Hobart and William Smith has dedicated the renovated former Geneva Garden Apartments as Piltch Family Commons, a student housing community on Pulteney Street supported by a gift from alumnus Stuart Piltch.
President Mark Gearan led the Oct. 3 dedication honoring Piltch and his family, according to a college announcement. Piltch’s gift made the renovation possible.
Becca Morris, vice president for student life and dean of students, said the apartments offer an independent living option on campus near academic buildings and the arts campus. She said there was already a waiting list for the housing.
Morris said the option would appeal to juniors, seniors and graduate students and broaden the range of housing choices prospective students can see at HWS.
Buildings honor people who shaped Piltch’s experience
The community recognizes Piltch’s parents, Mildred and Roy, and a family connection that includes four siblings and another generation of students. Stuart graduated in 1982; his siblings Neal, Deborah and Stanley graduated in 1978, 1983 and 1985, respectively. His daughter Alyson Feldman-Piltch graduated in 2011.
At the ceremony, Piltch said the individual residential buildings would carry the names of people who influenced his education and life at HWS.
They include the late Robert Freeman, former director of financial aid; the late June Kuryla, a former financial aid administrative assistant; the late anthropology professor Toni Flores; the late history professor Frank O’Laughlin; Nadine Agree, a 1982 graduate; and trustee emeritus Herbert Stern, a 1958 graduate.
Agree and Stern attended, as did Stern’s son, trustee Samuel Stern, a 2003 graduate. Members of the Freeman and Kuryla families, Mara O’Laughlin and Piltch’s daughter Maggie Feldman-Piltch also attended.
Piltch began at HWS in 1977, studied American studies and history, joined Delta Chi and worked in Saga Dining Hall to help pay for college. He received the Warren Schwartz Memorial Scholarship, named for a 1958 graduate.
Now president of Risk Strategies Consulting, Piltch served on the HWS Board of Trustees from 2007 to 2010. His support has included establishing or contributing substantially to nine endowed scholarships and supporting Geneva Scholarship Associates.
Students recognize housing transition work
Student trustees Cori Bohan and Rupert Ramsay, both members of the Class of 2027, spoke about the housing option and the connections represented by the building names.
Bohan also recognized Students for Humanitarian Justice for helping with the transition from Geneva Gardens to HWS housing. The group worked with former residents and the Campus Life Office on solutions during that change.
Gearan said Piltch’s support reflected his continuing recognition of people who helped him as a student.
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