Cornell names new director of OEO office

By Jacquie Powers

J. Otis Cochran has been appointed director of Cornell's Office of Equal Opportunity, Associate Provost Winnie Taylor has announced.

The appointment of Cochran, most recently deputy city personnel director for the city of New York, was effective March 9. He replaces Valerie Hayes, who left Cornell last year to become executive director of the Office of Affirmative Action at the University of Pennsylvania.

"Cochran brings to Cornell considerable managerial skills and technical experience in handling affirmative action and nondiscrimination issues," Taylor said. "I am delighted that he has agreed to lead our Office of Equal Opportunity."

Cochran will be responsible for writing and implementing Cornell's affirmative action plan, managing the investigation process in the resolution of harassment and other discrimination complaints, establishing educational and training programs on affirmative action and diversity issues and advising the associate provost and other executive officers about equal opportunity issues and concerns, Taylor said.

Cochran received a B.A. degree in political science and history from Morehouse College in 1968 and a law degree from Yale University in 1971. Before becoming deputy city personnel director for the City of New York and director of the Bureau of Citywide Equal Employment Opportunity, he was a professor of law at the University of Tennessee. Earlier he was executive assistant to the president of Northeastern Illinois University.