This year, the NYU Alumni Association will honor four esteemed alumni.
The honorees include Raymond Lohier, alumnus of NYU School of Law class of 1991; Charlotte Frank, alumna of Steinhardt School of Education, Culture and Human Development class of 2000; Jane Rosenthal, alumna of Gallatin School of Individualized Study class of 1977; and Lauren Burke, alumna of School of Law class of 2009.
The NYU Alumni Association, an organization that aims to build lifelong relationships between NYU and its alumni, offers prestigious awards each year.
According to Stefani Landsman, assistant director of alumni affinity programs, the NYU Alumni Association has an awards committee comprised of approximately 20 alumni from across NYU’s schools and colleges who are responsible for selecting the award recipients. The committee chooses recipients based on nominations made from the NYU community.
Lohier was awarded the Eugene J. Keogh Award for Distinguished Public Service for his demonstration of outstanding public service in his profession. Lohier is a judge in the United States Court of Appeals, second circuit, a position he was nominated by President Obama in 2010. Lohier is also a leader in civil rights and diversity initiatives.
Burke was awarded the Distinguished Young Alumna Award for her outstanding achievement in her professional life, and for enhancing the lives of others through her leadership. This award is reserved for those younger than 35 at the time of the nomination. Burke is executive director and co-founder of Atlas DIY, a youth empowerment center. She is also a supervising staff attorney at New York Asian Women’s Center and a professor at Brooklyn Law School. She has worked toward empowering immigrants and has written on immigrant and youth issue in law journals.
According to NYU Law senior Christina Chen, a former intern for Burke at The Door and New York Asian Women’s Center, the award is well deserved.
“Despite her demanding schedule, Lauren made considerable effort to sharpen my legal writing skills, supervise client interviews, which I led, and hone my oral advocacy skills in family court,” Chen said. “She led by example every day, and instilled in me a lifelong dedication to public interest and pro bono work.”
Richard Revesz, dean of NYU School of Law, said that both Lohier and Burke brought honor to the law school.
“I am enormously proud that two of this year’s NYU Alumni Awards honorees are graduates of the Law School,” Revesz said. “Judge Lohier and Lauren Burke earned their [Juris Doctors] nearly two decades apart, but they both exemplify NYU Law’s longstanding commitment to public service.”
Dr. Frank and Rosenthal were awarded the Distinguished Alumna Award. Rosenthal is a leading film producer who co-founded the Tribeca Film Festival and Tribeca Enterprises. She also belongs to the Tisch Dean’s Council.
Frank, senior vice president of McGraw-Hill Education, has received over 70 awards for her achievements in education. Prior to taking her current position, she worked as executive director of the Division of Curriculum and Instruction for New York City Public Schools. Her work focuses on enabling schools to meet the needs of the 21st century workforce.
Mary Brabeck, the Gale and Ira Drukier dean of the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, described Frank as an exemplary graduate.
“We are thrilled that Dr. Frank is being honored by the NYU Alumni Association as a Distinguished Alumna,” Brabeck said. “She is a role model in her steadfast commitment to improving public education, and she has generously supported the Steinhardt School as a member of our Dean’s Council. We are indebted to her for her leadership.”
The awards will be presented at a luncheon at the Hilton New York on April 10.
Neela Qadir is a University Deputy Editor. Email her at [email protected].