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.
Program Areas
News
-
SUNY Expands Student Emergency Aid to All 64 Campuses
September 3, 2026
SUNY has announced the expansion of student emergency aid to all 64 campuses across New York State, supported by $600,000 in funding from the 2026–27 State Budget. The expansion builds on an emergency aid pilot launched in 2017 at seven SUNY campuses with $600,000 in grants from Gerstner Philanthropies and the Heckscher Foundation for Children. Designed to help students manage unexpected financial emergencies and remain enrolled, the program has since expanded across the SUNY system. The new state funding will ensure that students at every SUNY campus have access to emergency support when an unforeseen expense threatens to disrupt their education.
Read More at SUNY.edu
-
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Announces 2026 Cohort of Gerstner Scholars
June 11, 2026
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons has announced the 18th cohort of the Louis V. Gerstner Scholars, honoring four outstanding early-career physician scientists: Joshua Cook, MD, PhD; Brian Gill, MD; Ian Mellis, MD, PhD; and Alexander Nectow, MD, PhD. Established in 2008, the program supports investigators conducting innovative translational research to improve human health. 2023 scholar Edmond Chan recieved the 2026 Gerstner Merit Award, which provides an additional year of funding to scholars demonstrating exceptional research progress. Since its inception, the program has named 72 scholars and awarded 11 Merit Awards. Congratulations to this year’s scholars and Merit Award recipient on this recognition and their commitment to advancing biomedical discovery.
Read more at cuimc.columbia.edi
View More News
About Us
Learn more about us.
Learn More
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