ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell University's Division of Financial Affairs has announced that Marguerite Spencer has been named director of university policy and division communications and Jeffrey Silber has been named director for financial research administration. Both report to Joanne DeStefano, vice president for financial affairs and university controller.

Spencer is a former communications manager for the corporate headquarters of Marriott International and has more than 15 years experience in the United States, Europe and the Caribbean in developing, communicating and managing issues affecting corporate policy in a range of industries. As director of policy, Spencer will be responsible for the process of creating, developing, distributing and communicating new and updated institutional policies. She will maintain close working relationships with staff throughout campus in Ithaca and at the Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. As director of divisional communications, Spencer will be responsible for providing strategic communications support to the Division of Financial Affairs.

Spencer received a bachelor's and a master's degree from Syracuse University in journalism and in TV and radio, respectively. She also earned a master's degree in marketing from the University of West Indies (formerly affiliated with Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management).

Silber began his professional career at Cornell in 1983 and has spent the past 18 years at the Cornell Theory Center as an administrator, with progressively increasing responsibilities. Most recently he has been responsible for research administration, financial management, budget development, facility management and human resources. In addition to his Theory Center role, he has served on the Policy Advisory Group and many other cross-university projects.

As director for financial research administration for the division, Silber will be responsible for the management of the Sponsored Funds Accounting office and the Costing Department, which includes such activities as the development and negotiation of the university indirect cost rate, recharge rates, capital assets management and various internal costing models, such as accessory instruction and the cost allocation model.

Silber received his bachelor's degree from Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences in 1979 and his master's from the university's Johnson Graduate School of Management in 1983, with a concentration in finance and accounting.

Outside of Cornell, Silber is active with a variety of civic, professional and charitable organizations. He has been a presenter at regional, national and international conferences in research administration and computing.