Katherine King, institutional equity officer at SUNY Upstate Medical University, in Syracuse, New York, will join Cornell as the associate vice president for the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX effective Nov. 1. King will report to Christine Lovely, vice president and chief human resources officer.

"Katie brings a deep understanding of New York State law, closely aligned higher education experience, and values and aspirations that will advance Cornell's commitment to a culture of inclusion, respect, and belonging," said Lovely.

Credit: Provided

King has been Upstate Medical's inaugural institutional equity officer since 2020, serving a university population of approximately 1,600 students and 10,000 employees. Akin to the role at Cornell, King drafted, updated and socialized university policies in response to changes in federal and state laws and regulations; created and updated annual state-mandated training; and implemented the use of case tracking software.

"In meeting Katie, it was clear that she brings not only the subject matter expertise essential to this role, but also the skills to lead and support OIETIX staff, which, given the work we do, is often just as important as the substantive knowledge," said Cooper Sirwatka, equal opportunity program director for OIETIX.

Cornell’s Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX is responsible for training, education and prevention efforts in the areas of discrimination, harassment and sexual and related misconduct.

King started her legal career after graduating from New York University School of Law and practiced as an associate in a private New York City law firm before joining the United States Attorney's Offices and serving as the deputy chief of the Violent Crime section of the Western District of Pennsylvania. There, she spearheaded numerous large-scale investigations of federal crimes and collaborated with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to bring successful prosecutions for violations of federal laws, including human and sex trafficking, conspiracy, narcotics, money laundering, obstruction of justice and fraud statutes. In May 2019, King was named investigative counsel for the New York State Office of the Inspector General. She led teams of investigators and analysts to conduct detailed and confidential investigations and analyses of alleged criminal misconduct, corruption, conflicts of interest, fraud and abuse within and committed against New York State agencies.

“During my on campus interview, I was extremely fortunate to meet with many of the folks I will be partnering with across the university,” King said. “The passion and dedication every person has to their role and to the success of Cornell and the Cornell community was clear and heartfelt. I am humbled to join such a wonderful institution.”

“It’s never easy to have a vacancy in a team, but its particularly challenging when it’s a leadership role at this level and with this this type of responsibility,” Lovely said. “I want to thank Sonia Rucker, AVP for the Department of Inclusion and Belonging for stepping in as our interim AVP, and the entire OIETIX team for their commitment and responsiveness through this transition period.”