Q&A with Stephen Ashley on the Far Above campaign

Emily Hopkins of University Communications talked with Stephen Ashley '62, MBA '64, a university trustee and co-chair of Far Above ...The Campaign for Cornell, on the successes of the campaign. This is the final interview in a series with the campaign co-chairs.

You've been a co-chair of the campaign since its launch five years ago. What went into your decision to continue in that role?

First of all, the excitement about raising the money that would enable the university to move forward solidly on its plans for the next decade or two. That has become even more important to me and other volunteers as President Skorton and Provost Fuchs have outlined a fine strategic plan that has overarching aspirational goals and I think really speaks to the broad swath of Cornellians. When we're successful in raising the money, the strategic plan will enable the university to step out front in its mission to be the land-grant university to the world.

"Land Grant University to the World," that's a phrase President Skorton mentions often, too. As a resident of upstate New York, what do you think of that concept?

I think it's wonderful. This is no way diminishes Cornell's historic land-grant role within New York state. The idea of global reach expands the research efforts, as well as our deployment of that new knowledge. And I think all of us are beneficiaries.

You and your wife, Janice, have made significant gifts to support many Cornell endeavors, from the Vet College to Cornell Plantations to the creation of a professorship and the establishment of an undergraduate advising fund. What's been your favorite gift to make and why?

Well, each one of those gifts that you name has been very meaningful to us. I'm particularly proud of the work that Professor Chris Barrett is doing. He holds the endowed chair that Janice and I set up. I get a real thrill out of my meetings with Chris, as I learn more about what he's doing to address the needs of food distribution and developing economies, particularly in sub-Sahara Africa. This is a good example of Cornell's land-grant mission being applied to the world, finding new approaches and solutions to problems of hunger, economic development, the empowerment of women, developing the economies of developing communities. ... I get a real charge out of that.

Which is a more compelling reason for supporting Cornell, the university's excellence, or urgent world problems that need to be addressed?

My experience is that people come at supporting Cornell a number of different ways. We've clearly had some wonderful support in the last year addressing major challenges of global sustainability, and that's a good example of where gifts have come in response to major global challenges. Other donors resonate with student needs, the need to be able to afford a Cornell education and not graduate with mountains of debt. Others have a particular interest that stems from their undergraduate days -- an activity, an affinity group or a sport that they wish to continue supporting.

Your first year on the Cornell University Council was 1971. What's changed most, in your opinion, at the university since then?

One of the significant changes is an enhanced role for the undergraduate student at Cornell, in terms of their living-learning, their participation in meaningful research, and their engagement on and off campus and in the world at large. The second major change is a breaking down of the silos that 40 years ago did exist between departments, colleges and units. Today, we cannot function in higher education successfully unless we have interdisciplinary work. So what I see now going on between the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the College of Arts and Sciences, for instance, is work in fields that 40 years ago didn't exist. Bioengineering, for example. That's a real change, and a wonderful advance in how we educate our students and create that new knowledge we need.

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Claudia Wheatley