Avery August

Avery is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor and professor of immunology in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Hw served as Vice Provost for Academic Affairs beginning in 2018, until his appointment as Deputy Provost in 2022.

Working with Yael Levitte, senior associate vice provost for faculty development and diversity, on a range of faculty development and diversity policies, programs and initiatives, he oversees faculty recruitment and hiring strategies, and provides leadership for workshops for department chairs and associate deans. He manages the faculty dual career program and the provost’s program for diversity hiring, and is the provost’s liaison for the Faculty Committee on Program Review guiding department reviews.

Formerly chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dr. August discovered new strategies to treat asthma, among other scientific accomplishments. His research addresses the mechanisms that regulate the development of inflammation in diseases, particularly in allergy and lung inflammatory diseases, as well as fundamental mechanisms of development of T cell subsets and memory.

August is principal investigator on a $16 million award issued by the National Institutes of Health in 2022 to support Cornell’s hiring and retention of 10 new assistant professors over five years in three research clusters: the quantitative biomedical sciences, infection biology and health equity.

In the summer of 2018, August initiated the Cornell University Research Transfer Program, assisting biology students transferring from community colleges. The program offers research opportunities, mentoring and other programs to contribute to the students’ success. He is also principal investigator on the NIH-funded Cornell Initiative to Maximize Student Development, which enhances the recruitment of students underrepresented in life sciences graduate programs at Cornell, including deaf and and hard of hearing students.

Before coming to Cornell is 2010, August was an immunology professor in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences and director of the Center for Molecular Immunology and Infectious Disease at Pennsylvania State University.

He received his B.S. in medical technology from California State University Los Angeles and his doctorate in immunology from Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences at Cornell.

Contact information:

Office of the Deputy Provost
431 Day Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853-2801
Email: deputyprovost@cornell.edu

Yael Levitte

Yael Levitte is the Senior Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Diversity. Working closely with the Deputy Provost on faculty recruiting, retention and development, she also oversees educational and community-building programs that support faculty across their careers. 

Levitte develops faculty leadership initiatives for current and aspiring academic leaders. She co-directs the faculty development core of the NIH-funded Cornell FIRST program aimed at the diversification of Cornell faculty in the biological, biomedical and health sciences.

The NIH and NSF have supported her research on the entry and retention of women and individuals with underrepresented or marginalized identities in the STEM labor force.

Levitte earned a B.A. from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, an MS.Pl. in Urban Planning, and a Ph.D. in economic geography from the University of Toronto. She has also received an executive coaching certificate from Columbia University’s Coaching Program.

Gabriela Elizabeth Vargas

Gabriela Elizabeth Vargas (she/they) is the Director of Faculty Engagement and Early Career Development Programs in the Provost’s Office of Faculty Development and Diversity (OFDD). Gabriela works collaboratively to support individual faculty, department chairs, and deans in their work and in cultivating inclusive environments in their colleges and in departments. Dr. Vargas co-facilitates programs offered by OFDD and develops assessment tools for department climate and support of their faculty across the career stages. Vargas collaborates with chairs and faculty to design and deliver concrete plans and programs to address areas of concern and enhance areas of strength. They also serve as the Professional Development Curriculum Specialist for the Cornell FIRST program where she brings her expertise developing faculty mentorship skills, particularly faculty who are underrepresented in their field.

In collaboration with partners with the Graduate School and OFDD, Dr. Vargas co-leads the Faculty Advancing Inclusive Mentoring (FAIM) Resource Center and develops workshops for faculty to implement tools that support them in development as mentors and graduate students in their mentoring experiences.

Before joining Cornell, Gabriela was the Research Programs Coordinator at the Graduate College of University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. She led various initiatives focused on supporting the retention of graduate students while providing pathways to graduate education for minoritized undergraduate students. Dr. Vargas also provided faculty grant proposal feedback that focused on producing educational partnerships that are student-centered.

Vargas has a B.A. in Ethnic Studies and Mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.

Lori Sonken

Lori Sonken is the Communication and Program Manager for the Office of Faculty Development and Development. She develops programs for faculty and academic staff, and promotes OFDD events through various venues, including the Cornell Chronicle. Previously, she was on staff of the Cornell Center for Social Sciences and the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future. She joined Cornell in 2010 after a career working on natural resources legislation and policies while holding senior leadership positions at the House Natural Resources Committee and the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C.