Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Center for Well-Being

The Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Center for Well-Being, made possible by a generous gift from the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation, provides both a centralized hub and umbrella organization for our many Feel Well, Do Well @ Barnard wellness initiatives and will occupy renovated spaces within Barnard Hall.

The Francine LeFrak Center will include state-of-the-art spaces for financial fluency and wellness programs, a fitness center, and dance spaces. By uniting initiatives that address the many dimensions of student health and wellness — physical, mental, and financial — we are able to offer our students holistic well-being support that propels success inside and outside the classroom.

Francine LeFrak Center Events

Defining Care As We Age / Tuesday, 4.18.23, 6 PM

How can we care for ourselves? How can others care for us? Join the Project Continuum Committee for a panel discussion on defining the care we need as we age. Drawing on her expertise as an anthropologist, Professor Lesley Sharp will provide insights on the questions and challenges of care when one is without kin and share what she knows about the relationships that develop between caregivers and receivers. Janice M. Horowitz ’75, a veteran health journalist, public radio host, and author, will shed light on how to self-advocate when facing a healthcare decision. Cathryn Devons ’82, a doctor specializing in geriatrics, will share her knowledge on the complexities of care for aging patients.

Click here to register

Vice President of Health and Wellness, Chief Health Officer

Marina Catallozzi, MD, MSCE

Meet Barnard's health and wellness leader. 

Barnard has a strong support system, giving you a net to land in when you’re overwhelmed. Everyone manages stress differently, but as long as you have a method, Barnard is here to help.

Sydney Hotz '20

About Francine A. LeFrak

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Francine A. LeFrak

Francine A. LeFrak has demonstrated a strong personal and philanthropic commitment to women’s empowerment and the generous continuation of her family’s legacy at Barnard.

“This is a dream come true and a culmination of my work supporting women that I have done for so many years. I am delighted to be on the forefront of this innovative and more complete definition of wellness. I have seen firsthand how wellness is an intersection of financial, physical, and mental well-being. This Center will be a point of hope for women. Like my mother, Ethel, Class of ’41, the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Center for Well-Being is a trailblazer in the wellness and empowerment of women. I am so proud and excited to be working closely with Sian on this project. With the Francine LeFrak Center on its campus, I believe that Barnard is destined to be a leader in health and wellness and a model for others to follow. As a woman and a philanthropist, I can’t think of anything that could be closer to my heart.”

Francine A. LeFrak is the daughter of the late Samuel J. LeFrak and Ethel Stone LeFrak ’41, who served as a Barnard trustee from 1981 to 1985.

Advisory Board and Corporate Council

An expert group of health and wellness professionals help shape the Center’s strategic direction and programming.

To make an online gift to the Francine LeFrak Center, please click the button below. If you would like to discuss the Francine LeFrak Center’s fundraising priorities in greater detail, please contact Kate Martinez, Assistant Vice President for Development and Alumnae Relations, at (212) 853-8329 or kmartinez@barnard.edu.