Life Trustee & Co-chair, The Amherst College Campaign
Since his days at the College, Schupf has given back to his alma mater without hesitation. He received the College's Medal for Eminent Service in 1991, served two terms as a trustee and was appointed a life trustee in 2005. Most significantly for the College, he steered The Amherst Campaign to resounding success: In six years the campaign raised a total of $260 million in support of the College's future development. Schupf has also served as the president of the Brooklyn Jewish Hospital and chairman of the Jewish Museum; his contributions to the City of New York include tenure as chair of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation. He has degrees in history from the College and an MBA from Harvard.
Marilynne Robinson
Novelist & Essayist
Robinson's first book, "Housekeeping," received the coveted PEN/Hemingway award for best first novel; her most recent effort, "Gilead," won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Bookended by these stunning achievements have been notable contributions to Harper's and The New York Times Book Review, as well as a stint as writer-in-residence at the College.
Joel Klein
Chancellor, New York City Department of Education
As the New York City Chancellor of Eduction, Joel Klein has deftly managed the largest public school system in America since 2002. He demonstrates an extensive background in law having served as the United States Assistant Attorney General in the Antitrust Division. When he led this division, he helped to prosecute Microsoft in its antitrust case. Before he achieved this position, Klein worked as the deputy to Assistant Attorney General Anne Bingaman and worked in a private practice. He obtained his B.A. from Columbia University and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.
J. Peter Toennies '52
Chemist & Professor of Physics
Apioneer in the development of helium droplet spectroscopy, Toennies currently teaches at the University of Göttingen. Recognition for his work has come in the form of numerous awards, including the Physics Award of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences, the Hewlett-Packard Europhysics Prize and the prestigious Stern-Geriach Gold Medal.
Cardinal Joseph Zen
Bishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong
After fleeing to Hong Kong from the ravages of the Chinese Civil War and devoting his life to the Church, Zen was appointed Bishop of Hong Kong in 2002. He has been a strong critic of Beijing's restrictive stance towards the Catholic faith.
Paul Yock '73
Co-chair, Stanford Dept. of Bioengineering
Yock is a cardiologist of international renown specializing in the innovative development of new devices, including the angioplasty system. He also directs the Center for Research in Cardiovascular Interventions and the Stanford Program for Biodesign.
Valerie Jarrett
President & CEO, The Habitat Co.
Jarrett, in her role at the head of The Habitat Company, supervises the reconstruction of Chicago's public housing system. Prior to her current duties, she has served the city of Chicago in a variety of public positions, including as chair of the Chicago Transit Board and as an aide to mayor Richard M. Daley. She currently chairs the Chicago Stock Exchange Board, and serves as a member of the University of Chicago Hospitals Board of Trustees, the Executive Council of Metropolis 2020 and the Local Initiative Support Corporation Advisory Board.
Patrick Fitzgerald '82
U.S. Attorney, Northern Dist. of Illinois
In a long and high-profile law career, Fitzgerald has successfully prosecuted the 12 perpetrators of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, been appointed national security coordinator for the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and served as chief counsel assisting prosecutions into the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Africa. More recently, he investigated Lewis "Scooter" Libby for leaking the identity of a CIA agent and lying under oath, for which Libby was convicted in 2006. Fitzgerald received his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1985.