In September, Baruch College’s Office of Alumni Relations and Volunteer Engagement hosted its inaugural Alumni Changemakers Awards, celebrating Baruch graduates who have made a positive impact on their communities and industries.

“For this inaugural event, we are thrilled to honor nine Baruch graduates for their contributions to their companies, organizations, and to society at large,” said Baruch President S. David Wu in his welcoming remarks. “Together they represent classes from 1977 to 2015—many different decades, and a great range of different backgrounds, disciplines, and fields.”

Honorees included:

Zicklin School of Business

Maurice Ng '15 (Founder and General Partner, Tings Capital)
Alexander Sheikhat '14 (Production Engineer Manager, Wix)
Amelia Tran '12 (Senior Director of Marketing, WorkReduce)

Weissman School of Arts and Sciences

Jiansan Gu '11 (Clinical and Research Fellow Physician, Rush University Medical Center)
Victoria Lee '13 (Co-Founder, Welcome to Chinatown)
Natalie H. Rogers '77 (Founder, Talkpower: A Panic Clinic for Public Speaking Workshops)

Marxe School of Public and International Affairs
Irene Branche MPA '10 (Chief Development and Evaluation Officer HOPE)
Steven Raga MPA '15 (Advisor, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights)
Mauricio Videla MPA '09 (Attorney, U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau)

The honorees had been nominated by fellow Baruch alumni and friends, and each awardee and nominator spoke during the ceremony. In his speech,

awardee Maurice Ng (’15) noted his underdog story. “Ten years ago, I arrived at Baruch as a clueless immigrant, speaking broken English—I was truly an underdog,” he said. “I never thought this award or recognition would ever happen, so this is such an honor.” 

Irene Branch (MPA ’10) thanked her mother and her colleagues for continuing to push her to fight social injustice. And her professors and classes at Baruch, she said, set her up for success. “I explored many options when I was looking to earn my MPA, and I definitely made the right choice,” she said. “The education I received at Baruch was second to none.”

A few alumni honorees joined virtually. Alexander Sheikhat (’14), for example, provided a video acceptance speech, as he is based in Israel and has spearheaded the creation of Baruch’s Alumni in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) Network. Jiansan Gu (’11), meanwhile—a physician at Rush University Medical Center—joined virtually from Chicago, where he was unable to leave his hospital as it continues to navigate the pandemic.

As the event concluded, Janet Rossbach, director of Alumni Relations, noted the commonalities between the honorees and, in fact, all Baruch alumni.

“These changemakers are extraordinary,” she said. “They are the epitome of the Baruch graduate: humble, hardworking, committed. Passionate, and cause-driven.”