The national executive search firm of Korn/Ferry International has been chosen to assist in the process of identifying and recruiting the strongest possible candidates for the next president of Cornell University, Diana Daniels, chair of the university's Presidential Search Committee, announced today.

"Following an extensive screening process, we have determined that Korn/Ferry will provide us with the level of expertise and support needed to assure the most comprehensive and aggressive approach to identifying the most qualified candidates for consideration," said Daniels, who also serves as vice chair of the Cornell Board of Trustees.

"The education practice of Korn/Ferry has a strong track record of identifying candidates who are the right 'fit' and have the appropriate professional and personal skills to work with members of the university community and lead their respective institutions forward," Daniels said. "We feel they are most qualified to work with the committee in finding candidates who would best lead Cornell as our 12th president."

R. William (Bill) Funk, the national practice leader of Korn/Ferry's education practice who will personally lead the firm's efforts on Cornell's behalf, has been characterized by The Chronicle of Higher Education as the "guru of higher education recruiting." During the past 20 years, he has recruited presidents to many of the nation's leading colleges and universities, including nearly a fourth of the nation's AAU (Association of American Universities) institutions.

Over the next few weeks, the search committee and Korn/Ferry will work to articulate the key criteria for presidential candidates and to establish a timetable for upcoming meetings and other further steps in the process.

Cornell's 11th president, Jeffrey S. Lehman, stepped down in June, and Hunter R. Rawlings III, who had served as Cornell's 10th president, is now serving as interim president. The formation of the university's Presidential Search Committee, led by Daniels, was announced July 5. That committee includes representation from an array of Cornell constituencies, including trustees, faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students, employees, the Weill Cornell Medical College and Graduate School of Medical Sciences, senior administration and alumni.

People wishing to contact the Presidential Search Committee may do so by writing to the following address:

Presidential Search Committee
PO Box 4380
Ithaca, NY 14852-4380

Comments may also be sent via e-mail to cu-pres-search@cornell.edu. A Web site devoted to the search is available at http://www.cornell.edu/presidentsearch.