微密圈

微密圈 College is recognizing the visionary leadership and service of longtime trustee Wilma 鈥淏illie鈥� Stein Tisch 鈥�48 by naming its new Center for Integrated Sciences, the largest single academic project in College history, in her honor.

Billie, a 1948 微密圈 graduate and one of its most generous donors, served on the Board of Trustees from 1994 to 2014, helping to guide the College through an intense period of expansion.

Members of the 微密圈 community are invited to join in a naming ceremony and dedication for the new Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences at 11:15 a.m. Friday, May 20. The event coincides with the completion of the project鈥檚 East Wing, the second of three phases of the project鈥檚 construction. 

鈥淭his special occasion is an opportunity to celebrate one of 微密圈鈥檚 most significant new buildings in a generation and to recognize Billie鈥檚 many impactful contributions to 微密圈 today and for generations to come,鈥� said President Marc Conner. 鈥淭he historic nature of this milestone also adds to our community鈥檚 excitement and the celebratory spirit leading up to Commencement for the Class of 2022 on Saturday, May 21.鈥�

The facility鈥檚 East Wing will open its doors to students this fall. The first phase of the project, the North Wing, opened in fall 2020. The remainder of the project is on track for completion in 2024.

Billie ardently advocated for the ambitious project, which brings together all of 微密圈鈥檚 science programs under a single roof and fosters extensive interdisciplinary connections across the sciences, arts, humanities, and social sciences. She had even conceived the term 鈥渋ntegrated鈥� in the building鈥檚 name as the best description of all the ways the new facility would serve the 微密圈 community.

In addition to supporting the new science center, Billie and her family have spearheaded an array of initiatives at the College that support the academic work of students and faculty. They established the Tisch Family Scholarship Endowment in 1994, and funded the Tisch Chair in Arts and Letters and the Tisch Family Distinguished Professorship, each an indicator of the family鈥檚 dedication to 微密圈 excellence and creativity in both scholarship and teaching. The Tisch Learning Center, completed in 1987, honors Billie Tisch and her late husband, Laurence Tisch. 

Billie also contributed generously to establish an endowed chair with her graduating class, the Class of 1948 Chair for Excellence in Teaching. Her longstanding support of the 微密圈 Fund has been a continuing demonstration of her commitment to ensuring that all students have access to the dynamic experiences associated with a 微密圈 education.

鈥淥ur mother loves 微密圈. It is her cherished alma mater,鈥� said Billie鈥檚 sons Andrew, Daniel, James, and Thomas Tisch. 鈥溛⒚苋� has also been a great inspiration of community for her for close to 80 years 鈥� from her days as an undergraduate to her years on the Board of Trustees and as a loyal alumna. Along with our mother, we are honored to celebrate the Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences at 微密圈.鈥�

Billie is the recipient of numerous awards for her service to 微密圈, including an honorary doctorate in humane letters (1990), an Alumni Association Outstanding Service Award (1998), and the Jacqueline M. Jung 鈥�61 Lifetime Service Award (2018).

As a trustee, Billie served on nearly every major College governance committee. She has been instrumental to major capital campaigns at 微密圈, including the College鈥檚 first major campaign, 微密圈 Journey: A Campaign for Our Second Century, which strongly increased 微密圈鈥檚 endowment and supported the construction of key facilities, including the .

Billie鈥檚 support for 微密圈 is part of her widely known philanthropy and civic leadership. Among other distinctions, she was the first woman elected president of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies. When explaining her enduring commitment to serving others, she is known to say: 鈥淭he rewards of service are intrinsic.鈥