Local News: May 9, 2024

Cornell President Pollack to Retire

After seven years as Cornell’s President, Martha Pollock will retire on June 30. According to the Cornell Sun, in her announcement Pollack stressed that the decision to leave was her own. She added that she had been considering retirement since last fall. But events at Cornell and other campuses lead her to delay departure three times. Pollock is a professor of computer science and has been named professor emerita by Cornell’s Board of Trustees. 

Her announcement comes amid the ongoing turmoil on college campuses across the country. Unlike at many colleges and universities, so far, activists at Cornell’s Palestinian solidarity encampment have not been subject to arrest or police violence. 

Pollock will be succeeded by Provost Michael Kotlikoff who will serve in an interim role for two years. Kotlikoff is a biomedical researcher. He previously served as Acting Cornell President in 2016.

Community Justice Dashboard Provides Transparency

A new data dashboard is providing more information and transparency about law enforcement and criminal justice in Tompkins County. Tompkins’ Community Justice Center has launched the new tool as part of the county’s Reimagining Public Safety initiative. It provides a host of data on police response, such as how many calls result in arrests, the racial and gender identity of those arrested, and the outcomes of those arrests. 

According to the Ithaca Times, the Justice Center’s director, Monalita Smiley said the dashboard was built to address concerns about disproportionate outcomes of policing and the courts. She added that dashboard is a work in progress and community “feedback is crucial in driving positive change.”  Comments from the public can be left on the dashboard.