hosted a picnic on the Agriculture Quadrangle, inviting Ithaca citizens as well as the campus community. The Cornell Dairy prepared 450 gallons of its newest ice cream flavor, 24 Garrett Swirl. Later in the day, Garrett moderated a panel on democracy and inequality in Bailey Hall, bringing together eminent faculty to explore how inequality interacts with immigration, access to education and health care, job creation and economic opportunity. Tenure at Cornell University Although she served as Cornell's president for 7 months, Garrett was popular with students and actively involved in campus issues, working to ameliorate housing problems for graduate students, approving the opening of Anabel's Grocery store, rearranging administrative leadership and defending freedom of speech on campus. Several of Garrett's decisions also sparked controversy, including her reversal of President Emeritus David Skorton’s 2035 carbon neutrality goal and the January 2016 decision to form the College of Business. Many members of the Cornell community, including students, faculty and alumni, criticized Garrett’s decisions and the lack of transparency in the administration's decision-making. Garrett also emphasized the importance of supporting every Cornell constituency and often expressed her support for students and faculty. At her State of the University address on October 23, 2015, Garrett said that Cornell University "students are simply amazing." She also said that it is important to provide ample support for students so that they can both contribute to and gain from their academic experience. Special appointments In 2005, U.S. President George W. Bush appointed Garrett to serve on the nine-member bipartisan President's Advisory Panel for Federal Tax Reform. Its report was issued later in that same year. On March 30, 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama nominated Garrett to be Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy in the Department of Treasury. Garrett withdrew her nomination on May 29, 2009, citing "aspects of my personal family situation." From 2009 to 2014, she served on the California Fair Political Practices Commission. She also served as director of the USC-Caltech Center for the Study of Law and Politics. Garrett also served on the boards of the Initiative & Referendum Institute at USC and on the Internet2 Board of Directors. Death Garrett died on March 6, 2016 from colon cancer at her New York City home at the age of 52. She was the first Cornell president to die while in office. Garrett first shared her cancer diagnosis with the Cornell University