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David J. Skorton named Cornell's 12th president

The six-month search for Cornell University’s 12th president ended with the announcement that David J. Skorton, president of the University of Iowa, will be assuming leadership of the institution. The 56-year-old cardiologist, computer scientist, national leader in research ethics, and jazz musician will take up Cornell’s highest office July 1.

The announcement was made during a special meeting of the Cornell Board of Trustees on January 21.

Skorton also will hold a primary faculty appointment in Internal Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC), where he will join the Department of Pediatrics as well. In addition, he will be a member of the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the College of Engineering on the Ithaca campus.

Skorton will take over from Hunter R. Rawlings, Cornell’s 10th president (1994–2003), who has been serving on an interim basis since Jeffrey Lehman, Cornell’s 11th president, resigned in June 2005.

At a press conference Jan. 21, Skorton said he accepted the appointment, in part, “because Cornell represented an unusual opportunity and challenge that I did not think would come up in my lifetime.” He added that it was a “we” decision that presented “extremely attractive” opportunities for both him and his wife, Robin Davisson, a biologist who will join the Cornell faculty with a joint appointment in the Department of Biomedical Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine and in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at WCMC.

“Cornell's such a distinguished institution with such a leadership in so many areas [and] a robust balance of disciplines” in the sciences as well as the arts, humanities, and social sciences, he said. “It’s a tremendous opportunity and challenge to be asked to sustain and extend Cornell’s enviable traditions and achievements.”

David Skorton, left, chats with President Emeritus Frank H.T. Rhodes Jan. 21 in the Beck Center before the press conference.

“As an eminent physician, scholar and accomplished leader, Dr. Skorton has established an impressive record of leadership at the University of Iowa,” Cornell Board of Trustees Chair Peter C. Meinig observed. “He has demonstrated a deep commitment to excellence in interdisciplinary higher education and a thoughtful appreciation for the role a land-grant institution plays in society. We are delighted that he will be bringing his wide range of talents and engaging personality to Cornell.”

“I’m very excited about the appointment of David Skorton as Cornell’s new president; we are particularly pleased to welcome him to the Engineering faculty,” said Kent Fuchs, dean of Cornell’s College of Engineering. “His record in research and teaching suggests to me that his goals and priorities are very much in keeping with the strategic directions of Cornell and the College of Engineering. I look forward to working with him.”

Skorton earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1970 and an M.D. in1974, both at Northwestern University. After serving his medical residency and cardiology fellowship at the University of California-Los Angeles, he joined the University of Iowa as an instructor in 1980. He has a son from a previous marriage, who is a student at Stanford University.

For additional information, please visit cornell.edu/presidentsearch/.

—Franklin Crawford, Cornell News Service, and staff reports