Fund Established to Honor Mathios

Susan Deitz Milmoe ’71 has established the Mathios Fund for Cross-College Collaboration to honor the contributions of Alan Mathios, the outgoing Rebecca Q. and James C. Morgan Dean of the College of Human Ecology.

The fund will support interdisciplinary work between the College of Human Ecology and other colleges within Cornell.    

Milmoe first met Mathios when she was asked to serve on the Dean’s Advisory Council. “Alan is a leader, a statesman, a collaborator, a visionary and a friend,” she says. “I admire his ability to dissolve barriers and unite disparate factions in order to realize valuable synergies. Among his many accomplishments, I’m most inspired by his cross-college-collaboration efforts.”

Milmoe worked in the apparel industry for decades, most recently as the vice president of merchandising and strategic planning for Royce Hosiery Mills. Since her elementary school years, Milmoe wanted to work with clothing. She began sewing lessons at age seven and attended classes at a design school in New York City at 13. She earned a bachelor’s degree in textile and clothing design from the College of Human Ecology just two years after the university changed its name from the College of Home Economics. Milmoe also holds an MBA from New York University.    

“As Alan neared the end of his last term as dean, and I near my 50th reunion, I wanted to show my appreciation for all he has done to define the mission and elevate the reputation of the College both on campus and around the world,” Milmoe says.

Milmoe is a member of the President’s Council of Cornell Women and has served on the Cornell University Council, Cornell University Committee on Alumni Trustee Nominations, Cornell Adult University Board, and Human Ecology Alumni Association Board.