2009 ALUMNI AWARDS HONOREES

Distinguished Alumni Awards

MARIA BARTIROMO (WSC '89)

Financial journalist Maria Bartiromo is the Anchor of CNBC’s Closing Bell with Maria Bartiromo and Host and Managing Editor of the nationally syndicated Wall Street Journal Report with Maria Bartiromo, which was recently rated the most watched financial news program in America. It appears on over 200 stations each week. Bartiromo also writes a weekly column in BusinessWeek magazine and Milano Finanza.

After graduating from NYU in 1989, Bartiromo worked as a producer and assignment editor with CNN Business News before joining CNBC in 1993. In 1995, she became the first journalist to report live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on a daily basis, where she covered breaking news for the network's unscripted and fast-paced business morning program, Squawk Box. She reported from the NYSE for 10 years. In 2001, her book Use the News: How to Separate the Noise from the Investment Nuggets and Make Money in Any Economy made the bestseller lists of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today.

During her illustrious career, Bartiromo has been honored with The Union League of Philadelphia’s prestigious Lincoln Statue Award and the Coalition of Italo-American Associations’ Excellence in Broadcast Journalism Award. She has been nominated for a CableACE Award, as well as a Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism for her piece on the widows of September 11. In 2008, she received a Gracie Award for Outstanding Documentary for her work Greenspan: Power, Money & the American Dream.

In addition to her dedication to her alma mater as a frequent guest on campus and a member of the New York University Board of Trustees, Bartiromo is also deeply committed to New York City. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Girl Scout Council of Greater New York and PENCIL (Public Education Needs Civic Involvement and Leadership), a non-profit group focusing on improving New York high schools. She is a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She also is a member of The Wharton Leadership Advisory Board and the Columbus Citizens Foundation.

ABRAHAM H. FOXMAN (LAW '65)

Abraham H. Foxman is the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and is known throughout the world as a leader in the fight against anti-Semitism, bigotry, and discrimination. Since joining the ADL, Foxman has worked tirelessly to combat hatred and violence whenever they occur, and he consistently speaks out against issues including the rise of global anti-Semitism, the war on terrorism, church/state matters, religious intolerance, and subjects relating to the Holocaust.

Born in Poland in 1940, Foxman was saved from the Holocaust by his Polish Catholic nanny, who baptized and raised him as a Catholic during the war years. His parents survived the war, but 14 members of his family were lost. He came to the United States with his parents in 1950, and then earned his BA in political science at City College. After receiving his JD from New York University School of Law, Foxman pursued graduate work in advanced Judaic Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary and international economics at the New School for Social Research. He has been working at the ADL since 1965 and took over as director in 1987.

A passionate supporter of the State of Israel and a voice for peace in the Middle East, Foxman has been a participant of official Presidential delegations to special events in Europe and Israel. Additionally, he was appointed as a member of the President’s United States Holocaust Memorial Council by Presidents Reagan, Bush, and Clinton, and he regularly confers with elected officials, community leaders, and a host of world leaders to discuss issues of ethnic hatred, violence, terrorism, and promoting democracy.

Foxman frequently appears on national news programs and is often quoted in the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Time, and Newsweek, among others. He is the author of The Deadliest Lies: The Israel Lobby and the Myth of Jewish Control and Never Again? The Threat of the New Anti-Semitism, and his op-eds/blogs have appeared in numerous media across the country and internationally.

Eugene J. Keogh Award for Distinguished Public Service

INONGE MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA (Steinhardt '80)

Dr. Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika is the Ambassador of the Republic of Zambia to the United States of America. Her impressive career has been marked by her tireless devotion as an international advocate for women and children.

Prior to her appointment to Washington D.C., Mbikusita-Lewanika was Ambassador and Special Envoy to the Zambian President during his term as Chairman of the Organization for African Unity (OAU) and served as a Member of the Zambian Parliament from 1991 to 2001. In 2001, Mbikusita-Lewanika chaired the National Crisis Committee of the Alliance of Opposition Political Parties and became a candidate for President of the Republic of Zambia. From 1997 to 2002, she served as President of Federation of the African Women's Peace Networks (FERFAP) and contributed to the mobilization of peace activities. In that capacity, she was selected to be among ten prominent African Women Peace Workers who visited Rwanda soon after the genocide. She later led a United Nations delegation to Burundi and Rwanda to assess the effects of the genocide on women and children and recommend intervention strategies. Mbikusita-Lewanika is also a founding member of the AMANI Forum, African Parliamentarians for Peace and Conflict Resolution.

Mbikusita-Lewanika’s passion for positive child and youth development led her to pursue her PhD in early childhood and primary education from the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development at New York University. An educator by nature, she has been a member of the Haggai Institute Faculty since 1987, and has worked in various levels of education, both nationally and internationally. For nine years, Mbikusita-Lewanika served as a founding Board Member of the International Youth Foundation, and currently serves on a number of boards as an Advisor for children and youth, including the Nike Foundation Advisory Board. Mbikusita-Lewanika also serves as Chairperson of YAPYA, the Zambia Youth Investment Fund.

In recognition of her outstanding work on behalf of the world’s children, Mbikusita-Lewanika has also been honored with the UNICEF Award for Distinguished Service for the Children of the World, and was heralded as “the most knowledgeable person about the children of Africa.” She has also received the Athena International Award for leadership and improving the lives of others.

Distinguished Young Alumna Award

KELLY KENNEDY MACK (STERN '02)

Kelly Kennedy Mack is President of Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group, the country’s premier organization for the planning, design, marketing, and sale of luxury residential development. In this role, she has played a significant part in the company’s expansion and has worked with some of the most distinguished leaders in luxury real estate, including renowned architects, designers, and developers.

After graduating from Georgetown University in 1996, Mack worked her way up from sales associate to associate account executive at Turner Broadcasting Sales before deciding to pursue her MBA at New York University. After completing the program in 2002, she joined Corcoran Sunshine as Vice President of Business Development. Quickly recognized by the company’s founder and industry icon Louise Sunshine for her many contributions to the organization, Mack was named executive vice president in 2004, and became President of Corcoran Sunshine in 2006.

As President, Mack has been the mastermind and driving force behind bold strategy shifts that have ensured Corcoran Sunshine remains at the forefront of the industry as New York’s market share leader. The company has generated over $9 billion in sales since she became President. As part of innovative ongoing new business efforts, she has focused on urban areas ripe for luxury development and works to identify key international markets. In 2008, Mack accepted the “Mann of the Year” award honoring the Real Estate Marketing Firm of the Year from renowned publisher Jeff Mann. In 2009, The Real Deal Magazine named Corcoran Sunshine New York’s #1 new development marketer, both for buildings represented and total number of units handled.

Mack is making her mark on New York City in many ways. She donates her spare time to supporting the Hassenfeld Children’s Center at NYU, an outpatient treatment center for pediatric oncology and blood disorders, and she serves as a member of the Penn Institute for Urban Research Advisory Board.