Congratulations to this year’s graduates of the Richard Gilder Graduate School! This evening, the Museum held its 2025 commencement under the iconic Blue Whale in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, celebrating five doctoral graduates and 19 Master of Arts in Teaching Earth Science Residency Program (MAT ESRP) graduates. Since the first cohort entered in 2012, the MAT ESRP has prepared 204 Earth science teachers, reaching approximately 100,000 students in New York and beyond. In addition, the Museum conferred an honorary Doctor of Science degree to oceanographer and carbon cycle geochemist Ellen Druffel, co-director of the W. M. Keck Carbon Cycle Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Laboratory and distinguished professor and Fred Kavli Professor of Earth System Science at UC Irvine; and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree to Rick Smith, president and CEO of The Pinkerton Foundation. Photo: Alvaro Keding/© AMNH
A wonderful ceremony under the Big Blue Whale honoring amazing scientists and science educators
Congratulations to all of this year’s graduates! 🎓 What a remarkable milestone—not only for each individual scholar, but for the thousands of students, families, and communities who will be impacted by their work in the years ahead. At Rockefeller, we often see education as one of the most enduring forms of wealth. Financial capital may compound over time, but it is knowledge, values, and purpose that truly sustain families across generations. These graduates, and the distinguished honorees recognized alongside them, are proof that when we invest in education, we create ripple effects that extend far beyond a single classroom or career. Moments like this are a reminder that legacy is not just about preserving assets—it’s about empowering the next generation to lead, innovate, and safeguard our world. #Rockefeller #Education #Legacy #MultiGenerationalWealth #Philanthropy #Leadership
Congrats everyone!
Such a beautiful shot. I once worked with a graduate of the program! Congrats to this year’s graduates!! 🍾🎓