$5M endowment gift supports student access

A $5 million gift from Irene Rosenfeld ’75, MS ’77, PhD ’80 and Richard Illgen will establish the Rosenfeld/Illgen Scholarship and support the university’s efforts to make Cornell even more affordable for students from all backgrounds.

This gift, Irene says, aligns perfectly with the couple’s passion for education. “Cornell played a key role in shaping the person I am today,” Irene says. “It nourished my intellectual curiosity and led to lifelong friendships. I am happy to give back to an institution that gave so much to me.”

Irene has been heavily involved with the university for many years. She served on the President’s Council of Cornell Women (PCCW) and the Cornell University Board of Trustees, and she returns to campus as often as possible to teach students about marketing and strategy, drawing on her extensive business experience.