ALUMNI AND DONOR EVENTS

Founder’s Dinner 2019

New York Medical College (NYMC) hosted its annual Founder’s Dinner at the Surf Club on The Sound in New Rochelle, New York, on September 18, 2019. More than 325 College supporters gathered for a festive evening to celebrate NYMC’s proud history and promising future, honor distinguished community leaders and alumni for their impactful achievements. The event raised more than $400,000 for student scholarship and other important initiatives. The gala honored: Robert A. Barish, M.D. ’79, M.B.A., with the William Cullen Bryant Award; Jean Marie Malecki, M.D. ’79, M.P.H., FACPM, with the Alfred B. DelBello Distinguished Service Award; and Ira D. Glick, M.D. ’61, with the Jackson E. Spears Award. The inaugural Distinguished Alumni Award was presented to Anton Bennett, Ph.D. ’93, who was selected for the honor by fellow alumni in the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences. A highlight of the evening was the presentation of honorary Doctor of Science degrees to Regeneron co-founders Leonard S. Schleifer, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer, and George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief scientific officer. NYMC and Regeneron, a leading science and technology company, have been collaborative partners since the company’s founding in 1988. The synergy has resulted in NYMC students and faculty gaining invaluable access and exposure to efforts in human genetics, animal model development and drug discovery and development at Regeneron, while providing Regeneron access to NYMC resources including some of the brightest minds in academic biomedical sciences. Most recently the relationship resulted in NYMC and Regeneron partnering to develop a clinical drug trial to treat critically ill patients with COVID-19 at Westchester Medical Center.

Founder’s Dinner 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic transformed the 2020 Founder’s Dinner into a virtual event where the NYMC community gathered online to demonstrate their unwavering support on October 21, 2020. Leadership, inspiration and education, were the themes of the video viewed by College supporters, while a live chat feature kept the audience engaged with each other. The event honored distinguished community leaders and alumni and paid homage to the students and faculty on the frontline of the pandemic. The virtual Founder’s Dinner raised more than $305,900 that will be used to ensure NYMC’s continued success in educating the next generation of physicians and health care providers and conducting lifesaving biomedical research. The presenting sponsors were the NYMC Board of Advisors, Boston Children’s Health Physicians and Westchester Medical Center. The 2020 Founder’s Dinner recognized Mayor of New Rochelle, Noam Bramson and former New York Yankee, Mariano Rivera and his wife Clara Younce Rivera for their leadership and support of their community, New Rochelle, once a Coronavirus hot spot. The evening also paid tribute to Lawrence A. Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D., principal deputy director of the National Institutes of Health; U.S. House Representative Nita M. Lowey; and all of the NYMC alumni and faculty members who have served or currently serve as health commissioners in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Other honors of the evening went to alumnus Ronald L. Arenson, M.D. ‘70, chair emeritus of the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, who received the William Cullen Bryant Award, established to recognize those remarkable individuals who, in the tradition of the College’s founder, William Cullen Bryant, demonstrate seminal leadership in health care, science, education, business or the arts. Tiffany E. Channer, MPH, ’13, MLS (ASCP) CM, assistant administrative director of laboratories and quality manager, received the Distinguished Alumni Award, an honor that is voted for by fellow alumni in the School of Health Sciences and Practices..

In November 2019, more than 150 School of Medicine (SOM) alumni and their guests spent a weekend reminiscing with old friends and classmates at the SOM Annual Reunion. Members of the Classes of 1959 through 2014, reunited for an evening of dining, dancing and camaraderie followed by brunch and campus tours on Sunday. Special recognition was given to the Class of 1969 as they were presented with gold diplomas to celebrate their 50th anniversary of graduating from medical school. Judith Kupersmith, M.D. ’69, and Joel Kupersmith, M.D. ’64, were presented with Alumni Association Medals of Honor for their accomplished careers and their desires to inspire as physicians, mentors and leaders.

The 2020 SOM reunions were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but alumni still had a chance to gather virtually via Zoom reunions during the month of August. Each evening, members of the Classes of 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975A, 1975B, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2010 gathered online to share their latest news and recall stories about their medical school days. “It wasn’t the same as being together, but our alumni appreciated the opportunity to see each other virtually and share their personal stories and accomplishments with their classmates,” said Tara Alfano, director of alumni relations. “We hope to see everyone in 2021.”