Bernard Baruch Dinner Raises More Than $1 Million for Baruch College Fund

Michael I Roth, Willem Kooyker, and Judith-Ann Corrente honored at the 29th annual event

April 27, 2018

The 29th annual Bernard Baruch Dinner, held on April 25 at the Intercontinental New York Barclay Hotel, raised more than $1 million for the third consecutive year for the Baruch College Fund. Proceeds from the 2018 event will help students by providing grants and scholarships, offering career services, subsidizing professors with the necessary tools to perform in the classroom, improving College facilities, upgrading technology, and expanding the campus.

“When I came to Baruch eight years ago, in 2010, the term ‘social mobility’ wasn’t in wide use in the lexicon. But even without it, we shared a goal and vision for Baruch—and that was to build on the College’s legacy as a gateway for economic opportunity for all of our students,” said Baruch College President Mitchel B. Wallerstein, PhD. “With great thanks to the enduring support of the Baruch College Fund, Baruch is now a national model for ‘moving students from the bottom 40 percent of household incomes to the top 40 percent.’”

Sandy Kenyon, an entertainment reporter and movie critic for Channel 7 Eyewitness News, served as host for the dinner, which drew more than 400 people. Baruch’s Blue Notes, an all-student acapella group, entertained with a special performance.

Bernard Baruch Dinner Honorees

Three people were honored at the 2018 Bernard Baruch Dinner for their professional achievements and community service. Michael I Roth (’67) was presented with the Bernard Baruch Award for Business and Civic Leadership, while Willem Kooyker (’71) and his wife, Judith-Ann Corrente, were recipients of the Newman Medal for Philanthropy.

Roth is chairman and chief executive officer of Interpublic, one of the world’s largest organizations of advertising and marketing services companies. Roth is the only Baruch alumnus who currently is the head of a Fortune 500 company.

Currently, Roth sits on the leadership committee of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the board of directors of the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy, and The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. Roth is also a member of the Business Roundtable and New York-Presbyterian Hospital’s Heart Steering Committee.

In addition, he is a Trustee of the Baruch College Fund and The Partnership for New York City.

Kooyker is founder and chairman of Blenheim Capital Management, LLC, an independent fund-management company. His professional career spans more than 50 years as a prominent participant in international financial and commodities markets.

Corrente is president of the Monteforte Foundation, Inc., a funder of educational, cultural, and civic projects. She is also president and chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Opera and a trustee of the Lang International Music Foundation.

At Baruch, Kooyker and Corrente have established the Willem Kooyker Deanship of the Zicklin School of Business; the Zicklin Faculty Fund; and the Global Leadership Program within the Zicklin School, which includes a matching component to leverage even more support.

Separate Appeal to Raise Money for Students

During the dinner, a special appeal was made to support Baruch College’s Student Emergency Fund (SEF), which provides critical support for students with short-term financial emergencies, keeping them in school and on track for graduation.

The SEF at Baruch College was created and sustained by the Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation. Its mission is to serve as a financial safety net for students during times of urgent need, such as temporary job loss, escalating medical bills, homelessness, food insecurity, and rising transportation costs. Since its inception in 2011, the SEF has helped more than 500 students.

“As you know, many of our students and their families live at or below the poverty line, and many come from challenging home situations where one or both parents may be absent or unemployed,” Wallerstein said. “Since 2011, we have been fortunate to have the Student Emergency Fund as a back-up resource for students in dire need.”

According to President Wallerstein, the goal of the SEF is simple: To keep students in school, engaged, and on track to graduate, preferably in four years.

Wallerstein added, “Everyone in this room plays a crucial role in helping us do that, and I thank you for your commitment to Baruch.”

For those interested in contributing to the Baruch College Fund, visit here.

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