Okhee Lee Enhances Her Endowed Scholarship with Additional Funding

“NYU Steinhardt is my home, and this scholarship is how I pass on my DNA,” says Lee.

Okhee Lee, Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education at NYU, has expanded the scope of the endowed scholarship she created in 2022 to support even more NYU Steinhardt students by making additional philanthropic commitments. Lee has generously pledged to increase the support currently available to students through an ongoing annual gift. In addition, she has made a bequest to the scholarship through her estate.

Created in her and her late husband’s names, the Michael B. Salwen and Okhee Lee-Salwen Scholarship was originally formed to give funding to Steinhardt undergraduate and graduate students studying STEM education with a focus on equity and justice. 

Lee’s latest gift increases the overall funding available, as well as opens the scholarship to all graduate students across departments and disciplines at Steinhardt. 

“We all want to leave a legacy, and people invest in the future of humanity by raising children to be healthy, happy, productive citizens,” says Lee, who has been at NYU Steinhardt for more than a decade. “My husband and I didn’t have children, so this gift is my way of supporting other people’s children.”

Lee’s other venue for legacy-making is in her long-standing career as a leading education scholar committed to the reform of K-12 STEM education with equity and justice for all students, especially multilingual learners. 

Lee recently joined the President's Global Council, an advisory body to the President of NYU to help the University realize its global vision. The Council’s membership offers input and guidance on the opportunities and challenges that emerge as NYU builds its global presence.

“NYU Steinhardt is my home, and this scholarship is how I pass on my DNA,” says Lee. “I hope that my work and my contributions continue to make an impact long after I am gone.”

“Okhee has long exemplified the heart of our institution through a lifetime of service, mentorship, and academic excellence,” says Jack H. Knott, Gale and Ira Drukier Dean of NYU Steinhardt. “Now, with this extraordinary gift to expand her endowed scholarship, Okhee and Michael’s legacies will empower generations of students to pursue their dreams. This is more than a donation—it’s a profound investment in the future.”

Lee encourages everyone to talk to a financial advisor to see how they can contribute to their favorite causes.

“Have a conversation and see what’s possible,” says Lee. “When I found out how much I could give, I decided to go bigger and help even more students. You never know unless you ask, and the impact you have will probably be more than you’ll ever know.”

Learn more about creating your legacy with a gift of any size to Steinhardt or by including NYU in your estate plan.