Lisa Ellen Goldberg Fellowship
Lisa Ellen Goldberg, the celebrated president of the Charles H. Revson Foundation and beloved wife of John Sexton, the former president of New York University, was a dynamic force in the world of philanthropy and the Jewish community. Prior to her death in 2007, she worked passionately for philanthropic and Jewish issues and organizations. She left a legacy of the visionary and critical role philanthropy can play in both bringing promising ideas to fruition and increasing their impact. She also embodied a deep commitment to public service and to the Jewish community. Her legacy is honored in a fellowship established at NYU Wagner for rising leaders in public service with a passion for storytelling and a commitment to making an impact in multi-faith communities
The Lisa Ellen Goldberg Fellowship provides a full tuition scholarship, $7,500 stipend for a summer internship, and participation in structured summer Professional Development programming. The Fellowship is open to students admitted for full-time study in Master of Public Administration or Master of Urban Planning degree programs. In addition to financial support, Goldberg Fellows receive an NYU faculty mentor and also get the opportunity to access an unparalleled network of philanthropists, policymakers, academics, and leaders.
"Our goal is to be where others aren't, where we can bring our unique expertise and our passion to bear, where we can find partners to join us and leverage our own investment. Our hope, always, is that what we do will matter, will make a difference." - Lisa Goldberg
Fellowship Criteria
- Outstanding written and verbal storytelling skills
- Rising leaders in public service or evidence of previous impact on a critical public service issue
- Far-reaching and nuanced intellectual curiosity
- Passion for learning and problem-solving
- Playful imagination and enthusiasm for new ways of approaching old problems
- Demonstrated multi-faith commitment, interest in philanthropy, and/or love of culture and the arts preferred
Students enrolled in dual degree programs with other NYU schools are not eligible for NYU Wagner Named Fellowship programs.
how to apply
- Submit your Fellowship Application Essay along with your online application to NYU Wagner. The Fellowship Application Essay is included in the fellowship section of the online application; there is not a separate application. Fellowship applicants must also submit the one-minute video essay in the application in order to be considered.
- Those selected as fellowship semi-finalists will be invited to participate in Zoom interviews with the Fellowship Selection Committee.
- Those selected as fellowship finalists will be invited for a virtual interview with the Selection Committee. This panel of judges will be comprised of representatives from sponsoring organizations, faculty and NYU Wagner alumni.
Links
CURRENT FELLOWS
Sinéad López (MPA 2025) - 2023 Fellow
Sinéad has seven years of experience as a social justice grant maker mobilizing resources for historically marginalized artists, storytellers, journalists, cultural strategists, faith leaders, organizers, and movement-builders who are leading progressive change domestically and abroad. At the Nathan Cummings Foundation, she interim manages the “Voice, Creativity & Culture: Arts & Culture” portfolio; supports partnerships in the “Voice, Creativity & Culture: Religious Traditions & Contemplative Practices” and “Israel-Palestine” portfolios; and advances strategic planning with her colleagues in service of racial, economic, and environmental justice.
She is fascinated by the role of culture change in expanding moral imagination and political possibilities. Her professional roots first grew in the cultural sector, and she has worked at organizations such as the Surdna Foundation, Ballet Hispánico, the Dittmar Memorial Gallery, and the Smithsonian Institution. Field service includes volunteer leadership on the boards or steering committees of Critical Minded, the Mosaic Network & Fund, S.O.U.R.C.E. Studio, and the NY Chapter of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy.
Sinéad received a B.A. with honors in Art History from Northwestern University. As an MPA-PNP candidate at NYU Wagner, Sinéad will specialize in Advocacy & Political Action, merging theory and practice to help support the critical work of social movements in building long-term progressive power."
Erin Worden (MPA 2024) - 2022 Fellow
Erin Worden is a sexual and reproductive health (SRH) humanitarian, working for nearly seven years with marginalized refugees and survivors of displacement. In her most recent role at Women’s Refugee Commission, Erin managed SRH grants and programs, including a post-rape care intervention for survivors of sexual violence in humanitarian settings. She also supported operations of an expert working group of SRH leaders, from community-based organizations in emergency settings to United Nations agencies. Passionate about the Middle East and North Africa, Erin also held a year-long fellowship in Morocco at the Hillary Clinton Center for Women’s Empowerment, the foremost English language research center on contemporary gender and women's rights issues in North Africa.
Erin graduated magna cum laude from Denison University in 2017 and wrote her undergraduate thesis on gendered violence against refugees in the eastern Mediterranean. She was an active student organizer, co-creating and leading an initiative that resettled a refugee family to Ohio.