Roger Bolton Named as Inaugural Edmond J. Safra Visiting Professor

Roger Bolton Named as Inaugural Edmond J. Safra Visiting Professor

March 19, 2026

Baruch College's Weissman School of Arts and Sciences received a historic grant of nearly $2 million in 2024 from the Edmond J. Safra Foundation. The gift-the largest since the Weissman School's naming-honors the life and legacy of the late banker and philanthropist Edmond J. Safra by supporting the teaching of ethics in higher education; supporting the digitization of the newly acquired Edmond J. Safra Republic National Bank of New York archives; establishing a prestigious visiting professorship; and providing student scholarships.

The archives will be hosted by Baruch's William and Anita Newman Library and will house decades' worth of the bank's records and other ephemera. The archival project will also be accompanied by an original video series, ensuring these resources remain accessible and engaging for both scholars and the public alike.

Learning from a Distinguished Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Leader

This fall, the Weissman School is excited to welcome Roger Bolton as the inaugural Edmond J. Safra Visiting Professor. The goal of the visiting professorship is to bring in distinguished scholars and practitioners (one annually for the next five years) from a discipline relevant to the archival collection, with interests and expertise in areas including ethics, communications, philosophy, law, psychology, entrepreneurship, leadership, finance, and business history.

As the former Senior Vice President of Communications at Aetna and Director of Global Media Relations at IBM, Bolton brings a lifetime of experience in corporate communications, public affairs, and government relations. He also is the former CEO and President of Page, a premier global professional association for senior corporate communication executives.

Prior to his work in the corporate sector, Bolton held roles in public service, serving as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Public Affairs under President George H.W. Bush and as a Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan in the White House, where he oversaw the president's relations with the national business community.

As part of his appointment this fall, Bolton will co-teach a course on strategic communication and enterprise authenticity during the semester alongside Professor Caryn Medved, director of the MA in Strategic Communication program.

Student Fellowships

Earlier this academic year, the Weissman School awarded four inaugural Edmond J. Safra fellowships to MA in Strategic Communication students Gisela Garrett, Angy Vasquez, Angella Flores and Bianca Benoliel-Schoenfeld. Six more awards will be presented this spring.

The fellowships help support research using the archives and provide full tuition and fee support for both part-time and full-time study.

Applications for fall 2026 fellowships are currently open, with a deadline of May 1.