Elizabeth Garrett: American legal scholar and first female president of Cornell University

Elizabeth Garrett (1963–2016), American legal scholar and university leader who served as USC provost and became Cornell University's first female president before her untimely death in 2016

Helen Elizabeth Garrett (1963 – March 6, 2016), known professionally as Elizabeth Garrett, was an American legal scholar and university administrator. Over the course of her career she combined teaching, scholarship, and senior academic leadership.

Academic leadership

Garrett served as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Southern California, a position she assumed in 2010. On July 1, 2015, she took office as the 13th president of Cornell University, becoming the first woman to hold that title at the institution.

Death and legacy

Garrett died on March 6, 2016, at her home in New York City from colon cancer. She was 52 years old. Her sudden passing ended a brief tenure as Cornell's president and drew statements of condolence and remembrance from colleagues and students across the academic community.