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ILR Building in Ithaca, NY

Message from the Dean

Dean Colvin speaking with students.

The world of work has evolved tremendously in recent years and the pace of change continues to accelerate as we look to the future. At ILR, we study work, labor and employment and make sense of this complex ecosystem that impacts nearly every person on our planet. Our faculty are among the top researchers in their fields and our students are leaders in the classroom, at the university and in their communities. ILRies go on to be leaders in industry, government, law, nonprofit and academia and make significant contributions in their chosen fields. The relevance and impact of ILR education has never been greater.

- Alex Colvin, Ph.D. '99,  Kenneth F. Kahn '69 Dean and the Martin F. Scheinman '75, 'MS '76, Professor of Conflict Resolution

Our Mission

As the preeminent educational institution in the world focused on work, employment and labor, we are dedicated to generating and disseminating knowledge that improves the lives of workers and transforms the future of work.

As a New York land-grant college, we positively impact individuals and society through:

  • Teaching: Creating an engaging and challenging learning environment focused on the development of critical-thinking and problem-solving skills that develop the next generation of leaders.
  • Research: Generating innovative and relevant research in the social sciences that is focused on work, employment and labor that influences public policy, informs organizational strategy and improves professional practice.
  • Outreach: Applying thought leadership and research into practice for workers, unions, organizations and communities.

Our Vision

We exist to drive positive change in work, employment and labor that advances the world of work.

the cornell tower with cherry blossoms

Our History

Founded in 1945 as the New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations, the ILR School today is advancing the world of work through teaching, research and outreach. ILR’s mission is to prepare leaders, inform national and international employment and labor policy, and improve working lives, but as the world of work evolves, the school’s focus broadens to keep pace with that change.

Read more about our history
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by the numbers

66

Faculty

51

RTE or Outreach Faculty

15+

Centers, Institutes, 
& Programs

1,100+

Students

13,000+

Alumni

ILR Leadership Team

Alexander Colvin

  • Kenneth F. Kahn '69 Dean
  • Martin F. Scheinman ’75, MS ’76, Professor of Conflict Resolution

M. Diane Burton

  • Senior Associate Dean for Research, Outreach, and External Relations
  • Joseph R. Rich '80 Professor Human Resource Studies

Kate Griffith

  • Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Diversity, and Faculty Development
  • Jean McKelvey-Alice Grant Professor

Kara M. Lombardi

  • Assistant Dean for Student Experience and Wellbeing

Jennifer Sellen Dean

  • Assistant Dean of Alumni Affairs and Development

Craig Wren Wiggers

  • Interim Associate Dean for Finance and Administration

David A. Yantorno

  • Assistant Dean of Communications, Marketing, and Web

ILRies study work to make an impact. They represent the most diverse student body at Cornell University, and go on to be leaders in industry, government, law, nonprofit and research.

Internships Strengthen Paths to Law School

The ILR School provides numerous opportunities for students to learn from alumni through guest panels and mentorships and gain valuable work experience through fellowships and internships.
ILR student interns cross a street in NYC
Internships Strengthen Paths to Law School

Katherine DeRose ’26 Finds the Perfect Fit at Cornell

Were it not for a teachers’ strike that happened decades before her birth, Connecticut native Katherine (Katie) DeRose ’26 might not have considered applying to Cornell.
Katie DeRose '26 at Taughannock Falls in fall 2024.
Katherine DeRose ’26 Finds the Perfect Fit at Cornell

Dylan Hatch: One M.S. Degree, Two Passions

What attracted Dylan Hatch M.S. ’25 to the ILR M.S. program was that it would allow him to combine his passions, and he has now graduated with enhanced qualifications for doing research to support justice in the labor movement.
Dylan Hatch
Dylan Hatch: One M.S. Degree, Two Passions

Our faculty make up the world's leading researchers focused on work, labor and employment. They study every aspect of the world of work from varied and interdisciplinary disciplines.

Dean Colvin Brings an ILR Perspective to Keynote on Future of Work

ILR Dean Alex Colvin delivered the keynote address at the Oct. 14 “Emerging Tech Dialogues: The Future of Work: People, Process, and Technology” conference in Statler Hall at Cornell University.
Robotic arms in a warehouse working on an assembly line
Dean Colvin Brings an ILR Perspective to Keynote on Future of Work

Patricia Campos-Medina to be Honored as Changemaker Champion

The YWCA will recognize Campos-Medina for bold leadership that drives equity and opportunity for women and communities.
Patricia Campos-Medina with KC Wagner and Zoe West at the Leaders of Labor award ceremony in 2025.
Patricia Campos-Medina to be Honored as Changemaker Champion

Two Grants to Study AI and Worker Voice Awarded to ILR

AI is causing a major shift in today’s workplace and raising many concerns. Two new grants will fund ILR research aimed at providing insights to policymakers, union leaders, managers and others who are shaping the future of AI in the workplace.
Futuristic looking lightbulb with the letters AI inside, plugged into a circuit board
Two Grants to Study AI and Worker Voice Awarded to ILR

As a New York State land-grant college, we apply research into practice for workers, unions, organizations, and communities to improve the world of work. We build community partnerships and trainings to improve workers’ lives across the world and contribute to an organization’s success.

New Website Helps Businesses Follow the Americans with Disabilities Act

Research-based website explains how small businesses can best follow the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and welcome customers and employees with disabilities
Workers in a neighborhood coffee shop
New Website Helps Businesses Follow the Americans with Disabilities Act

New Interactive Map Highlights How Federal Funding Impacts NY State

Cornell Chronicle
Russell Weaver, the co-lab’s director of research, introduced the “NYS Federal Impact Interactive Map,” to help New Yorkers track the impact of sweeping economic policy changes enacted since January by the Trump administration.
A screenshot from a new interactive map that highlights how federal funding cuts are impacting NY state.
New Interactive Map Highlights How Federal Funding Impacts NY State

Federal Cuts Cost New Yorkers Jobs and Critical Financial Resources

Dr. Rusty Weaver, Director of Research, Cornell ILR Buffalo office, will provide a live demonstration of the interactive map and several WNY community members will share local impact relative to the federal cuts, at an event on 10/28 at 10am at the Burchfield Penney Art Center in Buffalo, NY.
nys flag and federal building
Federal Cuts Cost New Yorkers Jobs and Critical Financial Resources

ILR Resources

Faculty and Staff Resources

Find information and links to many departments and services within the ILR School, including technology services, room bookings, and the Dean's Office.

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Resources

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Contact Us

Undergraduate Admissions
Cornell University, ILR School
216 Ives Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
Tel: (607) 255-2222
ilr_admissions@cornell.edu

Graduate Programs
Cornell University, ILR School
218 Ives Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
Tel: (607) 255-1522
ilrgradapplicant@cornell.edu

Find other contact information and departments here.