James W. Brown named interim president

The Cornell College Board of Trustees has elected James W. Brown, special assistant to President Garner, as interim president starting July 1. President Les Garner is leaving after 16 years to become CEO of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation.

In selecting Brown, the Board of Trustees found an interim president who is familiar with the college and will continue the progress started under Garner, according to John Smith ’71, president of the Board of Trustees.

“Jim has served the college extremely well, and has been a longtime advisor to President Garner,” Smith said. “The board has complete faith that under his leadership, Cornell will continue its growth even as we search for a permanent president.”

Brown arrived at Cornell in 1990 as a psychology professor. He served for many years as Associate Dean of the college and Director of Institutional Research and provided interim leadership in the Registrar’s Office and Information Technology.

As special assistant, Brown coordinates activities that center on planning, program development and management, communications, and technology. He is a 1969 honors graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz (psychology), with master’s (1972) and doctoral (1975) degrees in developmental psychology and psychophysiology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Brown spent 15 years as a professor and academic administrator at San Diego State University before coming to Cornell.