News

Boca Helping Hands is increasing its capacity to fight hunger in Palm Beach County with a new delivery truck funded by Christine E. Lynn and Gerstner Philanthropies. This vital addition will enable the organization to distribute up to 5 million pounds of food annually, a significant increase from the 3.8 million pounds delivered last year. The truck will be unveiled on December 19 and will begin its service by delivering food to underserved public-school students to help bridge weekend meal gaps. Gerstner Philanthropies is proud to partner with Boca Helping Hands to expand food access for those in need.

In January 2022, American Museum of Natural History Curator Melanie Hopkins was looking through boxes of historic trilobite specimens slated to be included in the Museum’s yet-to-open Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Collections Core when she noticed something strange. “I quickly realized that not all the specimens in the boxes were the same species,” said Hopkins, who is the chair of the Museum’s Division of Paleontology. “So I started reading some of the history of this species, and it turns out that I wasn't the first to notice this.” Hopkins found that as early as 1842 and as recently as 2002, researchers around the country had questioned whether there was more than one species being catalogued under a single species name. With the help of collaborator Markus Martin, Hopkins examined the existing literature as well as new and historical fossil collections at the Museum, and found two distinct species had both been identified as Flexicalymene senaria. Their resulting study, recently published in American Museum Novitates, gives a name to the new species: Flexicalymene trentonesis, inspired by Trenton Falls, NY, close to where the fossils were found. Congratulations to the American Museum of Natural History, Melanie Hopkins, and Markus Martin for this discovery!

Gerstner Philanthropies is excited to launch the search for a Vice President of Finance. Based in our family office in Armonk, NY, the Vice President of Finance will oversee financial reporting and investment management functions for Avon Lane, LLC, which supports the Gerstner family and Gerstner Philanthropies. This role requires a strategic mindset to safeguard, manage, and grow assets while navigating the complexities of multi-generational wealth management. The ideal candidate is a proactive leader with exceptional technical expertise and a commitment to service, balancing strategic planning with hands-on execution.

As oncology becomes more technologically advanced, a growing number of institutions are offering cancer engineering programs. This year, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center welcomed its first class of PhD students in the Pat and Ian Cook Doctoral Program in Cancer Engineering. This program in the Louis V. Gerstner School of Biomedical Sciences currently has 12 doctoral scholars and is designed to give students a fundamental understanding of cancer and biomedical engineering principles. “If someone wants to be an engineer right where the big problems are and the big questions are, they should do cancer engineering at a place like Memorial Sloan Kettering,” said Daniel A. Heller, PhD, codirector of the program and the head of MSKCC’s cancer nanotechnology laboratory.

Gerstner Philanthropies proudly celebrated the ribbon cutting of the Louis V. Gerstner III Center for Students and Families at Kolbe Cathedral Preparatory School in Bridgeport, marking the completion of renovations that will strengthen Catholic education for the students of Kolbe Cathedral. Named in honor of Louis V. Gerstner III, the center will support Kolbe’s mission with upgraded classrooms, weight and exercise rooms, and a student success center. It will also be the base for Kolbe’s Marian Work Study program and the St. Joseph Parenting Center. “This center is a beacon of hope for our students, families, and their community, [Bishop Caggiano] said."