Prominent Leaders Celebrated at IIE Centennial Gala: Lipton, Langone, and Silverstein Featured Speakers
NEW YORK, NY – Oct. 31, 2019 – Hundreds of leaders in business, philanthropy, government, and higher education gathered for a memorable evening at The Pierre New York on Wednesday, Oct. 30 for the Institute of International Education’s Centennial Gala.
Martin Lipton was honored with the IIE Stephen P. Duggan Award for Mutual Understanding in recognition of his lifetime of extraordinary achievement and his lasting contribution to international higher education. During Lipton’s tenure as chairman of the New York University board of trustees, he led the effort that made NYU the first global network university.
“I am honored to receive the Duggan Award from IIE,” Lipton said. “I hope it will inspire others to place a high value on the international exchange of ideas.”
Lipton continues to serve on the boards of NYU, NYU Law, and NYU Langone Health; and he is trustee and chairman emeritus of Prep for Prep. He is a founding partner of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, specializing in advising major corporations on mergers and acquisitions and matters affecting corporate policy and strategy. Lipton also has acted as special counsel to the United States Department of Energy.
“I don’t think any university anywhere could point to a chair who has done more for it than Marty Lipton has done for NYU,” John Sexton, president emeritus of NYU, said. “He charted a course that took our university from being a regional university to a respected global research university that is admired far and wide for its drive, momentum, and accomplishments.”
Lipton was later joined onstage by Ken Langone and Larry Silverstein for a conversation moderated by two-time Emmy winning journalist and business news anchor Maria Bartiromo. Langone is a co-founder of The Home Depot and the founder and chief executive officer of Invemed Associates LLC. Silverstein is the chairman of Silverstein Properties, Inc. and has been a leader in the redevelopment of the World Trade Center after 9/11.
The panel discussion covered a wide range of issues, including the impact that international educational experiences have on the workforce and businesses, the process of the international transformation of NYU, and the current state of the business world and global economy.
In celebration of IIE’s 100th anniversary, the winners of the newly launched IIE Centennial Fellowships were announced. Funded by private contributions including an endowment named in memory of former IIE Trustee Rodman C. Rockefeller, the IIE Centennial Fellowships honor IIE’s long association with the Fulbright Program. Created in 1946, the Fulbright Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and administered by IIE and other implementing partners. Each year, this prestigious fellowship competition at IIE will be open to all Fulbright Program alumni. Winning projects will highlight the values of mutual understanding, leadership, and impact and will be designed to help solve the world’s most pressing problems.
“Education is the best thing we’ve ever invented to try to solve humanity’s problems and assure its future,” said IIE President and CEO Allan E. Goodman.
Marie Royce, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, spoke about ECA’s mission to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives through educational, professional, cultural, and sports exchanges that promote mutual understanding between the people of the United States and people of other nations.
“Our programs send over 300,000 people overseas annually, playing a key role in shaping America’s public diplomacy efforts, and helping strengthen relationships around the world.”
Ms. Royce, a former university professor and businesswoman, has over 30 years of experience in the private sector. Before joining the State Department, she held senior management positions at Marriott International, Alcatel-Lucent, and Procter & Gamble, among others.
As part of IIE’s 100th anniversary year, the organization was featured in an episode of the PBS series Treasures of New York. The documentary tells the story of IIE’s impact from 1919 to the present and may be viewed on the series’ website: thirteen.org/treasures
The IIE Centennial Gala raised funds to support IIE’s efforts to prepare the next generation of leaders, widen access to higher education, and serve as a lifeline to imperiled students and scholars around the world.
The gala was underwritten by the Angelson Family Foundation. Serving as co-chairs for the event were: Calvin G. Butler, Jr.; Barbara M. Byrne; Martha M. Farkouh; Colleen Goggins; Peter M. Gottsegen; Jack M. Greenberg; Vartan Gregorian; Ruth Hinerfeld; Thomas S. Johnson; Henry Kaufman; Laya Khadjavi; Laurence C. Morse; Hartley Rogers; Thomas A. Russo; John Sexton; HRH Princess Ghida Talal; and Linda Vester.
About IIE:
The Institute of International Education, established in 1919, is focused on utilizing education to promote peace and mutual understanding in today’s interconnected world. IIE develops and manages more than 200 international education and cultural exchange programs with participants from more than 180 countries. To learn more, visit iie.org.
Media Inquiries
For information regarding the gala, please contact Ali Sirota at (914) 325-1813 ali@sirotapr.com
For general media inquiries, please contact the Press Office at press@iie.org