Campus & Beyond ‘Leading an Institution I Love Through These Challenging Times’ Stories You May Like How Cornell’s First President Transformed Higher Education ‘Good Health, Tempered Courage, and Sound Common Sense’ A Conversation with Life Trustee Ezra Cornell ’70, BS ’71 Mike Kotlikoff, the University’s interim leader for the past eight months, has been officially appointed Cornell’s 15th president This story was adapted from a report in the Cornell Chronicle. By David Nutt The Board of Trustees has voted to appoint Mike Kotlikoff, who has served as interim president since July 2024, Cornell’s 15th president, effective immediately. “Over the last eight months as interim president—and his 25 years on Cornell’s faculty—Mike has demonstrated the leadership and vision that the University needs right now,” says Kraig Kayser, MBA ’84, chair of the Board of Trustees. “His institutional knowledge, expertise, and passion for our shared mission will continue to help him lead Cornell through a period of great uncertainty and provide much-needed continuity at a critical time.” Jason Koski / Cornell UniversityIn the audience at the State of the University address in 2016, when he was provost. As interim president, Kotlikoff has sought to foster connection and dialogue on campus and to highlight the unique attributes of Cornell—including its history and its ethos. “I’ve spent 25 wonderful years at Cornell, and serving this university is an honor and a privilege,” Kotlikoff says. “I’m committed to finishing my career here, leading an institution I love through these challenging times. As higher education across the U.S. navigates difficult political, financial, and societal headwinds, I hope to guide Cornell in ways that reflect our core principles as an institution committed to doing ‘the greatest good.’” I’ve spent 25 wonderful years at Cornell, and serving this university is an honor and a privilege. A professor of molecular physiology, Kotlikoff arrived on the Hill in 2000 to build a new department in biomedical sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). He also launched and led the University’s Mammalian Genomics Life Science Initiative. He was named dean of CVM in 2007 and became University provost in 2015. Sreang Hok / Cornell UniversityMeeting with Weill Cornell Medicine faculty as interim president. “Mike has been a dedicated advocate and champion for Cornell for decades,” says Anne Meinig Smalling ’87, chair of the board’s Executive Committee and the incoming board chair. “His values, knowledge, and insights are deeply appreciated by all who know him. I and the other trustees look forward to working with Mike in the months and years ahead.” Stories You May Like How Cornell’s First President Transformed Higher Education ‘Good Health, Tempered Courage, and Sound Common Sense’ Mike has been a dedicated advocate and champion for Cornell for decades. His values, knowledge, and insights are deeply appreciated by all who know him. Anne Meinig Smalling ’87, incoming board chair Previously, Kotlikoff was professor and chair of the Department of Animal Biology at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned his BA in 1973 and VMD in 1981, with a PhD from the University of California, Davis, in 1984. By the time he was hired at Cornell in 2000, his research interests had expanded from studying ion channel proteins that control muscle excitability to using genetics to understand the fundamental processes that underlie and limit repair of the damaged mammalian heart. providedAt left, with members of his lab shortly after he arrived on the Hill. His arrival opened up new opportunities for studying mouse genetics at the University. His lab’s breakthroughs included developing optogenetic signaling molecules that can be expressed in mice to explore cell function; ways to use cell therapy to treat cardiac arrythmias in injured hearts; and an understanding of the limits of precursor cells in heart repair. He has published 152 papers; his lab, which he closed in 2021, was continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health since he began his research career. He has served in numerous roles at the NIH, including chairing the Board of Scientific Counselors at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and serving on the NIH Council of Councils. Kotlikoff earned a BA and a VMD from the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD from the University of California, Davis. Kotlikoff also has the distinction of having been Cornell’s longest-serving provost and served as chief budget officer in addition to chief academic officer. As provost, he helped steward many large and complicated projects, such as the creation of the Johnson College of Business and the Brooks School of Public Policy; the Radical Collaboration initiative; the North Campus Residential Expansion; and the University’s COVID-19 response. His wife, Carolyn McDaniel, retired in 2024 as a professor of practice in CVM. Jason Koski / Cornell UniversityKotlikoff and McDaniel introduce students to their border terrier during Move-In 2024. They have two children: Phoebe, a lawyer and former submarine officer with the U.S. Navy, and Emmett ’16, who graduated from Cornell with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and currently works for Google. Top: Kotlikoff outside the A.D. White House, home of Cornell’s first president. (Lindsay France / Cornell University) Published March 21, 2025 Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Cornelliana Cornell’s Beloved Hawks Raise a Family, Far Above Campus Alumni Meet the Alum Behind Some of Music’s Biggest Rights Deals Cornelliana With Our Custom Pumpkin Stencils, ‘Red’ Is the New Orange!