On April 15, the Barnard community came together at Cipriani on 42nd Street in Manhattan for the College’s Annual Gala. Co-chaired by Barnard trustees Amy Crate ’94, P’24, P’27, and Caroline Bliss Spencer ’09, this year’s sold-out event celebrated the College’s commitment to wellness, honoring two remarkable women — Helene D. Gayle ’76, M.D., MPH, and Francine A. LeFrak — and raised $3.4 million for financial aid at Barnard.
Barnard’s Annual Gala — a tradition spanning more than three decades — raises critical funds each year for financial aid. Proceeds from the event support the College’s commitment to need-blind admissions, helping to ensure that current and future generations of Barnard women continue to receive a world-class education regardless of their financial means.
With a theme centered around wellness, this year’s Gala recognized the profound impact both honorees have had on holistic wellness for women especially.
Helene D. Gayle ’76, M.D., MPH, who received her award from Barnard trustee and acclaimed talent attorney Nina Shaw ’76, is the current president of Spelman College. She was honored for her illustrious career in public health and the positive impact she continues to have on a new generation of young female scholars. Dr. Gayle thanked Barnard “for giving [her] the determination and courage to try to be a changemaker throughout [her] career.”
Dr. Gayle was previously president and CEO of the Chicago Community Trust, and for almost a decade, she was president and CEO of CARE, a leading international humanitarian organization. As a pediatrician and public health physician, she spent 20 years with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, focusing primarily on HIV/AIDS. She is a respected board member of several organizations, including the Coca-Cola Company, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Brookings Institute, as well as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, and the Council on Foreign Relations.
Barnard trustee Francine A. LeFrak was presented with her award by Barnard alumna and award-winning documentary film producer Sheila Nevins ’60. LeFrak is a dedicated social entrepreneur, women’s rights advocate, and philanthropist who was honored for her first-of-its-kind approach to wellness at Barnard, focusing on three pillars of wellness: physical, mental, and financial. “When women have the courage to take control of their finances, their mental and physical health improves, ensuring a chance for independence,” said LeFrak.
As the president of the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation and the Same Sky Foundation Fund, LeFrak has dedicated her time to working with women in Africa and formerly incarcerated women in the United States to support women’s wellness. Later this year, Barnard will open the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Center for Well-Being. This state-of-the-art facility will provide holistic support to students and the community. In addition to being a Tony, Emmy, and Peabody Award-winning producer and chair emeritus of Harvard Kennedy School’s Women’s Leadership Board, LeFrak has received the U.N. Women for Peace Award, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and the George H.W. Bush Points of Light Award, as well as election as a Chevalier to the French Legion of Honor.
“We are proud to be honoring two members of our community who have led the way in shining a light on the importance of wellness for women,” said Crate.
“Barnard is setting the standard for educating the whole woman,” added Spencer. “Together, we will continue to ensure that financial constraints never hinder any deserving young woman from receiving a Barnard education.”
President Laura Rosenbury spoke to the sold-out room of attendees and those who joined the event virtually about “Barnard’s national leadership in campus wellness.”
“Wellness isn’t just physical or mental but also financial,” said President Rosenbury. “We want Barnard to be a place where the most exceptional students in the world can come to learn and grow into changemakers, regardless of their ability to pay.”
She shared that the College has received a $10 million challenge grant from Diana T. Vagelos ’55 and P. Roy Vagelos, M.D., P&S ’54. All funds raised at the Gala scholarship auction would be matched dollar for dollar — giving participants twice the impact.
“As former scholarship recipients themselves, Diana and Roy Vagelos understand the challenge of achieving educational goals without adequate financial means,” said President Rosenbury. The Vagelos gift inspired enthusiastic support from the room, with a lead gift from Ina and Howard Drew P’13. A total of $1.9 million was raised during the auction, which was led by global thought leader, acclaimed author, and champion for women’s empowerment Lydia Fenet.
Cheryl Glicker Milstein ’82, P’14, Chair of the Barnard Board of Trustees, thanked both honorees for being a testament to what Barnard women can do in the world, calling the College a “place of hope — a place that empowers young women and everyone in [its] community.”
Watch the Gala video below.
Photography, throughout, by Madison Voelkel from BFA Photography.
