I am devastated by the premature death of Elizabeth Garrett, just a few months into her presidency at Cornell. Beth’s death at the age of 52 is a tragedy. She was an extraordinary talent who accomplished a great deal during her years at the University of Southern California, most recently as Provost. Her passion for her work was infectious. I have no doubt that with enough time hers would have been a transformative presidency at Cornell. My heart goes out to the Cornell community and especially to her family and friends.