Campus & Beyond President Emerita Honored With ‘Pollack Plaza’ Stories You May Like What Cornell Building Are You? The Notable Lives Behind (Seven More) Big Red Buildings The Lives Behind Some of the Hill’s Iconic Buildings At TCAM, Big Red leaders unveiled an East Hill homage—which, fittingly, will be located near Computing and Information Science Editor's note: This story was adapted from a report in the Cornell Chronicle. By Joe Wilensky A plaza dedicated and named in honor of Cornell’s 14th president, Martha E. Pollack, will be part of the new Bowers College of Computing and Information Science building and complex, connecting it with Gates Hall. The announcement was made at a gala dinner held in Barton Hall in Pollack’s honor as part of the Trustee-Council Annual Meeting (TCAM) events. Pollack retired in June 2024 after seven years at the University’s helm. “How to appropriately acknowledge Martha Pollack’s contributions to Cornell is almost impossible,” said Board of Trustees Chair Kraig Kayser, MBA ’84, noting her strong connection with students, her commitment to academic verve, her dedication to and reiteration of Cornell’s core values, and her leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic. How to appropriately acknowledge Martha Pollack’s contributions to Cornell is almost impossible. Trustee Chair Kraig Kayser, MBA ’84 The plaza—expected to be completed in spring 2025—will be “a lasting tribute to one of the key successes of [her] administration and leadership,” he said. Kayser spoke about Pollack’s distinguished academic background and accomplishments in computer science and the strides the University made across that field during her tenure—from the opening of the Cornell Tech campus in NYC to the naming and expansion of Bowers CIS. Construction began in spring 2023 on a new four-story, 135,000-square-foot building that will be connected to Gates Hall. The building will support the fast-growing college, adding instructional and research space while also bringing together its three departments: computer science, information science, and statistics and data science. ProvidedA rendering of Pollack Plaza, with the new Bowers building at right and Gates Hall in the background. Stories You May Like What Cornell Building Are You? The Notable Lives Behind (Seven More) Big Red Buildings The Martha E. Pollack Plaza will be located “at the growing heart” of Bowers CIS, Kayser said. “It will be traversed by thousands, used every day, and will forever be a reminder of the contributions that [she] made: not just in computer science, but to the entire university.” Interim President Mike Kotlikoff, who served as provost with Pollack for seven years, said that one of the things that most impressed him about her was “her total commitment to access” to Cornell for students, which helped inspire the current philanthropic campaign’s emphasis on financial aid and affordability. “She got that immediately,” he said. “She questioned what our legacy was, what our founding commitment was, and whether we were living up to that commitment.” Added Kotlikoff: “I saw how she gave her full measure to Cornell University, how much of herself she poured into the University, and I’ll always value what [she] has done for Cornell.” I saw how she gave her full measure to Cornell University, how much of herself she poured into the University, and I’ll always value what [she] has done for Cornell. Interim President Mike Kotlikoff Taking the stage, Pollack recounted how she was recruited to Cornell from her position as provost at the University of Michigan, noting that she typically had ignored offers from search consultants before—“but this was Cornell.” Pollack said she had long known of the University’s reputation for excellence, innovation, and collaboration; its diversity of schools and subjects; its land-grant mission and public engagement; and its balance of public and private and rural and urban campuses. “But it had one more thing—one that I couldn’t have fully appreciated until I came here,” Pollack said. “It was this amazing community, this shared ethos amongst Cornellians—not only shared amongst the people on our campuses, the faculty, the staff, and the students, but shared in the 300,000 living alumni. And more than anything, tonight, I just want to thank you, that community, for making me a part of you.” Top: Kayser and Pollack at TCAM with a rendering of the plaza. (Photo by Chris Kitchen.) Published October 22, 2024 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 Ask the Expert ‘I Want to Open People’s Eyes’: Tips From an Art Historian Alumni For Some Cornellians, It’s a Big Red ‘Biennale’ in Venice Campus & Beyond Home Care Aides Are Undervalued—But an Alum Aims to Change That