Our NYU: December 2022
A Note from President Hamilton
We’ve almost made it! December typically feels like a short month as we race to wrap up projects and prepare for finals before the long-awaited break.
This year Jennie and I were thrilled to participate in a happy holiday tradition—the annual Administrative Management Council’s Toy Drive, which benefits organizations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. This year donations helped the Herbert G. Birch Manhattan Early Childhood Center, serving youths with autism and other special needs, as well as children at the Flagstone Family Center, which provides services to 160 homeless families in Brooklyn.
The generosity of our community never ceases to impress me—NYUers donated more than 1,000 toys and books, both online and at collection sites across our New York campus. For our athletics teams, community service goes hand in hand with their competition and schoolwork, and the baseball team partnered with the AMC and set up a collection bin so their athletes could donate to the drive at the Varsity Performance Center. Jennie and I recently paid a visit there to drop off our own contribution—while the baseball team and women’s softball team were working out (complete with holiday sweaters!). We had last dropped by during the Toy Drive in 2019, so it was truly wonderful to resume a tradition we had started before the pandemic to gather in person—and help make sure that New York City children receive gifts at the holidays.
Another joyous moment this month was the dedication of the wonderful new facility we have built on Mercer Street as the John A. Paulson Center, in recognition of an extraordinary $100 million gift from John Paulson, an alumnus (Stern ’78), former trustee, and long-time philanthropic supporter of the arts, New York City, and education. It was a wonderful event, and we are very grateful to John for his generosity.
Next semester, we will all be able to enjoy the remarkable new complex and all it has to offer—much-needed academic classrooms, performance spaces, athletic facilities, and housing. It will be a vital part of campus life, and I look forward to seeing you there.
Our guest of honor, John Paulson, with a triptych featuring facade details of the new building.
And the ribbon is cut! With NYU Steinhardt Dean Jack Knott, President Emeritus John Sexton, John Paulson, Board Chair William Berkley, former Mayor Bill de Blasio, and Interim Provost Gigi Dopico.
As we wind down this year and look forward to the break, I hope you have a chance to rest and spend time with your loved ones.
