~ January 16, 2026 ~

Cynthia Leifer, Ph.D. ’00, professor in microbiology and immunology in the College of Veterinary Medicine, has been appointed director of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, effective Jan. 15. The office provides support for Cornell’s roughly 750 postdoctoral researchers at the Ithaca, Cornell AgriTech and Cornell Tech campuses.

Christine Holmes, director of the office since its establishment in 2005, is retiring after 34 years at Cornell. Her accomplishments were nationally recognized last year by the National Postdoctoral Association.

With Leifer’s appointment, the office, previously named the Office of Postdoctoral Studies, becomes part of Research & Innovation under the vice provost for research. The office was established jointly by the Graduate School and the Office of the Vice Provost for Research in 2005.

“Postdocs are a critical component of the research engine at Cornell,” said Vice Provost for Research Gary Koretzky ’78. “The shift to Research & Innovation reflects the university’s commitment to integrating postdoctoral support more closely with Cornell’s research enterprise, positioning postdocs to have greater access to the tools and networks needed for success.”

[…]

Read full story by J. Edward Anthony in the Cornell Chronicle