Lift the Chorus: Cornell Stories
Scott Emr leads the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology.
Scott Emr
In April 2007, Scott Emr assumed a key leadership role in the New Life Sciences Initiative--and a prestigious endowed position. Emr is the first Frank H.T. Rhodes Class of '56 Director of the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology.
At the University of California at San Diego, Emr's research on single-celled yeast yielded critical information about how cells work, laying groundwork for breakthroughs across the biological sciences--including keys to understanding cancer and HIV.
"A number of universities wanted to recruit Scott," says Anthony Bretscher, professor of molecular biology and genetics and the newly appointed associate director for the institute. "His presence has already elevated our status considerably. He has a clear vision of this type of science, and he's full of energy."
Emr's vision and energy are already paying off. Even before his official arrival, he and Bretscher designed the institute's space in the Weill Hall, which opened in 2008. Now they are turning to hiring 11 additional faculty. "The institute's role will be to elevate Cornell's scientific reputation and visibility," Emr says. "To do that, we need to hire high-profile senior scientists as well as talented younger professors who will build Cornell's reputation in about 10 years."
Key hires often require significant resources. In Emr's case, to compete with other institutions, Cornell needed to help him relocate his research program and provide the means to lead the institute effectively. A $4 million endowment and the prestige of holding a named professorship helped Cornell convince Emr to trade San Diego for Ithaca.
Emr notes that the endowment will also be an important means of securing research funding at Cornell. "The endowment provides support of salary, which allows Cornell to release additional funds and apply them where they are needed most," he says. That flexibility is especially critical now: government funding for scientific research is decreasing, even though the cost of research is increasing rapidly. "The institutions that step in and provide those resources will be the ones that pull ahead," says Emr.
President Emeritus Rhodes had dubbed the Class of '56 the "Super Class" for its record-breaking Reunion campaigns, beginning with its 25th Reunion. Ernie Stern '56, the class president, is proud of his class's attention to Cornell's priorities and its fundraising leadership. But he would feel just as satisfied to be surpassed. "Our formula for raising money was to throw down the gauntlet," he says. "Every class has the capacity to make record-breaking gifts to Cornell. Those in a Reunion campaign especially should aim high."
Adapted from Communiqué, Spring 2007. Originally written by Jennifer Campbell.