ITHACA, N.Y. (AP) Cornell University President Elizabeth Garrett has died of colon cancer after eight months leading the school.
The Ivy League school says Garrett died Sunday evening at home. She was 52. Garrett became the first woman president of Cornell on July 1, 2015.
Cornell Board of Trustees Chairman Robert Harrison says that while Garrett's tenure was tragically cut short, her efforts have set the university on a path toward continued excellence.
Garrett was previously a provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Southern California.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo called Garrett a ``visionary leader'' in a statement offering his condolences.
