Recognizing extraordinary enrollment growth and expanding academic reach—and backed by increased support from the Katz family—Yeshiva University has elevated the Katz School to the Katz College of Science and Health, introducing a new framework designed to foster deeper collaboration, innovation and new partnerships.
Under the new structure, the college will be organized into four academic areas: nursing; health sciences; computer science and engineering; and technology management and entrepreneurship. Within these areas, the college plans to expand high-impact programs such as family and psychiatric nursing practice and electrical and computer engineering. The college structure also creates naming opportunities for donors to support new interdisciplinary programs, faculty positions, advanced clinical simulation labs, research laboratories and scholarships.
“This elevated restructuring of our science and health school is empowered by the partnership and generosity of the Katz family, who have now pledged $50 million to the campaign,” said Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, president of Yeshiva University. “In this effort, we are driven by the memory of our beloved trustee Morty Katz, who continuously pushed us to strive for great growth and excellence.”
Yeshiva University’s relationship with the Katz family spans generations. Mordecai (“Morty”) Katz, who passed away in 2021, was a Yeshiva University alumnus and longtime trustee whose leadership and philanthropy helped shape the institution across its different schools. Alongside his wife, Dr. Nicky Katz, who earned her medical degree at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Morty was the driving force behind the Katz School, guided by a shared conviction that investing in people is the surest way to strengthen communities and uplift Jewish life.
“My husband believed the most meaningful investment you can make is in people and their education,” said Dr. Katz. “Education shaped both of our lives, and he wanted the Katz School to be ambitious and excellent—demanding the very best—while remaining firmly rooted in Jewish values. Seeing it grow into a college defined by excellence, purpose and impact would have filled him with pride.”
That commitment is reflected in the scope and design of the Katz College’s advanced academic programs, which span the health sciences—including nursing, occupational therapy, physician assistant studies and speech-language pathology—as well as advanced degrees in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data analytics, biotechnology and technology management.
Hands-on learning is central to the experience, supported by clinical training centers, advanced simulation facilities and research labs, such as the Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) Lab and the IMAGINE Lab, which apply artificial intelligence and advanced technologies to challenges in health care and engineering.
Collectively, these programs position the Katz College of Science and Health at the forefront of health care and technology, addressing the most pressing challenges of the coming decades—from responsible innovation and stronger health-care systems to leadership in complex, high-stakes fields. By uniting rigorous education, applied training and deeply held values, the college prepares graduates not only to excel in their careers but to serve the greater good, uplift communities and make enduring contributions in a rapidly changing world.
