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, a $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

FELLOWSHIP ELIGIBILITY

Must be a full-time student
Finish the degree in two years
Enrolled in the Master of Public Administration or Master of Urban Planning program
Can apply if you are US citizen, Permanent resident, or international student

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 composed of representatives from sponsoring organizations, faculty and NYU Wagner alumni.

CURRENT FELLOWS

Julia Gottlieb (MPA-PNP 2027) - 2025 Fellow

Julia Gottlieb is dedicated to advancing health equity through cross-sector collaboration and community-centered advocacy. She has over five years of experience spanning the nonprofit, philanthropic, and NGO sectors. Most recently, she worked at Global Health Strategies, where she supported clients in developing strategic campaigns, mobilizing resources, and advancing initiatives in sexual and reproductive health, health systems strengthening, and health innovation. Previously, Julia worked at UCLA Health, where she played a key role in shaping communications strategies for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and helped launch a community health initiative serving unhoused individuals. Her interdisciplinary background also includes roles at PEN America, the John Howard Association of Illinois, and the FLAG Art Foundation, where she merged her interests in arts, culture, and social justice advocacy. Julia holds a B.A. in American Studies with a minor in Dance from Scripps College. She looks forward to building her policy analysis expertise at NYU Wagner.

Alana Wilck (MPA-PNP 2027) - 2025 Fellow

Alana Wilck is an innovative changemaker passionate about fostering allyship and advancing education in an increasingly polarized world. She currently serves as the Assistant Director of ACCESS Global, the young professional division of the American Jewish Committee (AJC). Her journey with AJC began in 2022 as a Goldman Fellow in the Development department, and she later served as Vice President of ACCESS on AJC’s inaugural Campus Global Board. Currently, she focuses on fundraising and leadership development for ACCESS Global and prepares the next generation of Jewish advocates through AJC’s Leaders for Tomorrow program. She also continues her passion for education as a Hebrew school teacher at Central Synagogue, helping young students deepen their Jewish identity and connection. Alana graduated from the University of Michigan in 2023, where she earned her degree in Political Science and Judaic Studies with a minor in Community Action and Social Change. As an MPA-PNP student at NYU Wagner, she is specializing in Management and Leadership to strengthen her ability to drive strategic change.

Maya Koehn-Wu (MUP 2026) - 2024 Fellow

Maya Koehn-Wu is a dynamic creative and social justice advocate dedicated to community-based empowerment. Her work leverages the arts to foster emotional understanding in multicultural and intersectional spaces. Maya pivotally helped build Cville Tulips, a community resilience program utilizing creative practices for Afghan women and children refugees in Charlottesville. Her policy work at the Sustainable Food Collaborative and experience as the Coastal Resilience Intern at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation reflect her deep interest in food systems, climate change, and the future of resilient agriculture, particularly in vulnerable populations. Maya is exceptionally proud of the nonprofit project she co-founded alongside her younger sister in 2020, called Sisters Project Peru, dedicated to assisting the community of Huacahuasi in their self-determination to increase healthcare access and build a medical clinic in rural Peru.

Graduating with high honors from the University of Virginia ‘24, Maya earned a Bachelor in Urban and Environmental Planning, Global Sustainability double major, and dance minor. Her Distinguished Major thesis explored the arts' role in enhancing healthcare access for remote indigenous communities, while her capstone focused on how Latin dance communities can promote multicultural engagement amid climate-change-induced migration.