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Cornell honors Ratan Tata with namesake award
Faculty, students, staff, and invited guests gathered to commemorate the life and influence of the late industrialist and philanthropist.
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Bhavana P - Fri, 25, Apr 2025
- 13:48 EDT
- 70
The evening's speakers (from left): Neema Kudva, City and Regional Planning Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; Billie Tsien, AIA; J. Meejin Yoon, Gale and Ira Drukier Dean of The College of Architecture, Art, and Planning; Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons; Michael I. Kotlikoff, President of Cornell University; and Jose Castillo, Professor and Chair of the Department of Architecture. / Anson Wigner / AAP
Cornell University posthumously honored Ratan N. Tata with the inaugural Distinguished Alumni Award established in his namesake during a ceremony last week.
The Ratan N. Tata Distinguished Alumni Award, established by Cornell’s College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP) was named in Tata’s honor prior to his passing in 2024. It recognizes alumni whose contributions mirror Tata’s legacy of global impact and philanthropy.
Also read: Cornell establishes Ratan N. Tata distinguished alumni award
Tata, who earned a degree in architecture from Cornell in 1962, was celebrated as the first recipient of the award. “There are few individuals whose lives and impact can truly be called transformative. Ratan Tata was one,” Cornell president Michael I. Kotlikoff noted during the ceremony, highlighting Tata’s philanthropic initiatives in education, health, research, and infrastructure, noting his deep ties to the university.
Tata served as a Cornell trustee and was the longest-serving member of AAP’s advisory council. He was also the university’s largest international donor, supporting scholarships, technological innovation, and global research.
Initially enrolling at Cornell’s College of Engineering in 1955, he later transferred to AAP and graduated with a degree in architecture. After briefly working in Los Angeles, he returned to India, where he joined Tata Sons, leading the family conglomerate to unprecedented growth during his tenure as chairman from 1991 to 2012.
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