UT Vice Provost Accepts Position at Cornell

By Gaby Guajardo in Blog on April 11, 2013 at 1:01 pm | 2 Comments

She’s taught at UT, MIT, Princeton, and Harvard. She’s performed extensive research on women’s political activism, constitutional law and history, democratic movements, and work-family policy. She’s published three books, along with multiple articles and essays. She’s been vice provost for undergraduate education and faculty governance at UT. She’s also been the director and co-chair to many prestigious programs at the University.

You’d think Gretchen Ritter has just about done it all. But she’s about to add a new position to the list: the first female dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University.

“I am pleased and excited to be returning to Cornell, my alma mater, but I will also be sorry to leave my friends, colleagues, and students here at UT-Austin,” Ritter said in a press release. 

Since 1992, Ritter has been a part of the UT faculty as the former director of the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies and co-chair of the Gender Equity Task Force. She noted that she enjoyed the time spent with Steven Leslie, the University’s provost and executive vice president, who will step down and return to teaching and research at the University in August.

“I have been at UT for more than 20 years, and it has been a real privilege over the last four years to work in the provost’s office with our exceptional provost, Steven Leslie, and our other vice provosts,” Ritter said. “I believe we have been successful in moving the University forward in several areas, and I have no doubt that with strong leadership the University will continue to advance in the years to come.”

Although Ritter will begin her new position at Cornell as of Aug. 1, she won’t be forgetting her time here on the Forty Acres.

“I will always have a special place in my heart for UT-Austin,” she said.

Photo courtesy The University of Texas at Austin.

Tags: Cornell University, dean, director, Gretchen Ritter, Steven Leslie, undergraduate education, vice provost