Philanthropy

As part of For Ever Better: The Campaign for the University of Rochester, community advocates Lee Backus ’62 and Cicily Backus have made a $1 million gift to strengthen financial aid for graduate students at the Warner School. Through a combination of endowed scholarship support and a matching challenge fund, their generosity has the potential to generate up to $2 million in financial aid for future graduate students.

Alayna Leestma ’27, Claire Cho ’28, Triet Ly ’29, and Ivan Cea Gomez ’27. Not pictured: Pieran “Levi” Li ’27. This summer’s inaugural Hire Rochester undergraduates are building skills, confidence, and professional connections.

Over a career spanning more than four decades, Alexander A. Levitan ’63M (MD) earned international recognition as an oncologist, educator, and expert in clinical hypnosis. Yet those who knew him best often spoke first about his generosity—his unwavering commitment to helping others succeed, and his belief that education could change lives.

As part of For Ever Better: The Campaign for the University of Rochester, community leaders Vinod Luthra, an engineer, business developer, and founder of Barrington Residential, and Vinay Luthra ’75M (Res), a retired family medicine physician, have committed $2 million to establish an endowed professorship in urology at University of Rochester Medicine.

As part of For Ever Better: The Campaign for the University of Rochester, Thomas G. Rodenhouse ’73M (Res), a faculty member at the Medical Center, has established the Howard J. Silberstein Neurosurgery Fellowship Fund in honor of a recognized clinician, innovative researcher, and respected colleague. Rodenhouse’s $1 million endowed gift will support early- to mid-career faculty engaged in pediatric neurosurgical care and novel pediatric research at URMC.

As part of For Ever Better: The Campaign for the University of Rochester, Siddhartha “Sid” Dalal ’71 (MA), ’73S (MBA), ’76 (PhD) and his children—Nemil Dalal and Preeyel Dalal ’06—have committed more than $1 million to establish the Dalal Family Postdoctoral Fellowship in AI Ethics at the Goergen Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.

Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of its members and the community, the University of Rochester’s Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) will open its doors to all—free of charge—sometime in 2027, much sooner than anticipated.

As part of For Ever Better: The Campaign for the University of Rochester, Jack Howitt ’56, ’62 (Pdc), DDS, and Harriette Howitt have committed more than $2 million to establish an endowed professorship—the first one ever to be established at the Eastman Institute for Oral Health (EIOH).

As part of For Ever Better: The Campaign for the University of Rochester, Trustee Ria Nova ’98, a finance and investment industry executive, has committed $1 million to support scholarships and student success initiatives at the University of Rochester. The gift will provide both immediate funding and permanent support for undergraduate students.

When Dr. Donald A. Grover ’62, ’66M, ’73M (Res) returned to the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Eye Clinic in 1974 to start his career, he was taking the first steps that would shape the future of ophthalmology in Rochester. At the time, the program was small, running on dedication more than space.

The Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) is advancing its effort to make general admission permanently free, thanks to a milestone gift from Mary Ellen Burris ’68W (EdM)—a community leader, Warner School of Education and Human Development alumna, and longtime supporter of the University of Rochester.

New Hire Rochester Internship Program opens doors to paid professional experiences: Exclusively for URochester undergraduates, the program is made possible through a generous leadership gift from Trustee Judith Reinsdorf ’86.