Firebaugh

Francille M. Firebaugh, professor and dean emerita of the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University, has retired after more than five years as vice provost for land grant affairs and special assistant to the president, as of June 30. Firebaugh was dean of the College of Human Ecology at Cornell from 1988 to 1999.

Firebaugh worked on a daily basis with the State University of New York and the State University Construction Fund on administrative issues, regulations and academic affairs of the contract colleges. She worked with the provost and Cornell's government relations office on the functions of the board of trustees' Land Grant and Statutory College Affairs Committee and was largely responsible for leading the 2003 Land Grant Mission Review that provided specific recommendations to strengthen the university's commitment to outreach and public service and led to the appointment of an associate provost of outreach (Stephen Hamilton).

"Francille's contributions to our collective work have been invaluable," said Provost Biddy Martin. "I have relied heavily on her vast administrative experience and on her wit and wisdom. Her leadership of the land-grant mission review reinvigorated civic engagement and outreach and positioned us well for the challenges of extension and economic development in the 21st century. My staff and I already miss our regular contact with her, and we are extremely grateful for her continued work, albeit on a limited basis."

Firebaugh will continue to work for Cornell on special assignments, continuing her work with the Cornell University Press and Africana Studies and Research Center, working on developing a plaza in front of Bailey Hall and as a member of the Provost's Advisory Committee on Faculty Work Life that is launching a study this fall of tenured and tenure-eligible faculty.

In her recent position, Firebaugh also designed and implemented new faculty and new department chair orientation programs and ongoing department chair sessions on academic and administrative issues. She served as the provost's representative on the Johnson Museum's advisory council and helped secure the necessary approvals for expanding the museum's underground space. In addition, Firebaugh worked with Cornell University Press and the Africana Studies and Research Center on administrative issues and program reviews, among other matters.

"Cornell continues to change in order to be on the forefront of knowledge generation and application across the wide range of disciplines and programs that make it so special, yet the constancy of basic values refreshes and renews the spirit," said Firebaugh. "Working with the provost and her staff has been particularly rewarding because of the group's commitment to Cornell, their good humor, innovative ideas, clarity and rigor of thought."

She continues to be a member of the boards of Ithaca College, Zamorano (a college in Honduras), Families and Work Institute (New York City) and a member of the Advisory Board for the Cornell Plantations and the Cornell University Council.

Firebaugh plans to move back to Columbus, Ohio, during the summer of 2007. She was a member of the faculty and an administrator at Ohio State University following the completion of her Ph.D. at Cornell in 1962.