The Cooper Union Alumni Association (CUAA) announced on Founder’s Day that the CUAA Alumnus of the Year is Robert Tan AR’81. This award recognizes alumni who have provided exemplary service to The Cooper Union and to the CUAA. Robert Tan has worked with 3 CU presidents, 4 Alumni Directors, many trustees and numerous alumni and students.

Robert Tan is a Partner at Gerrard + Tan Architects and a fixture at The Cooper Union. He served as an Alumni Trustee on the Cooper Union Board of Trustees from 2014 to 2018 and, before that, in numerous roles as part of the CUAA Council, including key roles in the Annual Fund, Events, Communications, Constitution, and John Q. Hejduk Award Committees.

Robert Tan was a co-Chair of the 2009 Founder’s Day Dinner Dance. Between 2009 and 2014 he served as CUAA Secretary/Treasurer, a member of the Annual Fund, Events, Constitution, and the John Q. Hejduk AwardCommittees, and a non-voting Alumni Representative on the Board of Trustees Development Committee.

He has been an ambassador for the Cooper community on and off campus—he and his wife have hosted several celebrations for Cooper Union staff and students in their home. Robert also served on The Cooper Union Presidential Search Committee that selected Laura Sparks.

Robert has been integral in efforts towards a Return to Free. He was elected to the CU Gural Borkowsky Working Group Committee in a special alumni election. This committee was given only 7 weeks to study the school’s finances and come up with an alternative to charging tuition.   Robert next chaired the Cooper Union Free Education Committee (FEC), which, in conjunction with Board, developed the plan for returning the school to full tuition scholarships within 10 years.

Other Links:

Robert Tan, The Cooper Union Website, Link