This list of Cornell University faculty includes notable current and former instructors and administrators of Cornell University, an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York.

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (February 2012)

Peace, Literature, or Economics

• Norman Borlaug (A.D. White Professor-at-Large, 1982–88) — Peace 1970; National Medal of Science (2004)
• Linus Pauling (George Fischer Baker Non-Resident Lecturer in Chemistry 1937-1938; Messenger Lecturer 1959)^[1][2] — Peace 1962
• Octavio Paz (A.D. White Professor-at-Large, 1972–74) — Literature 1990
• Amartya Sen (A.D. White Professor-at-Large, 1978–84) — Economics 1998; National Humanities Medal (2012)
• Wole Soyinka (Senior Fellow, Society for the Humanities, 1985; Goldwin Smith professor for African Studies and Theatre Arts, 1988-1991)^[3] — Literature 1986
• Richard Thaler (Professor 1978-1995) — Economics 2017; member of the National Academy of Sciences (2018)

Chemistry

• Peter Debye (Professor of Chemistry, 1940–50; Department Chair) — Chemistry 1936; National Medal of Science (1965)
• Manfred Eigen (A.D. White Professor-at-Large, 1965–76) — Chemistry 1967
• Richard R. Ernst (A.D. White Professor-at-Large, 1996-2002) — Chemistry 1991
• Paul Flory (Chemistry faculty, 1948–57) — Chemistry 1974; National Medal of Science (1974)
• Otto Hahn (George Fisher Baker Lecturer of Chemistry, 1933) — Chemistry 1944
• Gerhard Herzberg (George Fischer Baker Non-Resident Lecturer in Chemistry 1968)^[4][5][6] — Chemistry 1971
• Roald Hoffmann (Frank H.T. Rhodes Professor in Humane Letters) — Chemistry 1981; National Medal of Science (1983)
• Linus Pauling (George Fischer Baker Non-Resident Lecturer in Chemistry 1937-1938; Messenger Lecturer 1959)^[1][2] — Chemistry 1954; the bulk of his most influential scientific book The Nature of the Chemical Bond was completed while he was at Cornell and was published by Cornell University Press in 1939
• James B. Sumner (Professor, 1929–55 and Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry/Nutrition) — Chemistry 1946
• Henry Taube (Instructor and assistant professor, 1941-1946) — Chemistry 1983; National Medal of Science (1976)
• Vincent du Vigneaud (Professor of Biochemistry, Medical College, 1938–67), Professor of Chemistry, 1967–75) — Chemistry 1955; Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research (1948)

Physics

• Hannes Alfvén (Distinguished Professor in Engineering) — Physics 1970
• Hans Bethe (John Wendell Anderson Professor of Physics, 1935-2005) — Physics 1967; National Medal of Science (1975)
• Richard Feynman (Physics faculty, 1945–50) — Physics 1965; National Medal of Science (1979)
• Pierre-Gilles de Gennes (A.D. White Professor-at-Large, 1977–83) and Bethe Lecturer in Physics, 1989–90) — Physics 1991
• Brian D. Josephson (NSF Senior Foreign Scientist Fellow, 1971-1972)^[7] — Physics 1973
• David Lee (Professor of Physics) — Physics 1996
• Anthony James Leggett (Visiting Professor, April 1973, July 1974, Bethe Lecturer, April 1980, visiting scientist, January — August 1983)^[8] — Physics 2003; Wolf Prize in Physics (2002)
• Roger Penrose (Visiting Professor) — Physics 2020
• Robert Coleman Richardson (Floyd R. Newman Professor of Physics) — Physics 1996
• John Robert Schrieffer (A.D. White Professor-at-Large, 1969–75) — Physics 1972; National Medal of Science (1983)
• George Paget Thomson (Non-resident Lecturer, 1929–30) — Physics 1937
• Kip Thorne (Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large, 1986-1992; Visiting Senior Research Associate, January — June 1977; Hans Bethe Lecturer, 1986; Yervant Terzian Memorial Lecture, 2016)^[9] — Physics 2017
• Kenneth G. Wilson (Professor of Physics and Nuclear Studies, 1963–88) — Physics 1982; Wolf Prize in Physics (1980)

