Hofstra University's Zucker medical school gets $3 million for endowed deanship
Zucker School of Medicine Dean Dr. David L. Battinelli with founding Dean Lawrence G. Smith and Executive Chairman of Broadridge Financial Solutions, Rich Daly. Credit: Northwell Health
Hofstra University's Zucker School of Medicine has received a $3 million gift from a local global technology firm to establish an endowed deanship to support medical student scholarships.
The gift from the Lake Success-based Broadridge Financial Solutions was announced Monday by the firm along with Northwell Health and Hofstra University.
This latest gift to the medical school will establish scholarships for incoming medical students, beginning with the new class entering in 2025.
"Supporting student scholarships through this endowed deanship will have a profound impact on a new generation of health care leaders and practitioners as well as patients in Northwell’s communities and around the world," said Brian T. Lally, president of the Northwell Foundation and chief development officer at Northwell Health.
The newly named Deborah and Lawrence Smith Dean of the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell position honors the institution's founding dean and his late wife, who both played pivotal roles in the school’s creation in 2008.
Dr. David L. Battinelli, dean of the Zucker School of Medicine and executive vice president and physician-in-chief of Northwell Health, has been named the inaugural recipient of the endowment, which will enable more students to graduate debt-free. Battinelli, who succeeded Smith as dean of the Zucker School of Medicine in 2022, is a founding member of the medical school and previously served as its vice dean and dean for medical education.
"It is a profound honor to be the first dean to hold this endowed position, which pays tribute to my dear friend and colleague Dr. Smith and honors the memory of his compassionate wife, Deborah," Battinelli said in a statement.
Since 2011, Broadridge has supported Hofstra University and the Zucker School of Medicine, funding scholarships and programs across schools at the university for aspiring business and health care professionals. Battinelli will be formally installed as the Deborah and Lawrence Smith Dean, along with other endowed professors and chairs, during Northwell’s sixth annual Celebration of Excellence event on Wednesday at the New-York Historical Society in Manhattan.
The Zucker School of Medicine welcomed its first class in 2011. Founding Dean Dr. Lawrence G. Smith guided the school through significant milestones, including its first graduating class in 2015, full accreditation the same year and reaccreditation in 2020, university officials said in a release. While serving as founding dean, Dr. Smith was also the chief medical officer for Northwell Health.
Endowed gifts provide financial stability in perpetuity.
"The financial support provided by the endowment will give generations of medical students the security to pursue their academic and professional goals, while affirming the Zucker School’s leadership role in the health care community," Hofstra University President Susan Poser said in a statement.
Joie Tyrrell is a Long Island native and covers education for Newsday, where she has worked since 1998.
