U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona was shot and seriously wounded, six people were killed, and more than a dozen others were wounded Jan. 8 when a gunman opened fire outside a grocery store in Tucson as Giffords met with constituents. As of Sunday morning, she remains in critical condition following neurosurgery at the University Medical Center in Tucson. Jared Lee Loughner has been arrested in the shooting.

Giffords, who earned a master's degree in regional planning from Cornell in 1997 and serves on the President's Council of Cornell Women, was re-elected to her third term last November in a close race against Tea Party favorite Jesse Kelly.

Kent Kleinman, dean of the College of Architecture, Art and Planning, said: "There are no words to express our grief. The entire college is devastated that one of our most cherished friends has fallen victim to such mindless violence. Gabby represents the very best of public service, and she is a role model to so many students who seek a future serving their communities. I want her family to know that our hearts are wrenched and our thoughts are with them, and we are hoping with all our hearts that Gabby recovers from this terrible attack."

Added Susan Christopherson, the J. Thomas Clark Professor of City and Regional Planning: "Representative Giffords has been a model for bringing rational analysis to the policymaking process while recognizing political realities and the need for citizen education on critical issues. In CRP we have always been very proud of her accomplishments and of her exemplary commitment to public service."

In the House of Representatives, Giffords has worked on such issues as immigration reform, embryonic stem-cell research, alternative energy sources and a higher minimum wage. On Jan. 6 she introduced legislation to cut pay for all members of Congress by 5 percent. She has served on the Armed Services and the Science and Technology committees.

"Representative Giffords is hard working and very supportive of the role higher education plays in the nation's economic development," said Stephen Philip Johnson, Cornell's vice president for government and community relations. "In Washington, Ms. Giffords met with members of the Science Coalition, a Washington interest group dedicated to expanding and strengthening the federal government's investment in university-based scientific, medical, engineering and agricultural research. In my conversations with her she expressed positive memories of her time at Cornell. Our thoughts and prayers for her recovery are with her and her family."