Abstract

Cornell has been a global institution since its founding, building ties to the world and Asia in particular through the education of national leaders and diplomats, deep scientific collaborations, exchanges between area studies scholars, and technical advice particularly in agriculture and education. These ties are not accidental, but emerge from Cornell’s founding and unique organization as a hybrid, public/private institution with a mission to address challenges and advance our society. Today, Ezra Cornell’s goal “to do the greatest good” by “elevating the standard of knowledge” is alive and well at Cornell – the democratic Ivy – with its focus on sustainability and one health, opportunity, and discovery. An effective partnership around the globe, and with Asia in particular, is critical to that goal.

Speaker Bio

Michael I. Kotlikoff, V.M.D., Ph.D.

Provost, Cornell University

Michael I. Kotlikoff, professor of molecular physiology, became the 16th provost of Cornell on August 1, 2015. As the university’s chief academic officer, chief budgeting officer, and first deputy officer to the president, he works to enhance the university’s excellence in teaching, scholarship, and outreach.

His signature initiatives have enhanced collaborations throughout the university, focusing on several core institutional strengths. The Radical Collaborations initiative recruits faculty and supports infrastructure in key multidisciplinary areas, including artificial intelligence, genome biology, media studies and digital humanities, sustainability, nanoscale science, and many others. Collaboration between the medical, tech, and Ithaca campuses has been advanced through the Academic Integration initiative, and disciplines have been strengthened through the creation of six multi-college departments and two new schools, the Bowers College of Computing and Information Science and the Brooks School of Public Policy. Kotlikoff has also initiated efforts to invest in academic and student housing facilities, teaching innovation, and expanded educational access through online education, as well as developing policies to facilitate greater faculty diversity and dual-career hiring across the colleges.

Kotlikoff was recruited to Cornell in 2000 as the founding chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences and chair of the Mammalian Genomics Life Science Initiative. Prior to being selected as provost, Kotlikoff served as the Austin O. Hooey dean of the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine. His laboratory is internationally recognized in cell signaling and heart repair and was continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health for over 35 years, including during his tenure as dean and provost. He currently serves on the NIH Council of Councils.

Kotlikoff received his B.A. (literature) and V.M.D. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and his Ph.D. in physiology from the University of California, Davis.

Photos