educational officer. From 2014 to 2022, Robert Harrison served as chairman of the board. He was succeeded by Kraig Kayser. The Board of Trustees holds four regular meetings annually, which are subject to the New York State Open Meetings Law.
The university charter (specifically, paragraph 1.b of section 5703 of the Education Law) provides that one member of the board, the life trustee, is the eldest living lineal descendant of Ezra Cornell. As of 2024, the current and longest-serving life trustee is Ezra Cornell, class of 1971, the great-great-great-grandson of the original Ezra Cornell. He celebrated 50 years of service as a board member in 2019. His eldest daughter Katy Cornell, class of 2001, is expected to become the next life trustee.
On July 1, 2024, Michael Kotlikoff, who served as Cornell's 16th provost, began a two-year term as interim president, succeeding Martha E. Pollack, Cornell's fourteenth president, who announced her retirement in May 2024.
=== Colleges and academic structure ===
Cornell's …
