In honor of one of its most supportive benefactors over the years, Milano’s Graduate Program for International Affairs (GPIA) recently underwent a name change – becoming the Julien J. Studley Graduate Program for International Affairs.
The New School announced the renaming, which came in the wake of Julien Studley’s recent $3 million gift to the university’s international affairs program, at a ceremony celebrating the program’s 10th anniversary on September 21. About 200 people attended the event, which was held at the Theresa Lang Community and Student Center and included speeches from faculty and alumni about the program’s accomplishments and future goals. The ceremony also featured a video that chronicled the work of GPIA’s International Field Program, and paid tribute to Studley for his contributions to the program.
The IFP provides Milano students with the chance to travel abroad and take part in programs that address global issues such as economic development and human rights. Graduate students who join the IFP are sent to Argentina, China, South Africa, and Uganda, among other countries, and Studley’s financial support has helped sustain much of the program’s work.
“He [has] attended many GPIA events over the years, and [has] offered many suggestions to improve the program,” GPIA director Michael Cohen said.
Studley was born in Brussels, Belgium, in 1927. He fled Nazi-occupied Belgium by way of France and Morocco, eventually entering the United States through Cuba and settling in New York City. In 1954, he formed Julien J. Studley, Inc., a real estate brokerage firm. Studley has maintained close connections with The New School throughout his life, and briefly served as chairman of the university’s board of trustees from 2008 to 2009.
Charlotte is majoring in Journalism + Design at Eugene Lang College and graduated high school in Bamberg, Germany. Her father is a soldier so she grew up moving around a lot. Outside of her interest in journalism, she is an aspiring novelist & screenplay writer who dabbles in acting. Charlotte loves reading, writing, road trips, red wine, videogames, music, sketch comedy and tennis.
