Carol Serling, an 18-year-long member of the Ithaca College Board of Trustees, died Jan. 9 at age 90.

The community learned of Serling’s death in an announcement from Ithaca College President Shirley M. Collado and Dave Lissy ’87, chair of the Ithaca College Board of Trustees. Serling was heavily involved in establishing and endowing scholarship programs at the college, many of which honored her late husband Rod Sterling. He was a former visiting professor at the college best known for writing “The Twilight Zone” series. In 1995, the college’s Alumni Association awarded her with the James J. Whalen Meritorious Service Award, which recognizes nongraduates for their contributions to the college.

She helped to endow the Rod Serling Scholarship in Communications, which is awarded to Roy H. Park School of Communications students who excel in scriptwriting. She also played a role in establishing the Rod Serling Award for Advancing Social Justice Through Popular Media, which is awarded annually to a media industry professional who focuses their work on inequality and social injustice. 

She also served as a judge for the annual Rod Serling Screenwriting Competition, which recognizes exceptional scripts in science fiction and horror genres that incorporate contemporary social issues. This year’s competition will be in dedication to her legacy.

Serling’s family said there will be no public memorial or funeral service for family privacy reasons, according to the announcement.