Committee - Scholarships - Graduate
Mission
The Graduate Scholarship Program promotes the FWA’s mission of advancing professionalism and developing future leaders by supporting graduate business education for women at six NYC-metro schools: MBA candidates at Baruch, Columbia, Fordham, Stern (NYU) and Pace; and an MIA candidate specializing in Microfinance at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). Scholars are selected by the schools according to the FWA criterion of academic achievement and demonstrated leadership predictive of continued involvement in the FWA. Financial need is also a factor. |
Overview
Oversees the funding of scholarships at the graduate level at five New York City-based MBA programs and in microfinance at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). The BMO Capital Markets-funded scholarships at Baruch College are awarded to juniors on the basis of academic promise and financial need. The scholarships are renewable in the senior year to those receipients who continue to meet the criteria. Recipients of graduate scholarships and BMO scholarships are selected by the schools.
Meeting Schedule
Meeting frequency is based on the projects underway. Most committee work is handled via email and telephone.
If interested please contact Susan K. Becker at skbecker@beckerconsultingsvcs.com.
Accomplishments/Highlights
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• Celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the FWA Graduate Scholarship Program (Apr 2008) with an invitation-only cocktail reception hosted by KPMG LLP at its Heritage Center. The significant achievement resulting from the FWA’s ongoing commitment to the Graduate Scholarship Program is summarized in the tagline of the Anniversary Program: “A quarter-century of investment in graduate business education for women, more than $500,000 to 123 women… and still going strong!” The success and significance of the Program were vividly clear in brief remarks from Allison Reid (1995-96 Fordham scholar) and Jennifer S. Heard (2004-2005 Stern scholar), who spoke about impact of the award on their careers and the enduring value of being part of “the FWA network.” |
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Honored Graduate Scholars in monthly Profiles published in FWA Connections and documented the development of the Program in the Anniversary booklet written to commemorate this milestone. |
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Strengthened the FWA’s relationships with the six schools where FWA Graduate Scholarships currently are funded. The Anniversary celebration also promoted the Committee’s ongoing objective of enhancing the FWA’s presence on campus, because approximately half the guests were current scholars, student leaders and administrators at the schools. The FWA Liaisons (listed below) are the point people responsible for bringing the FWA to campus. This year the scope of the Liaison function was broadened to include the first Alumni Liaison, to Stern. |
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Compiled the first electronic database of graduate scholars, which will facilitate ongoing communication with scholarship recipients. Invitations to the 25th Anniversary resulted in several new connections with former scholars around the country who could not attend but were delighted to resume contact with the FWA. Sylvia Lee, the 2000-2001 Wharton scholar, lives in Ohio and sent a message of thanks, so she could “be part of the celebration in spirit.” The Anniversary also attracted several former scholars in the NYC-metro area who re-connected with the FWA at the event. |
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Enhanced the value of the Scholarship by proposing the Attendance Fee Waiver Policy, which the Executive Committee approved shortly before the start of Spring semester. The Policy, which gives scholars complimentary admission to up to five FWA events during their award year, is designed to enable each scholar to customize her Scholarship year according to her own interests. It is also intended to begin her ongoing connection to the FWA through attendance at events described in Connections, which all scholars now receive. |
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Continued to support the FWA “pipeline” of potential new members through Committee involvement in campus events. Liaisons recruited speakers for the annual Fordham Women in Business Conference (Lily Klebanoff Blake gave the Keynote address, and Lindsay H. Starr served on the panel “Turning Your Passion into Success”) and the annual Stern Women in Business (SWIB) Conference (Roundtables were led by Lily and FWA members Jennifer S. Heard, Katleen Felix, and Mary Ann Grossman). The Graduate Scholarships Chair recruited new FWA member Francine Lynch for a panel on career switching after the MBA, which was the Spring Program of SWIB-Langone (Stern’s part-time MBA Program for full-time professionals). SIPA Co-Liaison Ann J. Miles served on a panel on Microfinance at SIPA. |
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Revised the “Invest in Yourself“ handout as a recruiting brochure that was included in the Conference bags for the “Fordham Women in Business” and “Stern Women in Business” Conferences and is distributed at every campus event involving the Graduate Scholarship Committee. |
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Assisted other FWA committees in their objectives, principally the Emerging Leaders Committee (outreach to potential new members through analysis of past scholars’ involvement in the FWA) and the Microfinance Committee (facilitated communication of activities of the FWA Microfinance Initiative to the Microfinance Working Group at SIPA). |
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Held the fifth annual Welcome Dinner for current Graduate Scholarship recipients to meet one another, the Liaisons to their schools, former Scholars, and FWA members and Board members associated with the Graduate Scholarship Program. |
Scholarship winners from several cohorts and campuses at the reception dinner held November 2007.
(l-r): Schools currently funded, represented by their 2007-2008 FWA Graduate Scholars, photographed at their Welcome Dinner last fall (left to right): Baruch, CUNY (Timea M. Wenhardt), Pace (Kerrie Tarbell), Columbia SIPA (Sarah Kleiner), Columbia BS (Connie Lee), Stern NYU (Shawna Hanley). Fordham scholar (Eliza S. Creedon) was attending a conference.
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Special Thanks
Many thanks to KPMG LLP, for generously hosting the 25th Anniversary Celebration at its Heritage Center.
At the schools where Graduate Scholarships are funded:
Baruch, CUNY: Donna Haggarty, Director of Strategic Partnerships;
Columbia Business School: Rebekkah L. Brown, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, and James Deasy, Associate Director of Foundation Relations;
Columbia School of International and Public Affairs: Melissa Poueymirou, Director of Development;
Fordham Business School: Cynthia Perez, Director of Admissions, and Robert I. Smith, Jr., Senior Director of Development for Stewardship;
Stern School of Business, NYU: Elena Piercy, Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations;
Lubin School of Business, Pace: Janice Hilbrink, Assistant Director, Endowed/External Scholarships.
Participating Committee Members
Graduate Scholarship Liaisons
Mary Tanaskovic Bitting, Alumni Liaison to Stern;
Carol K. Gorelick, Liaison to Pace;
Mary Ann Grossman, Co-Liaison to SIPA;
Vivian K. Holzer, Co-Liaison to Columbia Business School;
Ann J. Miles, Co-Liaison to SIPA;
Allison H. Reid, Liaison to Baruch;
Leslie D. Toepfer, Scholarship Liaison to Stern;
Ellen D. Walsh, Co-Liaison to Columbia Business School.
25th Anniversary Committee
Bessemer Trust Company and Ellen D. Walsh. |