Cornell University President Elizabeth Garrett dies

ITHACA, N.Y. — Elizabeth Garrett, the first woman to serve as president of Cornell University, died Sunday night at age 52 following a battle with colon cancer.

Robert Harrison, chairman of the school’s board of trustees, announced Garrett’s death in a letter posted on the school’s website.

“There are few words to express the enormity of this loss,” Harrison wrote in the letter.

Garrett started her time as Cornell president on July 1, 2015, having previously served as provost and senior VP for academic affairs at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Garrett succeeded David Skorton, who left Cornell on June 30, 2015, to become the next secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.

Harrison called Garrett a “remarkable” human being and a “vibrant and passionate” leader.

“While Beth’s tenure as president has tragically been cut short, her efforts over the last eight months have set the university on a path toward continued excellence. She will leave a lasting legacy on our beloved institution and will be terribly missed,” Harrison wrote.

Cornell planned to honor Garrett’s memory with a moment of silence and chimes at 4:00 p.m. on Monday.

The university will hold a memorial gathering on its Ithaca campus in the near future, Harrison wrote.

“We will share details as soon as they are available,” he added.

Harrison also offered condolences to Garrett’s husband, Cornell University professor Andrei Marmor, and the rest of the Marmor and Garrett families, according to the letter.

Cornell provost Michael Kotlikoff has served as the university’s acting president since Feb. 22, according to a posting that day on Cornell’s Graduate School website.

Statewide reaction to Garrett’s death included a statement from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who said he is “deeply saddened” to hear of Garrett’s death.

“Throughout her accomplished career, and especially as President of Cornell University, Elizabeth was a visionary leader who was wholeheartedly committed to furthering the education and growth of those around her. She devoted her life to creating a better future for everyone, and she understood that in order to accomplish that, part of her responsibility as a leader was to boldly challenge the status quo. As the first woman to lead Cornell University as its president, she lived that promise herself,” said Cuomo.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com