Physiology or Medicine

• James P. Allison (Professor, Weill Cornell Medicine 2004-2012)^[10][11] — Physiology or Medicine 2018, Wolf Prize in Medicine (2017)
• Robert F. Furchgott (Assistant Professor of biochemistry, Research Associate, Medical College, 1940–49) — Physiology or Medicine 1998
• Herbert Spencer Gasser (Medical College, 1931–34) — Physiology or Medicine 1944
• Paul Greengard (A.D. White Professor-at-Large, 1981–87) — Physiology or Medicine 2000
• Haldan Keffer Hartline (Associate Professor, Medical College, 1940–41) — Physiology or Medicine 1967
• Robert W. Holley (Ph.D. 1947 Organic Chemistry; Professor and Department Chair in Biochemistry, 1948–64) — Physiology or Medicine 1968
• Har Gobind Khorana (A.D. White Professor-at-Large, 1974–80) — Physiology or Medicine 1968; National Medal of Science (1987)
• Fritz Albert Lipmann (Research Associate, Medical College, 1939-1941) — Physiology or Medicine 1953; National Medal of Science (1966)
• Peter Medawar (A.D. White Professor-at-Large, 1965–71) — Physiology or Medicine 1960
• Harold E. Varmus (Lewis Thomas University Professor of Medicine, 2015-)^[12] — Physiology or Medicine 1989; National Medal of Science (2001)

• Archie Randolph Ammons (Professor of Creative Writing, 1964–98) — poetry 1981
• William Dichtel (Associate Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, 2008-2016) — Chemistry 2015
• Craig Fennie (Assistant Professor of Applied and Engineering Physics) — materials science 2013
• Mitchell J. Feigenbaum (Postdoc 1970-1972, professor, 1982-1988) — physics 1984; Wolf Prize in Physics (1986), member of the National Academy of Sciences and fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• Alice Fulton (Professor of Creative Writing) — poetry 1991
• Deborah Estrin (Associate Dean and Robert V. Tishman ’37 Professor of Cornell Tech, 2013-) — computer science 2018; member of the National Academy of Engineering (2009)
• Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (Professor, 1985–90) — literary critic (1981); National Humanities Medal recipient (1998)
• Paul Ginsparg (Professor of Physics and Computing & Information Science) — physics 2002
• Jon Kleinberg (Tisch University Professor of Computer Science) — computer science 2005
• Stephen Lee (Professor of Solid State Chemistry) — chemistry 1993
• Michal Lipson (Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering 2001-2015) — optical physics 2010; member of the National Academy of Sciences (2019)
• Robert Parris Moses (Frank H.T. Rhodes Class of '56 Professor, 2006-) — educator and philosopher (1982)
• Rebecca J. Nelson (Associate Professor of Plant Pathology, Plant Breeding and International Agriculture) — plant pathologist (1998)
• Sheila Nirenberg (Professor at Weill Medical College) — neuroscience 2013
• Margaret W. Rossiter (Marie Underhill Noll Professor of the History of Science) — historian of science 1989
• Gregory Vlastos (Faculty 1948-1955) — classicist and philosopher 1990

• Bob Blackman (Head Coach, Football, 1977–82) — member of the College Football Hall of Fame
• Charles E. Courtney (Head Coach, Rowing, 1883-1920) — rower and rowing coach
• Melody Davidson (Head Coach, Women's Ice Hockey) — head coach of the Canadian national women's hockey team and the Canadian 2006 Winter Olympics women's hockey team
• Hilary Gehman (Head Coach, Women's Rowing) — two-time Olympian; six-time member of the U.S. national rowing team
• Edward Moylan (Head Coach, Tennis and Squash, 1962–72) — tennis player
• Nicole Ross (born 1989) — Olympic foil fencer
• Michael Slive (Director of Athletics) — Commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, 2002–present
• Phil Sykes (Interim Head Coach, Field Hockey, 2003) — U.S. Olympic field hockey defender
• Al Walker (born 1959) - former basketball player and college coach, now a scout for the Detroit Pistons of the NBA

