Rockefeller Center Alumni Reception in NYC

On Tuesday, June 9, 2015, Maya and Robert Tichio ’99, together with Andrew Samwick, Ronald Shaiko, and Sadhana Hall hosted a reception in New York City for alumni who at some point in their Dartmouth lives called Rocky “home.” The event was principally in celebration of the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center’s growth over the past decade. In particular, the evening commemorated the 10th Anniversary of the newly endowed Class of 1964 Policy Research Shop.

Robert Tichio ’99 with other Dartmouth Friends of the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center at the NYC reception. Photo courtesy of Cristina Pye Photography.

“Maya and I have been thrilled to support the PRS and invited those who attended to think about doing the same,” said Robert Tichio ’99. “President Hanlon has outlined an ambitious institutional priority of advancing experiential learning, and in our view, there is no institution on campus better positioned to advance that calling than Rocky,” explained Tichio. “Rocky is not starting at a standing stop: the Center's student-focused offerings already embody experiential learning, and the Policy Research Shop -- with its blend of academic research and hands-on partnerships with sitting legislators -- is a perfect example.”

Policy Research Shop alumni at the NYC reception. Photos courtesy of Cristina Pye Photography.

The PRS model of teaching and learning seeks to engage students and to expose them to the public policymaking process in ways that reach beyond the traditional classroom experience. As Ron Shaiko explains, “We have jettisoned the traditional learning model that entails individual efforts by students in the form of class papers, midterms, and final examinations in favor of group-based research enterprises that engage students with real world policymakers in efforts to produce useful policy analyses that will serve policymakers in their deliberations.” Many alumni of the program can point back to a specific experience while involved in the Policy Research Shop that influenced the career path they are on today.

Andrew Samwick, Director of the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center addressing those in attendance at the NYC reception on June 9, 2015. Photo courtesy of Cristina Pye Photography.

At the event, Andrew Samwick expressed his appreciation of Maya and Robert Tichio for hosting the event. “Their engagement and support of the Center goes a long way in facilitating the involvement of other recent alumni,” said Samwick. “On behalf of the Rockefeller Center, I’m very grateful to the Tichios, along with the Ford, FIPSE, and especially the Class of 1964, for providing the financial support for the PRS over the past decade and in the years to come.”

The cocktail reception took place at The Racquet & Tennis Club on 379 Park Avenue at 52nd Street, NYC from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm and was attended by around fifty guests.