vet Hero: Dr. Jared Baum - Saving Pets, Serving People & Starting PEAK
Cornell-trained veterinary surgeon Dr. Jared Baum shares the unbelievable story of how he saved Steph’s dog Buddy from emergency surgery—using skill, compassion, and one very brave hand.We talk about his Cornell Vet residency, the compas...
How Cornell Hotelie Jesse Baker Built JET Hospitality, the Leader in Lifestyle Lodging
Cornell Hotelie and former Big Red football player Jesse Baker ’09 joins us to share the path that took him from a blue-collar upbringing to founding JET Hospitality, a company transforming distressed RV parks and motels into boutique outdoor d...
Season 4 Cornell (thank) U Wrap "Party" and Wish List! Help!
Celebrating four years of the Cornell (thank) U Podcast with a special anniversary episode full of gratitude, laughter, and reflection.We share what it’s really been like building the show, touch on a few behind-the-scenes momen...
Cornell to Bloomberg: Inside David Gura’s Incredible Rise in Journalism
David Gura tells us how a kid from Chapel Hill found his way to Cornell and into some of the most respected newsrooms in the country. He shares how writing for the Cornell Daily Sun, spending a semester with Cornell in Washington, and an early ...
Would You Go Back to Cornell for This Class? Corey Ryan Earle Makes You Want To
If you’ve ever dreamed of going back to Cornell for “just one more class,” this episode will take you there. Our guest, Corey Ryan Earle ’07—Cornell’s ultimate storyteller and fourth-generation Cornellian—teaches the legendary AMST 2001: Th...