• Arthur S. Adams (University Provost 1946-1948) — President of the University of New Hampshire (1948-1950); President of the American Council on Education (1950-1961)
• Charles Kendall Adams (University President, 1885-1892) — President of the University of Wisconsin, 1892-1901
• John L. Anderson (Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, 1971-1976) — President of the Illinois Institute of Technology (2007-2015), Provost and University Vice President of Case Western Reserve University (2004-2007), Dean of the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (1996-2004); member of the National Academy of Engineering and Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Elisha Andrews (Faculty 1888-89) — President of Denison University (1875–79) and Brown University (1889-1898); chancellor of the University of Nebraska (1900-1909)
• Sanford Soverhill Atwood (University Provost 1955-1963) — President of Emory University (1963-1977)^[13][14]
• Sarah Gibson Blanding (Dean of Human Ecology, 1941–46) — President of Vassar College, 1946-1964
• Detlev Bronk (Professor of Physiology at Cornell University Medical College 1939-1941) — President of Johns Hopkins University and of the Rockefeller Institute; member of the National Academy of Sciences (1939) ^[15]
• Robert F. Chandler (Professor of Forest Soils) — President of the University of New Hampshire (1950-1954); Winner of the World Food Prize, 1988
• James Mason Crafts (Chemistry Professor, 1867-1870) — President of MIT, 1897-1900
• Cornelis W. de Kiewiet (University Provost 1948-1951; Acting President 1949-1951) — President of the University of Rochester (1951-1961)
• Lloyd Hartman Elliott (Professor of Educational Administration) — President of the University of Maine (1958-1965) and George Washington University (1965-1988)
• Thomas E. Everhart (Professor of Electrical Engineering, Dean of Engineering 1979-1984) — Chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1984-1987), president of the California Institute of Technology (1987-1997); member of the National Academy of Engineering and foreign fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering
• W. Kent Fuchs (University Provost, 2009-2014) — President of the University of Florida, 2015-
• Richard H. Gallagher (Faculty 1967-1978) — President of Clarkson University (1988-1995) and member of National Academy of Engineering^[16][17][18]
• Charles De Garmo (Faculty) — President of Swarthmore College (1891-1898)^[19]
• Theodore L. Hullar (Faculty, 1979-1984, 1997-) — Chancellor of UC Riverside (1985-1987) and UC Davis (1987-1994)
• Harry Burns Hutchins (Law Faculty 1887-1894) — President of the University of Michigan, 1909-1920
• William Rea Keast (Professor, Department Chair, Dean of Arts & Sciences, Vice President for Academic Affairs, 1951-1965) — President of Wayne State University, 1965-1971
• David C. Knapp (University Provost, 1974-1978) — President of the University of Massachusetts (1978-1990)
• Asa S. Knowles (Vice President for University Development, 1948-1951)^[20] — President of the University of Toledo (1951-1958) and of Northeastern University (1959-1975)
• Edward H. Litchfield (Dean of School of Business) — twelfth chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh (1956-1965)
• Carolyn Martin (University Provost, 2000-2008) — Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin, 2008-2011; president of Amherst College, 2011-
• Alan G. Merten (Dean of the Johnson School) — President of George Mason University (1996-2012)
• John Niland (Assistant Professor 1970-1972) — Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of New South Wales, Australia (1992-2002)^[21]
• Paul Olum (Faculty, 1949-1974; Mathematics Department Chair, 1963-1966) — President of the University of Oregon, 1980-1989
• Russell K. Osgood (Dean and Professor of Law, 1988-1998) — President of Grinnell College 1998-2010
• Robert A. Plane (Chemistry Professor; University Provost 1969-1973) — President of Clarkson University (1974-1985) and of Wells College (1991-1995)
• Don Michael Randel (University Provost, Dean of Arts & Sciences) — President of the University of Chicago, 2000-2006
• Charles Ashmead Schaeffer (Dean of Faculty) — President of the University of Iowa, 1887-1898^[22]
• Benjamin Ide Wheeler (Professor of Greek and Comparative Philology) — President of the University of California, 1899-1919
• Roy A. Young (President of Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research of Cornell University, 1980-1986) — Chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1976-1980

