Provost and Acting President Michael Kotlikoff will preside over commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2016 in the place of President Emeritus Hunter R. Rawlings III, according to a University press release.
Rawlings — who will begin his term as Cornell’s interim president on April 25 — will not be able to attend commencement “due to a long-standing prior commitment,” the release said.
Kotlikoff has served as the University’s acting president since Feb. 19, after President Elizabeth Garrett took a leave of absence to undergo surgery for colon cancer. The Board of Trustees appointed Rawlings as interim president on March 25, following Garrett’s death earlier in the month.
Rawlings requested that Kotlikoff officiate ceremonies in his place, according to the release.
“Provost Kotlikoff has accepted the invitation and looks forward to celebrating with the Class of 2016 and their families,” the release said.