Steve Marschner, Ph.D. '98, professor of computer science, has been named the next associate dean for research for the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, starting Nov. 1. Marschner succeeds Nate Foster, professor of computer science, who has held the position since November 2024.
"With Steve’s research excellence, deep ties to Cornell and experience in fostering collaborations, I am certain he will excel in this new leadership role," said Thorsten Joachims, the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Computer Science and Information Science, and interim dean of Cornell Bowers.
In this role, Marschner will support existing centers and corporate partnerships across the college and develop new research initiatives. He will also advance larger, university-wide collaborations in partnership with the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation (OVPRI), facilitate large-scale research grants for the college, and elevate the college’s innovative research and mission to inform federal, corporate, and nonprofit audiences.
Marschner will also continue his research and teaching courses in computer graphics and vision. Previously, he served as the director of graduate studies for the Field of Computer Science.
Marschner earned his Ph.D. at Cornell in computer science in 1998, and after appointments at Hewlett Packard Laboratories, Microsoft Research and Stanford University, he returned to Cornell as an assistant professor in 2002. He has also served as a guest professor at ETH Zürich and serves as a distinguished graphics researcher at NVIDIA Research. He is an ACM Fellow and a member of the SIGGRAPH Academy and has received several awards for his work, including the SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics Achievement Award, a Sloan Research Fellowship, an NSF CAREER Award and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Technical Achievement Award.
Foster, who currently serves as associate dean for research, had also served in an interim capacity during the 2022–2023 academic year. “Nate has brought outstanding vision, energy and integrity to this role, which has strengthened our research mission,” said Joachims.
Throughout his tenure, Foster significantly expanded the college’s strategic partnerships, led several major research development initiatives and enhanced its reputation for innovative and pioneering scholarship.