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Russell Sage College celebrated the inauguration of its 11th president, Dr. Matthew Shaftel, with the announcement of a $10 million gift during an October 16 ceremony in the Schacht Fine Arts Center on its Troy campus.
Shaftel – a longtime higher education leader who last served as dean and full professor in Ohio University’s College of Fine Arts – started his presidency on July 1, following the retirement of Christopher Ames, who led Russell Sage for seven years.
“In her words to the first graduating class of Russell Sage College, (college founder) Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage gave a call to action that resonates still today: ‘You who graduate from this new institution are about to take up the serious work of life at a time when the liberty and happiness of all nations is being menaced. … May you, and all future graduates of Russell Sage College, be a great power for good in the reconstruction work of the world,’” Shaftel said.
“Indeed, we are called together to take up this serious and impactful work of higher education at a time like no other. It is my honor and privilege to serve as the 11th president of Russell Sage College, ensuring both its legacy and its future, and empowering its graduates to be a great force for good in the world.”
The college’s legacy of empowering students, six years of top 25 rankings among national universities by U.S. News & World Report for social mobility, and the framework for its new strategic plan were a focus of Shaftel’s inauguration remarks. It was capped by Shaftel’s surprise announcement of a $10 million gift from 1970 graduate Donna Robinson Esteves. The gift will fund initiatives for Sage Forward, the college’s new strategic plan, which is currently under development.
“Donna’s generosity comes with a specific goal: to inspire others to give and support our future by growing the endowment. She has designated $2 million of her pledge as a match fund — every dollar committed to the Sage Forward endowment will be matched by Donna, up to $2 million,” Shaftel said, adding that he and presidential spouse, Dr. Jen Murphy, have pledged $11,000 as the first gift to the Sage Forward Endowment in honor of being the 11th president of the college and have made an additional gift to the Sage Fund for Excellence and committed to a planned gift.
Esteves began her career as a teacher and then became a top-20 Mary Kay Cosmetics salesperson before founding Free Lighting Corp., where she hired and trained all-women installation crews and grew it to the largest energy conservation contractor of its kind in the United States by the time she sold it in 2001. She has now donated approximately $35 million to the college since her graduation from the English program. She is the largest donor in the college’s history.
Also speaking at the inauguration ceremony were Dr. Emilly Obuya, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Russell Sage; MaryAnn Publicover Kniska ’91, president of the Russell Sage College Alumnae/i Association; Caroline Leavitt DeCota ’84, chair of the college’s board of trustees; Dr. Jen Murphy, executive director at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and presidential spouse; Dr. Hugh Sherman, former president of Ohio University; and Gabrielle Gellys ’25, president of the Student Government Association at Russell Sage.
Musical selections were performed by the Albany Pro Musica Chorale, directed by James Jordan, and by the Sagettes, and the Amanda Gorman poem “We Rise” was read by Denise Taber Finard ’80 Women’s Institute Ambassador Sophia Pearl ’25.
“At the university level, Matthew brought his positive, can-do attitude,” Sherman said of Shaftel’s time at Ohio University. “He never turned down an opportunity to lead a presidential or provost task force to address university-wide issues in the area of budget management, enrollments, or student success. He was always a thoughtful, collaborative leader of the highest integrity.”
Murphy also gave remarks during the inauguration ceremony, sharing how aligned she and Shaftel felt with the college’s mission from the moment they first visited campus.
“As I watch Matthew look to the future as your new president, he sees Russell Sage poised to continue this legacy of empowerment, not just for women but for everyone who walks through these doors,” she said. “This institution is here to create leaders, to foster innovation, and to make sure that every student who graduates leaves feeling empowered to make a difference in the world.”
The inauguration week festivities will continue on October 17 with a Green and Blue Bash on the Albany campus at 5 p.m. and a Russell Sage in the Community day of service for students, employees, and alumni on October 18
About Russell Sage College: Founded in 1916, Russell Sage College is celebrating its largest new enrollment in at least a decade and serves bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students on its two campuses in Troy and Albany, New York, and via online and distance programs. The college is now home to more than 2,700 students and was ranked by U.S. News & World Report as 22nd among national universities for Social Mobility. Russell Sage has landed in the top 25 every year since U.S. News & World Report launched the Top Performers on Social Mobility category in its 2020 rankings.