Rebecca Hann named VP for budget and planning

L. Rebecca Hann has been named vice president for budget and planning, effective Jan. 16. Her appointment was approved Jan. 12 by the Executive Committee of the Cornell Board of Trustees.

Hann has been serving as interim vice president for budget and planning since June 1, 2025, succeeding Laura Syer. Previously, Hann was associate dean for administration and finance at the ILR School.

"Rebecca brings strong experience and skills to this critical role, both from her work at the ILR School and her leadership as interim vice president," said Provost Kavita Bala. "She has the knowledge and insight to plan and budget for financial resilience that will support strategic priorities for Cornell's future."

As vice president for budget and planning, Hann's duties include managing the university's resources and leading the annual budgeting process of the Ithaca, Cornell Tech and Cornell AgriTech campuses, as well as helping to coordinate budgeting and planning with Weill Cornell Medicine leaders. She also leads institutional research and capital planning efforts.

"Rebecca's experience, knowledge and commitment will be instrumental in developing budgets, as well as implementing the necessary structural changes to ensure that the Ithaca campus has a financially and strategically balanced budget," said Christopher J. Cowen, executive vice president and chief financial officer. "Her teamwork will be critical in helping us strengthen the One Cornell initiatives already underway."

Hann joined the ILR School in 2022. There, she led and managed administrative functions pertaining to the school's budget and finance, information technologies, human resources and facilities. She also directed the school's operating and capital budgets, research funding, sponsored projects and risk management.

Before coming to Cornell, Hann served as assistant director and then associate director of budget and planning at Syracuse University.

"I have loved the opportunity to do this work as interim vice president for six months," Hann said. "It's a great vote of confidence and it's validating that the work we are doing is making a difference and aligning with the vision of the university's leadership."

A major focus for Hann is the Resilient Cornell initiative, which aims to achieve immediate cost reductions through reimagining universitywide operations, reducing spending across all campuses, and exploring greater efficiencies by avoiding duplication of work.

"Right now, we're working on what the university will look like after Resilient Cornell and how to implement those changes with the least disruptions possible," she said.

She is also working with Bala and the Committee on the Future of the American University, with an eye toward maintaining the university's core mission while allocating resources more efficiently and investing appropriately, to help Cornell adapt to serve future generations.

Other significant projects on Hann's docket include working with leaders to implement the Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative(CEMI) to modernize workflows, provide better tools and enable smarter, data-driven decisions. "I think CEMI is going to position us to be able to take better advantage of technology and become more efficient in our administrative roles," Hann said. Incorporating artificial intelligence in processes will be key, she said.

Hann received a bachelor's degree in economics from Brigham Young University in 2000; a master's degree, also in economics, from Syracuse University in 2001; and a doctorate in educational policy and leadership from the University at Albany in 2023.