Cornell University 2011-2012 Annual Report - DFA Home - Cornell ...

Nye to Cornell, was dedicated August 27 following apublic lecture that filled the 715-seat Statler Auditorium.Nye talked about his father’s passion for sundials andtimekeeping, his time at Cornell, his work on the sundialsmounted on the Mars rovers, and the story behind theSvante Myrick ’09 wins election asIthaca’s next mayorNovember 10, 2011—Svante Myrick ’09 was electedIthaca’s next mayor on Tuesday, winning a four-way racewith 54 percent of the vote. At 24, he will be the cityof Ithaca’s youngest mayor ever; he also will be its firstAfrican-American mayor. Myrick, who is an aldermanfor Ithaca’s Fourth Ward and won the Democraticprimary in September, was the first African-Americanmayoral candidate to win a major party’s nomination inthe city. “Cornell University congratulates Mayor-electSvante Myrick and wishes him a successful term ofaccomplishment and effective service to the people ofGettleman ’94 wins Pulitzer forinternational reportingApril 16, 2012—Africa bureau chief for the New York Times, won theJeffrey Gettleman of the New York Times for his vividreports, often at personal peril, on famine and conflict innewspaper. His work has focused on internal conflictspreviously worked for the New York Times in Newwhere he was a Marshall Scholar.Ratan Tata receives lifetimeachievement awardJune 26, 2012—received a lifetime achievement award for innovationin philanthropy from the Rockefeller Foundation. Tata,chairman of Tata Sons and a Cornell trustee, washonored June 26 at the foundation’s second annualInnovation Forum and awards ceremony in New YorkCity. This year’s forum convened creative leaders frombusiness, government, and journalism to focus onensuring that the benefits of new technologies don’tbypass the world’s poor. Tata received an award for“thoughtfully incorporating the public good into theRockefeller Foundation press release.Health and SafetyCommon Council votes “yes” to allownets under bridgesDecember 8, 2011—The city of Ithaca’s CommonCouncil approved a proposal December 7 by CornellUniversity to install nets under three city-owned bridgesas a suicide prevention measure. Seven councilmembers voted for the nets, two against, and onemember was absent. Cornell had requested the city’spermission to install nets under the three city bridges:are also seeking permission to install nets under or alongfour Cornell-owned bridges; those designs must beSkorton accepts recommendationson gorge safetyDecember 2, 2011—Cornell continues to take amultipronged approach to enhance the safe use of Fallannounced December 2. “The health and safety of ourcommunity and of those who visit our campus and itsnatural areas are among Cornell’s foremost concerns.Continuing to improve the safety of our campus is arecommendations from the Gorge Safety SteeringGroup, which he appointed in August to develop actionplans, for the near and longer term, on gorge safety,he said. The recommendations include completionof safety and infrastructure projects, such as repairof fences and railings to delineate public space fromrestricted-use areas, and stabilization of failing trails. Thereport also calls for clarification of the source of ongoingof outreach to improve students’ awareness of gorgesafety could include such measures as creating a Gorge45