Barnard alumnae Carol Loewenson ’76, ’79GSAPP, and Jyoti Menon ’01, ’06SIPA, were among the 10 alumni awarded 2023 Columbia Alumni Medals in a ceremony in Columbia’s Low Library during the University Commencement on May 17. The medal is the highest honor given by the Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) and is offered in recognition of 10 or more years of distinguished service to the University.

Carol Loewenson ’76, ’79GSAPP

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Smiling white woman with short brown hair black top

Carol Loewenson is a partner at Mitchell Giurgola Architects in New York City. She received her bachelor’s degree from Barnard in 1976 and her master of architecture degree from the Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP) in 1979. She served on the Columbia University Alumni Trustee Nominating Committee and recently was a member of the Columbia Presidential Search Alumni Advisory Committee. Loewenson also served on the GSAPP Alumni Council and is currently on the GSAPP Dean’s Advisory Council. 

She became a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 2013 and was president of the New York AIA in 2016. She was awarded the New York State AIA President’s Medal in 2019 and serves on the boards of the Center for Architecture and New Yorkers for Parks. 

Loewenson’s recent work includes projects for the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library, the City University of New York, Cornell University, New York University, Manhattan College, the University of Pennsylvania, and Barnard. These projects have been selected for more than a dozen awards for design and sustainability. 

Her husband, Andrew Levander, is a 1977 graduate of Columbia Law School. Her two sons attended the Barnard College Center for Toddler Development and are today both lawyers — one a 2014 graduate of Columbia Law School and the other a 2018 graduate of Yale Law School.

Jyoti Menon ’01, ’06SIPA

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A headshot of Barnard College Board of Trustees Member Jyoti Menon '01

Jyoti Menon is a product management, strategy, and development professional with over 20 years of experience in delivering next-generation financial services products. Menon has developed strategy and led execution for large-scale, global products through her work at Goldman Sachs, American Express, and Citigroup. She is currently VP, Digital Product and Analytics at Bread Financial, where she oversees product and analytics for their complex digital lending suite. 

She received her bachelor’s degree from Barnard in 2001 and her master’s degree from the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) in 2006. Menon has been an active member and leader in the Barnard community since she was a student. She is a current member of Barnard’s Board of Trustees. She has served as chair of the Young Alumnae Committee of the Alumnae Association of Barnard College (AABC), an Alumna Trustee, and president of the AABC. 

She is a mentor to students and alumnae and was a founding member of the Athena Center for Leadership. In 2016, she won the Award for Service to Barnard, which honors alumnae volunteers for outstanding service and devotion to Barnard College. Menon lives in Manhattan with her husband, Santosh Sekar ’02SEAS, ’08BUS.