As a third-year medical student, Stone Streeter cut his teeth during his medical education at Weill Cornell Medicine while living in the institution’s student housing—first at Olin Hall during his classroom instruction, then at Lasdon House for his clerkships. As he eyes his last year at Weill Cornell Medical College, he’s preparing for yet another move: to the Feil Family and Weill Family Residence Hall.
“Now, I’m standing here today, a mosaic of past experiences, ready to tackle the final stages of my medical education,” he said.
Streeter gathered with more than 170 Weill Cornell Medicine leaders, donors, students and alumni May 1 to celebrate the completion of the institution’s new $260 million student residence—and the reveal of its official name.
Exterior shot of the newly completed Feil Family and Weill Family Residence Hall.
The newly named Feil Family and Weill Family Residence Hall greatly expands Weill Cornell Medicine’s student residential space and provides aspiring doctors, scientists and health-care leaders with a modern living and learning environment that will enable them to thrive.
A ceremonial ribbon cutting formally welcomed the residence hall, located at the northwest corner of 74th Street and York Avenue, into Weill Cornell Medicine’s main campus, just three years after breaking ground.
“Today is about our students, who are going to be clinicians, scientists and educators,” said Dr. Robert A. Harrington, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine and provost for medical affairs of Cornell University “The centerpiece of their education is going to be is this building. This is where they will come to live; this is where they will come to learn; this is where they will relax.”
The 16-story, 173,000-square-foot residence will house 272 students when it welcomes them in August. It features 163 studio apartments, seven one-bedrooms and 51 two-bedroom apartments, each equipped with a full kitchen, and includes several communal spaces for study, collaboration, recreation, fitness and socialization.
“Building a world-leading institution means going beyond building world-class academics,” said Cornell University President Michael I. Kotlikoff. “That’s essential but it’s not enough. It’s about bringing together everything that enables students to thrive and reach their full potential—as students, in their careers, and also as human beings. This student residence supports not only our students as individuals, but also our students as a community—with spaces for rest and restoration, and for gathering and connection.”
A centerpiece of the $1.5 billion We’re Changing Medicine campaign, the Feil Family and Weill Family Residence Hall serves as a testament to the extraordinary generosity of Weill Cornell Medicine’s donors. Lead gifts from Jeffrey Feil and the Feil Family and Joan and Sanford I. Weill and the Weill Family Foundation joined those from nearly 80 other long-time donors and alumni to collectively contribute $122 million toward the building’s construction.
Board of Fellows Chair Jessica M. Bibliowicz speaks during the Feil Family and Weill Family Residence Hall ribbon-cutting ceremony May 1. Credit: StudioBrooke
“There’s really no better way to change medicine and make it sustainable than to create a new student residence, where students will have amazing living and learning opportunities,” said Board of Fellows Chair Jessica M. Bibliowicz. “So for the sustainability of health care, medicine and Weill Cornell, I think this is as an exciting day as I can remember. I want to thank our lead donors, who really made this possible.”
“Education has always been front and center in my family's philanthropy to Weill Cornell Medicine, which goes back nearly 50 years, so I can't tell you how honored we are to have been a part of making this student residence come to life,” said Weill Cornell Medicine Board of Fellows Vice Chair Jeffrey Feil. “Our brilliant students deserve so much. They deserve the best education, and they deserve the very best place to live while they are studying hard to be great doctors and researchers. They need a place to learn, feel protected and secure, and collaborate with each other. This is their home.”
The residence joins Weill Cornell Medicine’s suite of initiatives to enhance the student experience. To help more students realize their educational aspirations, Weill Cornell Medicine in 2019 expanded its scholarship program to eliminate educational debt for medical students who qualify for financial aid. That same year, the institution opened the Feil Family Student Center, a 16,200-square-foot campus space that expanded facilities for classes, meetings, quiet study and informal gatherings.
“Our students inspire us every day with their talents and determination,” said Board of Fellows Chair Emeritus Sandy Weill. “Along with our debt-free scholarship program—which Joan and I supported early on—with this beautiful new residence, we’re giving our students the support they need to reach their goals. In a few months, the first students will move in and make this place an exciting center of student life. They will have opportunities to have fun, make friends and, of course, study in a collaborative environment.”
Dr. Robert A. Harrington during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Credit: StudioBrooke
The light-filled and eco-friendly building, designed by Rob Goodwin, Cornell B.Arch. ’84, of Perkins&Will, will help medical and graduate students balance personal health and rigorous education by providing a modern living space that offers ways to encounter and collaborate with their peers. The building will feature various communal spaces such as study nooks, meeting rooms, a fitness center, yoga and music rooms, a student lounge, outdoor garden and a multipurpose activity court. Weill Cornell Medicine's Board of Fellows, working closely with current students, conceptualized the building to ensure that its amenities and design would fulfill students’ needs.
The new residence hall is located four blocks from the institution’s clinical, research and education buildings, ensuring that students can live and learn in the same environment.
One such space is a rooftop lounge with an adjoining terrace, which Dr. Edwin Su, M.D. ’97 and his sisters generously supported and named the Sky Lounge Lobby and Sky Lounge/Roof Terrace.
“The alumni community has been tremendously supportive of this beautiful new student residence,” said Dr. Su, vice president of the Weill Cornell Medical College Alumni Association and chair of its Fundraising Committee. “It is more than just a building. It is a promise: A promise Weill Cornell Medicine will continue to nurture, support and inspire students, with beautiful communal spaces and a design focused on wellness and sustainability. This residence will be a place where students can study, collaborate, and build relationships that will shape their lives and careers.”
As a doctoral student studying at Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kenneth Johnson personally knows the value of community and belonging. Graduate school is fulfilling but grueling, he said, making it even more important that the home environment is welcoming and supportive.
“The Feil Family and Weill Family Residence Hall embodies those values,” he said. “It provides more than just a place to sleep. It offers a place to belong, where students can reflect and recharge and connect with one another. A space where spontaneous conversations can spark new ideas and where meaningful relationships can take root—indeed, the foundation of personal wellbeing and academic excellence.”