• Iajuddin Ahmed (Visiting Professor, 1984) — President of Bangladesh, 2002–09
• Ifeoma Ajunwa — organizational behavior, law^[26]
• Alfred C. Aman, Jr. (Professor, 1977–91) — Dean of Suffolk University Law School and Indiana University School of Law
• G. Robert Blakey professor of law and director of the Cornell Institute on Organized Crime (1973–80) — author of the RICO statute and chief counsel to House Select Committee on Assassinations
• Herbert W. Briggs (Professor of Government 1929-1969)- prominent in international law
• George W. Casey Jr. (Distinguished Senior Lecturer) — Chief of Staff of the United States Army, 2007–11; Commander of Multi-National Force — Iraq, 2004–07
• Michael J. Freeman (Assistant Professor) — inventor; business consultant, behavior sciences
• Andrew Hacker (Professor) — political scientist; questioned race, class, and gender in American society
• Harry George Henn
• Robert C. Hockett
• Charles Evans Hughes (Professor, Law School, 1891–93) — Governor of New York, 1907–10; U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice, 1910–16; U.S. Presidential candidate, 1916; U.S. Secretary of State, 1921–25; Chief Justice of the United States, 1930-41
• Irving Ives (Trustee; Dean of Industrial & Labor Relations, 1945–47) — U.S. Senator from New York, 1947–59; namesake of Ives Hall
• William A. Jacobson, attorney, Cornell Law School professor, and blogger
• Robert Jarrow (Ronald P. and Susan E. Lynch Professor of Investment Management at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management) — expert on derivative securities; co-developer of Heath-Jarrow-Morton framework and Jarrow-Turnbull model
• George McTurnan Kahin (Professor of Government, 1951–88) — expert on Southeast Asia and critic of the Vietnam War
• Alfred E. Kahn (Robert Julius Thorne Professor Emeritus of Political Economy; Trustee; Dean of Arts & Sciences) — advisor to President Jimmy Carter on deregulation; economist
• Milton R. Konvitz — head of Liberian codification project
• Cynthia McKinney (Frank H.T. Rhodes Class of '56 University Professor, 2003–06) — U.S. Representative from Georgia, 1993-2003, 2005-2007
• Edwin Barber Morgan (Trustee, 1865–74) — U.S. Representative from New York, 1853–59; Director of American Express
• Robert Parris Moses (Frank H.T. Rhodes Class of '56 Professor, 2006-) — a leader of the Civil Rights Movement; creator of the Algebra Project; MacArthur "genius"
• John Nesheim — venture capitalist, teaches classes on entrepreneurship
• Frances Perkins (Lecturer of Industrial & Labor Relations (?-1965) — U.S. Secretary of Labor, 1933-45); first female U.S. Cabinet member
• Richard Neustadt (Professor of Public Administration, 1952?-54?) — political scientist specializing in the United States presidency; advised presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Bill Clinton
• Clinton Rossiter (Professor of Government, 1946–70) — political scientist
• Frederick A. Sawyer (Professor) — Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, 1873–74; Senator from South Carolina, 1968–73
• Martin Shefter (Professor of Government, 1986-) — political scientist
• Arthur E. Sutherland, Jr. (Professor of Law, 1945-1950), constitutional and commercial law expert and author; Harvard Law School professor (1950-1970) ^[27]
• Lynn Stout — Distinguished Professor of Corporate & Business Law
• Jessica Chen Weiss — Michael J. Zak Professor for China and Asia-Pacific Studies^[28]

• List of Cornell University alumni