PHOTO CREDIT: Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School
PHOTO CREDIT: Jamaal Dozier (via Good Shepherd Services)
Gerstner Philanthropies focuses on biomedical research, educational opportunities, environmental sustainability, and assistance for people who have suffered a temporary setback and could use a “helping hand” to restore their equilibrium.
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MSK Honors Graduates at 2026 Convocation and GSK Commencement
May 18, 2026
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center held its Academic Convocation and Commencement on May 13, 2026, celebrating new graduates and award winners. This year, 15 students earned doctoral degrees from the Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSK), alongside graduates from MSK’s clinical and translational research programs. During the ceremony, MSK leaders also honored our late Chairman Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., for his role in establishing GSK. “Over nearly four decades of service as a trustee on the MSK boards, Lou helped shape our long-term vision, demonstrating how sustained leadership and philanthropy can advance science, educate future leaders, and bring an institution closer to its goals of ending cancer for life,” said President and CEO Dr. Selwyn Vickers. “Today, [GSK] continues to embody his conviction that scientific excellence is strengthened by a deep commitment to the people behind it.” Congratulations to the 2026 graduates on their achievements.
Read more at MSKCC.org
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Bioengineering a world beyond plastics: Spotlight on SPEEDR
April 27, 2026
At the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Dr. Peter Nguyen and his team are advancing SPEEDR, an innovative approach to building circularity into plastic life cycles. SPEEDR focuses on engineering microbes that can both degrade commonly used PET plastics and convert the resulting materials into PHB, a fully compostable bioplastic. Using a machine learning-guided enzyme engineering approach rooted in synthetic biology, the team is developing a system in which plastics can be repeatedly broken down and rebuilt. The Wyss Institute recently spotlighted this work, underscoring its potential to create a novel circular plastic lifecycle. Gerstner Philanthropies’ support of Dr. Nguyen’s research reflects our commitment to advancing scalable, science-driven solutions to address plastic pollution.
Read more at wyss.harvard.edu
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Reflections on Helping Hands
Lou Gerstner shares the origin of and his vision for the emergency grants program, lessons learned over the past decade, and his belief in the critical importance of the work.
Watch the video