There is a time machine in Ithaca. Not from the movies, not from an engineering project team, but in the form of a museum along Trumansburg Road, filled with art and fossils that whisper tales of a world long gone. I was a freshman entomology student when I first walked into the Museum of the Earth for an introductory evolutionary biology course. Immediately, I was transfixed by the 544-panel mural painted by Trumansburg resident Barbara Page. Each panel represents one million years of geologic time, and the countless displays of fossils and geologic formations, meticulously curated to reflect each period, led me deeper into the heart of the museum. Descending the ramp, I felt a surreal sense of traveling through time. Everything was laid out in such a way to tell us a story — a true story — about the history of our Earth.

The Museum of the Earth, however, is in imminent danger of closing its doors. After more than 90 years of contributions to paleontological research and over two decades of service to the Ithaca and Cornell community as a museum, this invaluable institution now faces severe financial struggles and may need to close its doors for good. But I refuse to allow this haven to be forgotten so easily. This museum ignited my academic passion and future career aspirations. It embodies Cornell’s timeless motto: “Any person, any study.”

I have been drawn to the natural world for as long as I can remember. However, when I wasn’t exploring the outdoors, I was immersed in my........

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