Knuth

Barbara A. Knuth, senior vice provost and dean of the Graduate School, assumed her post as 2015 board chair of the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) Dec. 6. She had been serving as chair-elect for the past year.

“In her role as graduate dean, Dr. Knuth has been at the forefront of the pressing issues graduate schools are facing today,” said CGS President Suzanne T. Ortega. “Her expertise and leadership will help CGS chart ambitious goals for meeting the evolving needs of our member institutions.”

Serving as senior vice provost and dean since 2010, Knuth has enhanced Cornell’s professional development program for graduate students by focusing on helping students work effectively with their graduate committees and fostering transferable skills relevant to academic and nonacademic career paths. Since she became dean, all graduate degree programs have articulated specific learning outcomes and have implemented assessment plans focused on program improvement.

As senior vice provost, Knuth oversees Cornell’s Undergraduate Admissions Office and the Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment.

Knuth joined the Cornell faculty in 1986 as assistant professor of natural resource policy. She chaired the Department of Natural Resources from 2002 to 2007 and is associate director of its Human Dimensions Research Unit. She was senior associate dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences from 2007 to 2010.

“The Council of Graduate Schools is the leading national organization dedicated to the advancement of graduate education and research across a diversity of institutions,” Knuth said. “It’s a privilege to be part of its leadership.”

Based in Washington, D.C., CGS is an organization of more than 500 institutions of higher education in the United States and Canada engaged in graduate education and research. CGS members award 92 percent of U.S. doctoral degrees and 78 percent of master’s degrees. The organization’s mission is to improve and advance graduate education, which it accomplishes through advocacy in the federal policy arena, research, and the development and dissemination of best practices.