Cornell University President Martha Pollack announced on Thursday, May 9, that she will retire at the end of June. This means that amidst the turmoil on American university campuses, half of the Ivy League schools temporarily lack a long-term serving president.
In a statement posted on Instagram on Thursday, Pollack announced, “After seven productive and fulfilling years as the president of Cornell University—and after a fifty-year research and academic career—I am ready to embark on a new chapter in my life.”
“In the next two months, as I complete my term, I will work to address the challenges we currently face and facilitate a smooth transition in leadership,” she stated in the announcement.
At the time of her resignation announcement, the 65-year-old Pollack was facing pressure from pro-Palestinian protesters demanding that Cornell University sever ties with Israel-related businesses.
Pollack’s retirement comes at a time when American university campuses are in turmoil due to anti-Israel protests. In her statement, the computer scientist said, “The challenges facing Cornell University go far beyond the chaos happening at campuses nationwide, and I hope we do not overlook this.”
Earlier this week, the president sent an email to the school’s faculty and students condemning unauthorized protesters camping on campus and stated that since last Thursday, the university has been trying to engage in deep communication with the protesters in order to reach a solution as quickly as possible, to “respect our policies, promote public health and safety in the community, and uphold everyone’s work rights.”
With Pollack stepping down, Cornell University, along with three other Ivy League schools—Yale University, Harvard University, and the University of Pennsylvania—will begin the search for a new president. The president of Yale University announced his retirement last year on August 31st, effective this June 30th. Previously, the presidents of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University faced strong backlash for their handling of incidents of anti-Semitism on campus, and subsequently resigned in December last year and January this year, respectively.
Pollack’s official departure date is June 30th, and Provost Michael Kotlikoff will take over her duties as interim president from July 1st for two years. The Board of Trustees will establish a special committee before the end of his term to find a permanent president.