Cornell Hosted Scholars

Cornell's work with scholars under threat has brought dozens of students and scholars to campus, including undergraduate and graduate students, academics, writers, journalists, and artists from seven countries.

Current Scholars

Noor Ahmad Akhundzadah

Noor Ahmad Akhundzadah is a visiting scholar in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment and the South Asia Program. His research focuses on water resources, climate change, and disaster management, particularly in Afghanistan. He earned a Ph.D. in geotechnical engineering from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology and previously held senior academic and government positions in Afghanistan, including at Kabul University and the Ministry of Higher Education. At Cornell, he continues his research and teaching on climate change impacts on Afghanistan’s water resources while collaborating with faculty and students across campus.

Su Yin Htun

Su Yin Htun is a Myanmar scholar affiliated with Einaudi’s Southeast Asia Program. Her research examines forced labor in cyber-scam compounds, the experiences of Burmese migrants and refugees, and women’s political participation in Myanmar. In addition to her work at Cornell, she teaches international human rights law remotely for the University of Arizona and continues online instruction in Myanmar. Her scholarship and teaching focus on human rights, migration, and democratic participation in Southeast Asia.

Aleida J. Sandoval

Aleida J. Sandoval is a Venezuelan food scientist and visiting scholar in Cornell’s Department of Food Science, hosted by Professor Carmen Moraru. Her research focuses on food processing, food rheology, shelf-life, and the quality and stability of food products. At Cornell, she is investigating extrusion-based value addition of pulse flours and protein concentrates while contributing to research on chocolate crystallization and storage conditions for hygroscopic foods. Her work combines fundamental food science with practical applications for food quality and sustainability.

Select Past Scholars

Sharif Hozoori

Sharif Hozoori was a visiting scholar in Einaudi’s South Asia Program. His research focuses on Afghan politics and foreign policy, cultural studies, and the broader regions of South Asia and the Middle East. During his time at Cornell, he published research, delivered public talks, engaged with the local Afghan community, and served as faculty adviser to the Organization for Afghan Students. He currently serves as a visiting lecturer in Cornell’s Department of Government.

Pedro X. Molina

Pedro X. Molina is a Nicaraguan political cartoonist who was an Artist Protection Fund fellow in Einaudi’s Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program through 2022. Before arriving at Cornell, he spent two years as a visiting scholar at Ithaca College after fleeing Nicaragua in 2018, when government forces raided the offices of Confidencial, one of the country’s leading independent news outlets. At Cornell, Molina contributed to teaching and public engagement while continuing his artistic practice. He currently serves as a visiting critic in the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program.

Sharifa “Elja” Sharifi

Elja Sharifi is an Afghan artist, curator, and scholar who was a visiting scholar at Cornell’s Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art from 2022 to 2024. Supported by the IIE Artist Protection Fund, she curated exhibitions focused on Persian art and Afghan calligraphy while advancing research on Persian art, gender and sexuality, and the status of Afghan women. She is currently pursuing a PhD in History of Art and Visual Studies at Cornell. In 2025, Global Cornell commissioned her painting From Herat to Cornell, reflecting her journey from Afghanistan to Ithaca.