$1 Million Gift to School of Education Recognizes Work of Professor Corinne Smith

The School of Education has received a gift of $1 million to be used over the next five years to support students who study abroad and to further develop signature global education programs. The Himan Brown Charitable Trust of New York City presented the gift in honor of Professor Corinne Smith, in recognition of her 35 years of service to the University and her dedication to her new role as coordinator of global outreach activities at the school.

The School of Education offers several short-term and semester-long programs around the world that are exclusive to its students. This gift will provide need-based scholarship funding so any undergraduate or graduate student who is interested can take advantage of these exciting offerings.

“We are extraordinarily grateful for this generous gift,” says Douglas Biklen, dean of the School of Education. “It will allow many students in such diverse fields as education, exercise science, disability studies, instructional technology, counseling and literacy to take advantage of Syracuse University’s many study abroad opportunities. This gift will remove the financial barriers that often keep students at home.  Our goal is to educate global citizens and we know that travel and study abroad will make our students better educators, practitioners, counselors or researchers.”

Himan Brown, the pioneer radio producer and director of popular shows of the 1930s and 1940s, passed away in 2010 at the age of 99. Born in Brooklyn in 1910, he was the son of immigrant tailors from the Ukraine.  He graduated from Brooklyn Law School as valedictorian in 1931.  Always the entrepreneur, he began his foray into radio while still in college. Brown became one of the radio industry’s most respected and successful figures. He produced more than 30,000 radio shows and was involved in almost every aspect of the business.  Orson Welles, Helen Hayes and Boris Karloff were voices on his immensely popular radio dramas, which included “Inner Sanctum,” “Grand Central Station” and the adventures of the Thin Man and Dick Tracy. As TV moved into the forefront of popular entertainment, Brown continued creating successful radio shows well into the 1990s. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1990.

Smith is professor of teaching and leadership in the School of Education. An expert on learning disabilities, she is co-author of “Learning Disabilities: A to Z” (The Free Press, 2010). She has served as interim dean of the School of Education and chair of teaching and leadership programs. In 2011, she was appointed as coordinator of global outreach at the school.

“The opportunity to immerse themselves in new cultures is of immense value to our students in learning to appreciate the rich diversity of views, customs and languages represented in our classrooms,” says Smith. “We are so grateful to the philanthropist Himan Brown for creating an enduring legacy which will give the School of Education the opportunity to transform the experience of our future teachers and make a great contribution to their practice.”

For more information about study abroad opportunities at the School of Education, contact Smith at crsmith@syr.edu or visit soe.syr.edu.