The Office of the Vice Provost for International Relations
Cornell's international mission is to discover, preserve and disseminate knowledge in ways that respond to the opportunities and challenges of an increasingly interconnected global society. The Office of the Vice Provost for International Relations plays an integral part in the success of "Bringing the World to Cornell and Cornell to the World."
Cornell University is rooted in New York State, but fully engaged with the larger world. Cornell seeks to educate globally competent students, foster cutting-edge research within and across national boundaries, and, through public service, to enhance the lives and livelihoods of our students and others around the world. Cornell’s unparalleled combination of quality and breadth, its long history of international engagement, and its internationally diverse faculty, students, staff, and alumni, position it to be a leader in the education of students with an international perspective and in the development of an international community of researchers devoted to the advancement of knowledge and the solution of pressing global problems. The Office of the Vice Provost for International Relations provides leadership and focus to keep Cornell at the forefront in international endeavors.
Who’s Who:
Alice N. Pell , International Professor of Animal Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and former Director of Cornell’s International Institute for Food and Agriculture Development (CIIFAD), succeeded David Wippman as Vice Provost for International Relations on July 1, 2008. Vice Provost Pell spearheads initiatives of strategic importance to Cornell’s international community, oversees the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, Cornell Abroad and CIIFAD. She is responsible for development of Cornell’s international strategic plan and for better coordination of Cornell’s international programs including the new Tata-Cornell Agriculture and Nutrition Initiative.
Laurie Damiani came to the Vice Provost’s office as the Director of International Initiatives after some 22 years as the Administrative Director of Cornell’s East Asia Program. Her responsibilities in the Vice Provost’s office are broad and diverse. Laurie is responsible for promoting a wide range of international research collaborations, faculty and student exchanges with universities and research institutions worldwide, for developing policies that foster Cornell’s international agenda, and for hosting important foreign dignitaries from all quarters of the globe. She serves as the university’s chief international protocol officer and the liaison between the university’s senior staff and the international community.
Supporting the Vice Provost and the Director in the Office of the Vice Provost for International Relations are Executive Staff Assistants Bonnie Ferguson (left) and Linda Schmidt (right). Feel free to stop by the Office located in 115 Day Hall if you have questions about international activities at Cornell.
What They Do:
The work of the Office of the Vice Provost for International Relations has steadily evolved in order to reach its goal of “Bringing the World to Cornell and Cornell to the World.” This office coordinates all international Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) promoting a wide range of international research collaborations and faculty and student exchanges with universities and research institutions worldwide. Cornell strives to foster international research and education with international partners and currently maintains over 350 official agreements with institutions in 64 different countries.
Travel plays an important role in “Bringing the World to Cornell and Cornell to the World.” The Office of the Vice Provost for International Relations welcomes important foreign dignitaries to Cornell from all quarters of the globe. The Office also prepares briefings for senior administration’s travel abroad and establishes policies that promote Cornell’s international agenda. Working in unison with the office of Risk Management and Insurance and Cornell faculty and staff, the Office is developing a comprehensive international travel policy. Safety of our Cornell travelers is a paramount concern and the Vice Provost serves as Chair of the International Travel Advisory and Response Team (ITART) to take appropriate action to this end.
The Office oversees the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, Cornell Abroad, and the Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture, and Development (CIIFAD) and maintains the content of the International Gateway website. Working with the Mario Einaudi Center webmaster, they are undertaking a redesign of the International Gateway website to make it more transparent and user-friendly. The Office continues to look for ways to improve communication regarding international initiatives across Cornell.
How to Contact Them:
If you would like to learn more about the Office of the Vice Provost for International Relations or international activities at Cornell, please contact:
Bonnie Ferguson
Executive Staff Assistant
115 Day Hall
Phone: 607-255-7993
Fax: 607-254-8325
Email: bf18@cornell.edu
or
Linda Schmidt
Executive Staff Assistant
115 Day Hall
Phone: 607-255-7682
Fax: 607-254-8325
Email: Lms10@cornell.edu