The Foundation

Contributions

The HCNY Foundation provides the opportunity for Club members to create named scholarship funds with gifts of $100,000 or more. Currently, there are two named funds: the Holland Family Endowment and the Herbert J. and Lise R. Seligmann Endowment. The Herbert J. and Lise R. Seligmann Endowment also funds an annual public policy lecture series at the Club. The inaugural lecture by Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs ’76, M.A.’78, Ph.D.’80 on November 11, 2009 was a resounding success with over three hundred members and guests in attendance. The Sixth Annual Seligmann Public Policy Lecture will feature Charles Sennott NF ’06, the vice president, editor-at-large and co-founder of GlobalPost, an international news platform based in Boston.

In addition, 2013 marked the successful launch of the Goodman Lecture Series on Media and Global Affairs with the legendary Dan Rather as the inaugural speaker. This series was made possible by the generosity from longtime member George J.W. “Jerry” Goodman ’52 who sadly passed away in January 2014. As an extension of his distinguished career as an author, an award winning PBS television host, and an economist, Mr. Goodman endowed an exceedingly generous gift to support a special lecture series with a focus on various aspects of media, including social media, and their implications in the world today.

The Foundation works closely with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid to identify funding needs. Each spring, the Board of Directors also reviews graduate school funding proposals to support specific educational initiatives that have a measurable impact on the New York City community. Club members are invited to participate in the Foundation’s activities and efforts. Please contact the Foundation’s President, Martin Smit, at foundation@hcny.com, if you have questions or if additional information would be helpful in considering your level of support for the Foundation and its work.

Foundation Scholars

Since 1954, Club members have been providing financial aid assistance to undergraduates; enabling extraordinary men and women to achieve their goal of a Harvard education. The following is an introduction of the undergraduate Scholars from the Class of 2018.

Harvard College Class of 2017

Tasnim Ahmed, of Fresh Meadows and Stuyvesant High School
Tafari John-King, of Brooklyn and Medger Evers College Preparatory School
Ina Kodra, of Astoria and St. John’s Preparatory School
Sama Mammadova, of Brooklyn and Brooklyn College Academy
Kamara Swaby, of Brooklyn and Brooklyn Technical High School

Harvard College Class of 2016

Fatma Akcay of Staten Island and Curtis High School
Neil Alacha of Rockaway Park, Queens and Brooklyn Technical High School
Adela Kim of New York City and the Horace Mann School
Margarita Kostova of Brooklyn and Stuyvesant High School
Jazly Liriano of Manhattan and Frederick Douglass Academy

Harvard College Class of 2015

Rosa Huang of Queens and Stuyvesant High School
Theo McKenzie of Manhattan and the Saint Ann’s School
Stella Fiorenzoli of Manhattan and Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art
Wahaj Chaudhry of Brooklyn and Brooklyn Technical High School
Marina Molarsky-Beck of Manhattan and Bard High School Early College

Harvard College Class of 2014

Jonathan Alvarez-Gutierrz of New York, NY and Collegiate High School
Paul Handorff of Brooklyn, NY and Hunter College High School
Elizabeth Matamooros of Bellerose, NY and St. Francis Preparatory
Asmaa Rimawi of Brooklyn, NY and Al Noor School
June Shepard of New York, NY and Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music, Art and Performing Arts

Harvard College Class of 2013

Michael Ardeljan, Howard Beach, NY and Stuyvesant High School
Gillian Farrell, Port Washington, NY and Marymount School
Keir GoGwilt, New York, NY and Stuyvesant High School
Thomas Hwang, Bronx, NY and Horace Mann School
Katherine Olaskiewicz, Staten Island and St. Joseph Academy

Current Activity & New Directions

The Foundation also provides $8,000 annually to two summer fellowships ($4,000 each) to undergraduates interested in pursuing New York City based community service opportunities through Harvard College’s Center for Public Interest Careers. This summer, two undergraduate students, Kieley O’Connor-Chapman ’14, was able to conduct research at the Pulmonary Function Lab at the Mount Sinai Medical Center, and Michelle Suh ’14, held a fellowship at Achievement First, a network of NYC charter schools, as result of financial support from the Foundation.

In addition to undergraduate financial support, the Foundation has continued to award grants to the various graduate Schools for programs that focus on New York City-based initiatives or endeavors. This year, the Foundation elected to subsidize a $20,000 grant to the Graduate School of Design, and specifically to Dr. Joyce Klein Rosenthal and her graduate and undergraduate students for a fieldwork course on disaster planning in the New York City associated with Hurricane Sandy. Their work examined ways to create a more resilient city through hazard mitigation efforts and post-disaster recovery in planning and design. In June, Dr. Rosenthal and six of her students came to speak to members about their critical research. As an extension of this grant to the Graduate School of Design, an additional $5,000 grant was directed to Trevor Johnson GSD ’14 for him to continue his community service project this summer. Having participated in Dr. Rosenthal’s fieldwork course, Mr. Johnson’s fellowship will be at NYC’s Department of City Planning, Waterfront & Open Space Division. His work will focus on the vulnerability of historic resources to coastal climate change, case studies of strategic retreat from flood zones, and mitigation measures for maritime industrial sites.

The Foundation also allocated $50,000 this year to the Kennedy School of Government for the ongoing support of the New York City First Responders Public Service fellowship. This year funding was earmarked for the tuition cost of a mid-career professional development program for NYPD Captain John Hall to attend this summer through 2014. The Foundation has previously funded three fellowships for New York City Police Sergeant Lauren Foster K ’14, Captain Tim Malin K ’10, Assistant Commissioner Ron Wilhelmy K ’11, and Assistant Commissioner Jon Murad ’95, K ’13 to attend the Kennedy School’s mid-career professional development program for first responders. To recognize these grants, the Kennedy School Dean David T. Ellwood ’75, Ph.D. ’81 made a presentation to the board in February about the importance of this graduate funding. In the past, graduate students from the Law School, School of Education, School of Public Health, the Office of International Programs, and the Divinity School have received Foundation grants.

The Team

The Foundation gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Club Members without whom its mission would not be realized:

President: Martin G. Smit GMP ’11
Vice-President: Louisa Holland ’80
Secretary: Erica A. Sheftman ’12
Treasurer: David A. Battat ’91

Board Members:
Michael Ardeljan ’13
Jonathan T. Davis ’75
Gillian T. Farrell ’13
Oliver B. Libby ’03
Atoosa P. Mamdani ’82, M ’91
Elizabeth Matamoros ’14
Jonathan C.W. Murad ’95, K ’13
Lea Paine-Highet ’88
Samantha Boardman Rosen ’94
R. Scott Spielvogal ’95
Ronald J. Wilhelmy K ’11