Kathryn Boor, Graduate School dean and vice provost, to end term

Kathryn Boor '80, dean of the Graduate School and vice provost for graduate education, has announced her plans to step down following the completion of her term on June 30, 2025.

Interim Provost John Siliciano '75 has started a search for Boor's successor. Deputy Provost Avery August is chairing the search.

"Kathryn is a true Cornellian with a deep love for the university," Siliciano said. "We are extremely grateful for her years of service and leadership at the Graduate School, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Department of Food Science, as a researcher and in countless other roles across Cornell."

Boor joined the Cornell Department of Food Science in 1994 as assistant professor and led it as chair from 2007 until 2010, when she was named the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of CALS, where she served two terms. Boor earned her bachelor's degree in food science from CALS, a master's in food science from the University of Wisconsin and a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of California, Davis.

Since taking on the role of dean and vice provost in the summer of 2020, Boor has navigated the Graduate School through the challenges of pandemic disruptions and significant changes in graduate admissions policies. She has introduced new initiatives on faculty mentorship training and fellowship allocation and established the Graduate School Career and Professional Development office as one of Cornell's 10 college career centers. Boor has also implemented policies to enhance funding clarity for doctoral students.

"I first discovered Cornell as a Chemung County high school delegate to a statewide 4-H Club Congress. I knew immediately that this was where I wanted to be and applied for the undergraduate program in CALS as quickly as I could," Boor said. "Although I lived and worked in various places around the world before returning to campus in 1994, this university is my home.

"I am grateful to all - students, staff and faculty - who journeyed together with me on the (mostly) joyful path to discovery, always committed to looking forward. It has been a great ride," she said.

Through the process laid out in the Code of Legislation of the Graduate Faculty, the provost will present a candidate to the Graduate School General Committee(GC). The GC, which comprises faculty and graduate student representatives from the humanities, social sciences, life sciences and physical sciences, will provide feedback to the provost on the nominee. The dean is elected by the executive committee of the Cornell Board of Trustees upon recommendation of the provost and the concurrence of the president.

The new dean and vice provost for graduate education will work collaboratively with the deans of the 11 academic colleges to advance the scholarship and career development of the entire graduate school community. The new dean will report to Kavita Bala, who will succeed Siliciano as provostin 2025. Bala is currently dean of the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science.

Merry Buckley is assistant dean of communications for the Graduate School.