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In a ceremony on September 19, Russell Sage College announced the renaming of The Women’s Institute in honor of Denise Taber Finard, a biology graduate whose career focused on emerging sciences and the equitable application of those discoveries.
Following a transformative gift, The Women’s Institute at Russell Sage College – founded in 2020 when Russell Sage became co-educational across two campuses in Troy and Albany – will now be known as the Denise Taber Finard ’80 Women’s Institute. The institute’s headquarters on the college’s historic Troy campus, formerly known as Frear House, also has been renamed Finard House. The large gift to the college for the renaming was from a donor who wished to remain anonymous and asked that the gift amount not be shared.
Finard, who passed away in December 2023, earned a biology degree from Russell Sage College and used her background in molecular biology as a research scientist at GE. Finard was one of the pioneers in the field of genetic engineering, testifying before Congress on the risks and opportunities of the emerging science.
After receiving a second master’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Finard worked for the United Nations in Africa, helping to create programs that ensured emerging technologies would be effective across the broadest spectrum of populations.
“The trajectory of Dee’s life was changed because of the time she spent here. She aimed higher. She dreamed bigger. She went farther. She became who she was – who she wanted to be,” her husband, William Finard, told the crowd at the renaming ceremony.
“And if she could be here today, if she could talk to you and tell you what she wanted for all of you, you would understand she wanted the same thing for you: to see your path, to follow it, and to be who and where you want to be,” William Finard continued. “To the women who will be part of the community that forms the institute, if you feel something being placed in your hand today, that is a baton. It is being passed to you in a race that never ends. It is now your journey. Your dream to pursue. Your world to make better.”
The gift to the institute will support operations, student scholarships, experiential learning opportunities, honorariums for the annual visiting scholar and other special guest speakers, and conferences and special events focused on contemporary women’s and social justice issues.
“This gift also allows the Denise Taber Finard ’80 Women’s Institute to enhance our regional and national impact and expand our commitment to the empowerment of women through our student ambassador program, leadership development offerings, and engagement in our community” said Shelly Calabrese, executive director of the institute, which is also led by Faculty Director Michelle Napierski-Prancl.
Russell Sage College President Matthew Shaftel said Finard’s spirit connects past to present – from the college’s founder, Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage, a champion of women’s rights and one of the greatest philanthropists of her time, to the institute’s student ambassadors, who have shown a passion for everything from how some medical tests create health disparities by not reading accurately on dark skin to supporting survivors of intimate partner violence.
“Our college motto calls on our graduates to be, to know, and to do,” Shaftel said. “Denise’s life exemplified that call to action, and now her legacy will enable generations of young women and feminist allies to follow the call, too. We are so grateful to the donor who stepped forward to honor Denise’s life this way and to continue her work to make the world a better, more humane place for everyone.”
William Finard said an institute focused on women’s advancement remains necessary in a world still struggling with its humanity, citing laws “around the world that compromise or eliminate women’s autonomy, opportunity, and happiness. Even, in some cases, their very lives.”
It is a fight for justice and equity his wife would be proud to see continuing at her alma mater, he said.
“She was small of stature, quiet, and unassuming. But her size and demeanor masked a resolve of absolute steel that allowed her to excel academically, be clear-eyed about her goals, and maintain her character and integrity at the highest possible level. And all of it was wrapped in her humanity, her emphasis on inclusion, and an unwavering sense of justice,” he said.
“I am not telling you she was perfect. I am telling you she was extraordinary.”