Cornell University: First class of Milstein students heads toward graduation

Four years after entering Cornell as the first students in the new Milstein Program in Technology & Humanity, 20 seniors will graduate this year with degrees in everything from biology to linguistics to computer science to physics.

Many of them look back on some of the interesting speakers they were able to meet, the camaraderie they formed with each other and the community projects they took part in, as highlights of their time here.

“I’ve grown to appreciate that humanities is more ubiquitous than I ever thought it was,” said Tucker Hwang ’22, a physics major. “My physics experiment (in his Cornell lab) has between 200 and 300 people working on it across the world, and when you have a group of people working together to solve an issue, humanities becomes increasingly important in that space.”

The Milstein Program selects 25 students from each class to create a cross-disciplinary cohort, trained in intersectional thinking and emergent technology. The Program provides a supportive community of engaged learners, along with faculty fellow seminars, a speaker series, short courses, mentorship, career development and funded research opportunities, including an eight-week immersive experience at Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island in New York City.